Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston
Downtown Kingston and the Port of Kingston
Motto: A city which hath foundations[1]
Kingston Location of Kingston shown within Jamaica
Coordinates:
Country	Jamaica
County	Surrey
Parish	Kingston and St. Andrew
Established	1692
Government
- Mayor	Desmond McKenzie
Area
- Total	480 km2 (185.3 sq mi)
Elevation	9 m (30 ft)
Population (2001)
- Total	651,880
- Density	1,358/km2 (3,517.2/sq mi)
- Kingston Parish	96,052
- St. Andrew Parish	555,828
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)

Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island. In the Americas, Kingston is the largest predominantly English-speaking city south of the United States.

The local government bodies of the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew were amalgamated by the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation Act of 1923, to form the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC). Greater Kingston, or the "Corporate Area" refers to those areas under the KSAC; however, it does not solely refer to Kingston Parish, which only consists of the old downtown and Port Royal. Kingston Parish had a population of 96,052, and St. Andrew parish had a population of 555,828 in 2001.^[2] Kingston is only bordered by Saint Andrew to the east, west and north. The geographical border for the parish of Kingston ends at East Street, West Street and North Street.

The city proper is bounded by Six Miles to the west, Stony Hill to the north, Papine to the northeast and Harbour View to the east, communities in urban and suburban Saint Andrew. Communities in rural St. Andrew such as Gordon Town, Mavis Bank, Lawrence Tavern, Mt. Airy and Bull Bay would not be described as being in Kingston city.

Two parts make up the central area of Kingston: the historic but troubled Downtown, and New Kingston. Several reggae stars, including Buju Banton, Sean Paul, Bounty Killer, and Beenie Man, hail from Kingston (Saint Andrew). Attractions include the nearby Hellshire located in Saint Catherine and Lime Cay beaches, the National Gallery of Jamaica, the ruins of Port Royal, and Devon House, a mansion with adjoining park that once belonged to Jamaica's first black millionaire. Several annual and well-visited festivals are held in Kingston.

Kingston is served by Norman Manley International Airport and also by the smaller and primarily domestic Tinson Pen Aerodrome.

History

Scenes in Kingston after the 1882 fire.

Map of Kingston 1897

Kingston was founded on 22 July 1692, as a place for refugees and survivors of the 1692 earthquake that destroyed Port Royal. Before the earthquake, Kingston’s functions were purely agricultural. The earthquake survivors set up a refugee camp on the sea front. Approximately two thousand people died due to mosquito-borne diseases. Initially the refugees lived in a tented camp on Colonel Barry's Hog Crawle. The town did not begin to grow until after the further destruction of Port Royal by the Nick Catania Pirate Fleet's fire in 1703. Surveyor John Goffe drew up a plan for the town based on a grid bounded by North, East, West and Harbour Streets. By 1716 it had become the largest town and the centre of trade for Jamaica. The government sold land to people with the regulation that they purchase no more than the amount of the land that they owned in Port Royal, and only land on the sea front. Gradually wealthy merchants began to move their residences from above their businesses to the farm lands north on the plains of Liguanea.

The first free school, Wolmer's, was founded in 1729^[3] and there was a theatre, first on Harbour Street and then moved in 1774 to North Parade. Both are still in existence. In 1755 the governor, Sir Charles Knowles, had decided to transfer the government offices from Spanish Town to Kingston. It was thought by some to be an unsuitable location for the Assembly in close proximity to the moral distractions of Kingston, and the next governor rescinded the Act. However, by 1780 the population of Kingston was 11,000, and the merchants began lobbying for the administrative capital to be transferred from Spanish Town, which was by then eclipsed by the commercial activity in Kingston.

By the end of the 18th century the city contained more than 3,000 brick buildings. The harbour fostered trade, and played part in several naval wars of the 18th century. Kingston took over the functions of Spanish Town (the capital at the time). These functions included agriculture, commercial, processing, and a main transportation hub to and from Kingston and other sections of the island.

The government passed an act to transfer the government offices to Kingston from Spanish Town, which occurred in 1872. It kept this status when the island was granted independence in 1962.

Bird's eye view of Kingston after the 1907 earthquake

In 1907, 800 people died in another earthquake known as the 1907 Kingston earthquake, destroying nearly all the historical buildings south of Parade in the city. That was when a restriction of no more than 60 feet (18 m) was instituted on buildings in the central business district. These three story high buildings were built with reinforced concrete. Construction on King Street in the city was the first area to breach this building code.

During the 1930s, island-wide riots led to the development of trade unions and political parties to represent workers.

The city became home to the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies founded in 1948 with 24 medical students.

View of the Uptown New Kingston skyline (2007)

Not until the 1960s did major change occur in the development of Kingston’s central business district. The international attention of reggae music at that time coincided with the expansion and development of 95 acres (38 ha) of the Downtown Kingston waterfront area.

View of the Downtown Kingston waterfront showing the Bank of Nova Scotia and the Bank of Jamaica

These developments led to an influx of shops and offices, and the development of a new financial center: New Kingston, which replaced the Knutsford Racetrack. Multi-story buildings and boulevards were placed within that section.

In 1966 Kingston was the host city to the Commonwealth Games.

The western section of the city was not the focus of development, and that area proved to be politically tense. The 1970s saw deteriorating economic conditions that led to recurrent violence and a decline in tourism which later affected the island.

In the 1980 general elections, the democratic socialist People's National Party (PNP) government was voted out. Subsequent governments have been market-oriented since the 1980s. Within a global urban era, the 1990s saw that Kingston has made efforts to modernize and develop its city structure and functions. Various organizations such as The Kingston Restoration Company, the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and the Port Authority of Jamaica, along with the Port Royal Development Company, among others sought to develop the urban structure of the city.

Demographics

The majority of the population of Kingston is of African descent. Large minority ethnic groups include East Indians and Chinese, who came to the country as indentured servants in the late 19th century. They now occupy important roles in Jamaica's economy especially in the retail markets in Downtown Kingston. Europeans, mostly descending from immigrants from Germany and Great Britain also reside in the city as well as Christian Syrians and Lebanese. People of mixed ancestry also form the largest minority group. There is also a small Jewish population in the city.

Religion

There are a wide variety of Christian churches in the city. Most are Protestant, a legacy of British colonization of the island. The chief denominations are Church of God, Baptist, Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-day Adventist, and Pentecostal. Afro-Christian syncretic religions such as the Rastafari movement also have a significant following.

The Shaare Shalom Synagogue serves Kingston's Jewish population. The city also has communities of Buddhists and Muslims. The Islamic Council of Jamaica and the Islamic Education and Dawah Center are both located in Kingston. There are 3 units of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the city.^[4]

Economy

Air Jamaica headquarters

Kingston plays a central role in Jamaica's economy. The vast majority of economic activity takes place within Kingston, and as since most government ministries are located in the city, it is a key force in legislation in regards to Jamaica's finances. The high population density of the capital city means that the majority of monetary transactions occur in Kingston - stimulating much of Jamaica's local economy. Many banks are headquartered in Kingston as well.

Air Jamaica was headquartered in Kingston before its takeover by Caribbean Airlines.^[5]

Geography

Climate

Kingston skyline, circa 2003

Kingston is surrounded by the Blue Mountains, Red Hills, Long Mountain and the Kingston Harbour. The city is situated on the Liguanea Plain, an alluvial plain alongside the Hope River. Kingston experiences frequent earthquakes, including the 1907 earthquake.

Kingston has a tropical climate, specifically a tropical wet-and-dry climate, characterized by a wet season from May to November, which coincides with the hurricane season, and a dry season from December to April. During the dry season, there is not much rainfall, however, cold and stationary fronts occur at this time, and often bring heavy showers, especially in March. Kingston is located in the rain shadow of the Blue Mountains; therefore, little to none of the moisture carried by the Northeast Trade Winds falls over Kingston, causing Kingston to be very dry in comparison to Portland and Saint Mary on the windward side of the Blue Mountains. Kingston is on a coastal location, hence it comes under the influence of the sea, though dense urban development can negate this effect. In the 21st century, Kingston has experienced temperatures as high as 34°C (93.2°F) and temperatures as low as 25°C (77°F). Between 1895 and 1990, the total average rainfall was recorded at 909.7 mm (35.8 inches), the highest monthly average rainfall recorded in October at 181.1 mm (7.1 inches), and the lowest monthly average rainfall recorded in March at 22.7 mm (0.9 inches).^[6]

Neighbourhoods and districts

Transportation

Road

Transport centre in Half Way Tree.

The St William Grant Park (Parade) in the heart of downtown Kingston is the starting point for three of Jamaica's four A roads, namely the A1 (Kingston to Lucea), the A3 (Kingston to Saint Ann's Bay) and the A4 (Kingston to Annotto Bay), while the city itself is provided with a dense network of trunk, main, secondary and minor roads. It also consists of the Highway 2000, Jamaica which runs through Portmore, Ocho Rios, and Mandeville

Kingston is well served by buses, mini buses and taxis, which operate throughout the city with major hubs at Parade, Cross Roads, Half Way Tree and elsewhere.^[8]

Private car ownership levels are high, and like many major urban conurbations Kingston suffers from frequent traffic jams and pollution.

Rail

The now disused Kingston railway station served the Kingston to Montego Bay main line with branches from Spanish Town to Ewarton, Bog Walk to Port Antonio, Linstead to New Works and May pen to Frankfield.

The station opened in 1845 and closed in October 1992 when all passenger traffic on Jamaica's railways abruptly ceased.^[9]

Air

Kingston's international airport is Norman Manley International Airport while Tinson Pen Aerodrome provides domestic services.

Sea

Historically, the Kingston waterfront was Jamaica's main port with many finger piers at which freighters and passenger liners could dock. More recently, with the containerisation of freight, the port has moved to Newport West.

Law

The Jamaica Constabulary Force, Jamaica's police force, is based on Old Hope Road near Liguanea. Smaller police stations, such as Hunt's Bay, Matilda's Corner and Half-Way-Tree, are dispersed across the Corporate Area. The Supreme Court of Jamaica is also located in Kingston. Other courts, such as the Half-Way-Tree Resident Magistrate's Court, Gun Court, Traffic Court and Family Court, make Kingston their home. The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has its headquarters at Up Park Camp near New Kingston and Cross Roads. The JDF also operates a major naval base at Port Royal.

Media and telecommunications

The Gleaner Company, the Jamaica Observer and the Sunday Herald, three of Jamaica's large newspaper companies, make their home in Kingston. Several television and radio stations including Television Jamaica (TVJ), CVM TV, RJR 94 FM,TBC 88.5 FM, Hitz 92 FM, FAME 95 FM, LOVE TV, ZIP 103, Kool 97 FM and LOVE FM, are all based in Kingston. Kingston generally has an adequate telecommunications service, administered by either Cable and Wireless or Flow Jamaica. Cellular phone service is also very strong in Kingston, especially since Cable & Wireless, Digicel and Claro, Jamaica’s three cellular providers, are all based in the city.

Services

Kingston, as the capital, is the financial, cultural, economic and industrial centre of Jamaica. Many financial institutions are based in Kingston, and the city boasts the largest number of hospitals, schools, universities and cultural attractions of any urban area on the island. Notable Kingston landmarks include the University of the West Indies, Jamaica Defence Force Museum, and Bob Marley Museum.

Notable residents

Sister cities

Kingston has six sister cities:

• Miami, Florida, United States
• Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States
• Coventry, England, United Kingdom
• Guadalajara, Mexico
• Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
• Panevėžys, Lithuania

References

Wikinews has related news: State of emergency declared in Kingston, Jamaica Jamaica: Violence kills at least 30

External links

• Jamaica Library Service: brief history of Kingston
• 2001 Census
• History
• Ministry of Health
• Jamaica National Heritage Trust
• The Tramways of Kingston, Jamaica

			Mona, Jamaica
	Spanish Town
		Kingston

Settlements in Jamaica For the definition of city, town, etc see Settlements in Jamaica. Cities Kingston · Montego Bay · Portmore · Spanish Town Towns Above Rocks · Albert Town · Alexandria · Alligator Pond · Anchovy · Annotto Bay · Balaclava · Bamboo · Bath · Bethel Town · Black River · Bluefields · Bog Walk · Brown's Town · Buff Bay · Bull Savanna · Cambridge · Cascade · Cave Valley · Chapelton · Christiana · Claremont · Clarendon Park · Clark's Town · Coleyville · Constant Spring · Croft's Hill · Dalvey · Darliston · Discovery Bay (Dry Harbour) · Duncans · Easington · Ewarton · Falmouth · Frankfield · Franklin Town · Frome · Gayle · Golden Grove · Gordon Town · Grange Hill · Green Island · Guy's Hill · Hagley Gap · Hayes · Hartland · Highgate · Hope Bay · Hopewell, Hanover · Islington · Kellits · Lacovia · Linstead · Lionel Town · Little London · Lluidas Vale · Lucea · Lucky Hill · Maggotty · Malvern · Manchioneal · Mandeville · Maroon Town · Mavis Bank · May Pen · Moneague · Moore Town · Morant Bay · Nain · Negril · Newcastle · Ocho Rios · Old Harbour Bay · Old Harbour · Oracabessa · Osbourne Store · Petersfield · Point Hill · Port Antonio · Port Esquivel · Port Maria · Port Royal · Porus · Race Course · Richmond · Rio Bueno · Riversdale · Rocky Point · Runaway Bay · Saint Ann's Bay · Sandy Bay · Santa Cruz · Savanna-la-Mar · Seaforth · Siloah · Southfield · Stonehenge · Trinity Ville · Ulster Spring · Vineyard Town · Wakefield · Whitehouse · Williamsfield · Woodpark · Yallahs Villages Accompong · Aeolus Valley · Airy Castle · Barking Lodge · Bog · Big Woods · Boscobel · Bull Bay · Carmel · Cattawood Springs · Cotterwood · Duckenfield · Duncans  · Haddersfield · Hodges · Hopewell Hall · Hopewell, Clarendon · Hopewell, Manchester · Hopewell, Saint Andrew · Hopewell, Saint Ann · Hopewell, Saint Elizabeth · Hopewell, Westmoreland · Hopeton · Long Wood · Mavis Banks · Nanny Town · New Holland · New Roads · Nine Mile · Old Pera · Paynes Town · Port Morant · Roxborough, Manchester · San San · White Hall · Wood Hall Neighbourhoods Kingston and St Andrew Allman Town · Barbican · Beverly Hills · Bournemouth Gardens · Camperdown · Cassava Piece · Cherry Gardens · Cockburn Gardens · Constant Spring · Cooreville Gardens · Cross Roads · Delacree Park · Denham Town · Duhaney Park · Eastwood Park · Fletcher's Land · Four Mile · Grants Pen · Greenwich Town · Half Way Tree · Hannah Town · Harbour View · Havendale · Hope Pastures · Hughenden · Jack's Hill · Jones Town · Kencot · Kingston Gardens · Kintyre · Liguanea · Manley Meadows · Mannings Hill · Maxfield · Meadowbrook · Meadowbrook Estate · Molynes Gardens · Mona · Mona Heights · Mountain View Gardens · Nannyville Gardens · New Haven · New Kingston · Newport West · Norbrook · Norman Gardens · Olympic Gardens · Papine · Patrick Gardens · Pembroke Hall · Perkins Estate · Queensborough · Queensbury · Rae Town · Red Hills · Richmond Park · Rockfort/Rennock lodge · Rollington Town · Seaview Gardens · Shooters Hill · Six Miles · St Mary · Stony Hill · Three Mile · Tivoli Gardens · Trench Town · Vineyard Town · Washington Gardens · Whitfield Town · Woodford Park · Ziadie Gardens