Saint Ann Parish

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Coordinates: 18°12′00″N 77°28′01″W / 18.200°N 77.467°W / 18.200; -77.467

Saint Ann
Location latitude 18°12'N,
longitude 77°28'W
Capital Town Saint Ann's Bay
Major towns Ocho Rios, Browns Town,
Runaway Bay, Claremont
Bordering Parishes Saint Mary, Trelawny, Clarendon, Saint Catherine,
County Middlesex
Area 1,212.6 square km

468.19 square mile[1]

Rank Jamaica's largest parish (see below)[1]
Population 166,762 (2001 census)
Commerce Tourism, Agriculture
Bauxite Mining, Manufacturing,

Saint Ann (capital Saint Ann's Bay) is the largest parish in Jamaica.[1] It is situated on the north coast of the island, in the county of Middlesex, roughly halfway between the eastern and western ends of the island. It is often called 'the Garden Parish of Jamaica' on account of its natural beauty. Saint Ann is the birthplace of reggae singers Floyd Lloyd, Burning Spear, Shabba Ranks, and Bob Marley. The Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey, one of Jamaica's seven National Heroes, was also born there. More recently, it has become known as the headquarters of the Jamaica Dogsled Team.

Brief history

St. Ann is one of the oldest populated areas in the island of Jamaica tracing back to 600 - 650 A.D. It is believed to be the earliest Taino/Arawak settlement in Jamaica. When Christopher Columbus first came to Jamaica in 1494, he landed on the shores of St. Ann at Discovery Bay, Jamaica. He returned to Jamaica on his fourth voyage and was eventually marooned for one year at St. Ann's Bay (June 1503 - June 1504), which he called Santa Gloria. The first Spanish settlement in Jamaica was also at Sevilla la Nueva, now called Seville, just to the west of St Ann's Bay. Established by Juan de Esquivel, the first Spanish Governor of Jamaica, St Ann's Bay became the third capital established by Spain in the Americas. The first sugar mills were established by the Spaniards in Sevilla la Nueva before 1526.

After 1655, when the English captured Jamaica, St Ann's Bay gradually developed as a fishing port with many warehouses and wharves. The parish of St. Ann was later named after Lady Anne Hyde the first wife of King James II of England. Ocho Rios began to develop as a modern town and a favourite tourist destination in Jamaica. Its development commenced when Reynolds Jamaica Mines built a deep-water pier, west of the town to ship bauxite ore from the mines.

In the 1960s the St Ann Development Council began the systematic development of Ocho Rios creating a modern town.

Geography

The parish is located at latitude 18°12'N, longitude 77°28'W. It is bordered on the south by Clarendon and Saint Catherine in the east by Saint Mary, and Trelawny, in the west. As with all but one parish, its coast is washed by the Caribbean sea. St. Ann covers an area of 1,212.6 km², making it the largest parish, before Saint Elizabeth's 1,212.4 km². The population was an estimated 168,726 in 2001, with 11,066 living in the capital, St Anns Bay. Other important towns located in St. Ann are Discovery Bay, Brown's Town and Ocho Rios.

The highest elevation in the parish is in the Dry Harbour Mountains at 762 metres above sea level. Because of its limestone formation, the parish is noted for its 59 caves and numerous sinkholes. The Moneague Lake, which varies considerably in size, is one of the few large intermittent lakes in the island. The boundary between St Ann and St Mary is formed by the White River, which flows for 27.4 kilometres. Other rivers like the Dunns River appear intermittently, rising a few kilometres from the coast. The names of the main rivers are Negro, St Ann, Great, Roaring, Cave and Pedro.

Economy

Agriculture

The agricultural products are mainly bananas, allspice/pimento, sugar, coconuts, coffee, limes, corn, ginger, sweet potatoes, sensimilia yam, and annatto. The soil is also suitable for citrus and, sisal is cultivated in the drier areas. The parish is also noted for cattle rearing, horses and hogs (swine). Recently, however, agriculture has been on the decline as farmland is being used for housing and other developments and the cultivated area has decreased.

Tourism

The major economic activity in the parish is tourism. St.ann is one of the major tourist destinations of Jamaica, given that Dunn's River Falls and many popular beaches, like Puerto Seco Beach, are located there. There is a cruise ship Dock (maritime) on the west shore of Ocho Rios Bay, and numerous hotels and resorts (including Sandals (resorts) Jamaica) are located in and around the city. It is also the birthplace/resting place for Bob Marley (February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981).

Government and infrastructure

The Department of Correctional Services, Jamaica operates juvenile correctional centres in St. Anne Parish. The Hill Top Juvenile Correctional Centre is located in Bamboo. The Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre was located in Alexandria.[2] On 22 May 2009 a fire went through the Armadale facility, killing 5 girls and injuring 13 girls. The replacement facility is located in Diamond Crest Villa near Alligator Pond in Manchester Parish.[3]

Attractions

Natural

  • Dunn's River Falls
  • Green Grotto Caves
  • Ocho Rios Marine Park
  • Fern Gully
  • Shaw Park Gardens
  • Coyaba River Garden
  • Puerto Seco Beach
  • Chukka Cove Adventures
  • White River Rafting
  • Dolphin Cove
  • Cranbrook Flower Forrest
  • Mystic Mountain.[4]

Historic

See also


High School's in the parish

  • Ferncourt High
  • York Castle High
  • St Hilda's High
  • Ochi Rios High
  • Brown's Town High
  • Aabuthnott Gallimore High

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The title of largest parish in Jamaica has caused some confusion. The parishes of St. Catherine, Saint Elizabeth or St. Ann are usually ranked as the largest, depending on the source. The Gleaner, one of the nations most reputable newspapers, lists St. Catherine as the largest with an area of 1,260 sq km, St. Ann as the second largest with 1200 sq km, and St. Elizabeth third with 1,185 km² (Geography and History of Jamaica. The Jamaica Gleaner. Accessed 09-04-2009). However, The Jamaica Library Service database ranks St Ann the largest with an area of 1212.6 km² (Saint Ann. Jamaica Library Services. Accessed 09-04-2009), St. Elizabeth second with 1212.4 km² (St. Elizabeth. Jamaica Library Services. Accessed 09-04-2009), and St. Catherine third with 1192.4 km² (Saint Catherine. Jamaica Library Services. Accessed 09-04-2009).
  2. ↑ "JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL CENTRES." Department of Correctional Services, Jamaica. Retrieved on 2 October 2010.
  3. ↑ "Armadale girls get fresh start - New home at Diamond Crest, Manchester." The Gleaner. Sunday 31 May 2009. Retrieved on 2 October 2010.
  4. ↑ Jamaican Attraction [http://www.wix.com/courtneytay/jamaicajh Jamaica Tour] Among 50 Essential Travel Experiences

External links

Counties
Parishes
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