Clarendon, Jamaica

From Jamaica Wiki

Clarendon is one of the fourteen parishes of the island nation of Jamaica. Clarendon is placed almost in the middle of the island with a stretch of the southern coast included. It is located in the county of Middlesex and has the parishes of Manchester, Saint Catherine and Saint Ann as its neighbors. The parish was given the name as a mark of respect to the famous Lord Chancellor, Sir Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon. The present parish was formed by unification of three former parishes named St. Dorothy’s, Vere and Clarendon respectively. The present capital of Clarendon is the town of May Pen.

According to the area, Clarendon is the third largest parish in Jamaica with an area of 1,196 sq. km. Clarendon is also one of the most populous parishes with a total estimated population of 215,515. Most of the land of Clarendon is a wide, continuous plain traversed by several rivers, a major one being the Rio Minho River. The Vere plain is a significant feature of this land. There is also some hilly terrain towards the north of the parish, which includes the Mocho Mountain and the Bull Head mountain range, considered to be the geographical center of the island. The peninsula in the southern part of Clarendon has several places of interest. Portland point, the southernmost point in the whole island of Jamaica, is located in this peninsula. The peninsula also has the Jackson Bay beach and on the eastern side, a port used mainly for exporting alumina. A community called Portland Cottage also makes this peninsula their home.

The economy of Clarendon is based mainly on mining, tourism and agriculture. Clarendon holds a significant portion of the bauxite reserves of Jamaica. Nationalized companies like the JAMALCO and ALCOA run the mining operations within Clarendon. The parish is also the major producer of tobacco in Jamaica. Other major crops include cotton, pimento, indigo, ginger, bananas, coffee and cocoa. May Pen, the capital of Clarendon, is famous as a packing center for ‘Trout Hall’ oranges. Other commercial activities like dairy farming, fish farming and copper mining are also practiced in Clarendon. Sugarcane farming and sugar production is another significant contributor to the economy.

Clarendon also has great potential for tourism. The world famous Milk River Bath is located in Clarendon. The Milk River Bath is a mineral spa renowned for the therapeutic value of its water. There are many locations famous for their historical value in Clarendon. Clarendon has the oldest church in the whole island of Jamaica at Alley, the old capital of Vere. Another important monument is the Halse Hall Great House, which is one of the island’s most well known historical residencies. The house and the estate originally belonged to Major Thomas Halse and then passed on to Francis Sadler Halse who played an important role in the Maroon Wars, a turning point in the history of Jamaica. There are two racetracks in Clarendon, Vernam Field – the first car racing track in Jamaica, located in a former American air base and famous for drag racing – and Woodleigh racetrack – located outside May Pen and famous for dirt bike racing.