Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica

From Jamaica Wiki

St. Catherine is one of the largest parishes in the island nation of Jamaica. It comes under the county of Middlesex and is located towards the southeast corner of Jamaica. Sante Jago De La Vega or Spanish Town, a former capital of Jamaica serves as the capital of St. Catherine. The parish is surrounded by St. Andrew in the east, Clarendon in the west, St. Mary and St. Ann in the north and the sea in the south. Portmore, Old Harbour, Ewarton and Linstead are other important towns in St. Catherine.

Covering an area of 1,192 sq km, St. Catherine ranks as the fourth largest parish in Jamaica. But with over half a million residents, St. Catherine is also the most populous of Jamaica’s parishes. Portmore, a town in the parish, is the largest community in the whole Caribbean. Other than the Hellshire hills near the coast, most of the southern part of the parish is a vast plain. There are mountainous areas towards the central and northern sections with the highest peak at Mount Diablo (686 m). Only the Rio Cobre River waters the vast southern plain. This river basin is responsible for providing water and electricity for many important areas like Spanish town, Linstead, Riversdale, Old Harbour and even the urban KSAC area.

The Spanish had first settled in Seville, close to the present town of St. Ann’s bay. The location of Spanish town was recommended to the Spanish authorities by Pedro de Mazuela, the island’s treasurer. The parish was named after Queen Katherine, King Charles II’s wife. In 1655, the control of Jamaica passed into British hands, who resisted all the futile efforts of the Spaniards to take back the island. It was the English who gave the name Spanish town and made it the administrative capital of the island of Jamaica. The following two centuries were one of prosperity for the town during which many businesses were established there. The parish was also a major producer of sugar. But from 1755, there arose demands for the capital to be transferred to the city of Kingston from its residents. This was achieved only as late as 1872, when Governer Sir Peter John Grant made the transfer officially. The present boundaries of St. Catherine was set in 1867 by assimilating the parishes of St. Dorothy, St. John and St. Thomas-in-the-Vale.

Agriculture, Manufacturing and Tourism are the major commercial activities in St. Catherine as in all Jamaica. Farming employs the largest number of the people and produces a variety of crops like sugarcane, bananas, citrus, coffee, pineapple and so on. Diary farming and fish farming are other major agricultural activities. St. Catherine is also Jamaica’s second most important industrial center in Jamaica. Spanish town is the largest producer of salt in the Caribbean and is also a center for the manufacture of cigarettes, carpets, batteries and pharmaceutical products.

Spanish town, being an important town in Jamaican colonial history, is the location of several historic monuments. Important sites worth visiting are the Emancipation Square, Kings House and the House of Assembly (both built in 1762) and the Courthouse, built in 1819. Jamaica’s most famous racing track, the Cayamanas racing track, is located in St. Catherine. The Rio Cobre River and Gorge is also a favorite destination for tourists. The St. Clair Cave is Jamaica’s most famous cave but is restricted for regular tourists due to its biological importance and other reasons.