Kingston, Jamaica

From Jamaica Wiki

Kingston is the capital city of the Caribbean nation of Jamaica. It is also the largest city in the country and is located on the southeastern coast of Jamaica. Kingston has a natural harbor protected by a natural formation called the Palisadoes, a long sand spit connecting Port Royal and the Airport to the island. Kingston can also be described as the largest mainly English-speaking city south of the United States in the Western Hemisphere. Kingston comes under the county of Surrey and is made up by two major areas referred to as the Downtown and the New Kingston.

Kingston actually comes under the governance of the Kingston & St. Andrew Corporation, since 1923, which was formed by combining the local governments of the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew. While saying Greater Kingston or the Corporate Area, one refers to KSAC and not only the Kingston Parish consisting of only the downtown and the Port Royal. Kingston is served by two airports – The Norman Manley International Airport and the Tinson Pen Airport, primarily domestic.

Kingston is home to several famous buildings and monuments including the Bob Marley museum, the National Gallery of Jamaica, the Devon house and the ruins of Port Royal. The Bob Marley museum has been built at the former residence of the reggae legend. Kingston has also produced several other reggae stars like Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, Sean Paul and Beenie Man. The Devon house is a 19th century mansion, which was the home of the first West Indian millionaire of African descent where visitors can get a feel of the luxury of former times. The nearby Hellshire and Lime Cay beaches are also favored tourist destinations. Kingston is also the location of some popular annually conducted festivals.

Kingston came into being originally as a refugee camp of survivors from the devastating earthquake of 1693 that destroyed much of the then major port city of Port Royal. The town continued as a tented camp till a fire caused the further destruction of Port Royal. After this incident, the town of Kingston was planned based on a plan drawn by surveyor John Goffe in an area bounded by the North, West, East and Harbour streets. Kingston became Jamaica’s largest town and center of commerce by 1716.This prompted more and more workers to settle in and around the town of Kingston. Many major institutions like the Wolmers School were established in the 18th century and still exist. Kingston achieved the position of the administrative capital of Jamaica in 1872.

Kingston had more than its fair share of disasters in its three centuries long history. The long list of disasters includes a hurricane in 1784, major fires in 1843, 1862 and 1882, a cholera epidemic in 1850 and a major earthquake in 1907, which destroyed three fourths of buildings in Kingston. The city was rebuilt and further development in the 60’s saw the city expand further to the north forming the area known as New Kingston. The following decades had witnessed large-scale changes in the whole picture of Kingston. Kingston had also had the honor of hosting the Commonwealth Games in 1966. People of African origin dominate the population of Kingston with considerable numbers of East Indians, Chinese, Caucasians, Arabs and Hispanics also present.

The major religion in the city is Protestant Christianity, a legacy of the British colonization. The major non-Christian religions are the Rastafarian movement and a smattering of Buddhism and Islam. Kingston has produced several world-famous sportsmen and musicians.