Saint James Parish, Jamaica
Saint James is a county ( parish ) in the northwest of Jamaica. Capital is Montego Bay. The National Hero Samuel Sharpe was born here. Sangster International Airport is one of the two international airports in Jamaica.
History
During the Spanish colonial period was from Montego Bay from mainly lard exported, which gave the place the name of Bahia de Manteca ( Lard Bay ). When the British took over in 1670 the rule was Saint James is one of the poorest areas on the island, sparsely populated and without cities.
The county is named after James II of England.
After the contract with the maroons ( called Maroons ) 1739 flourished on the sugar trade. More than 150 ships per year brought slaves from Africa and exported the sugar. Montego Bay was at that time a prosperous city.
Montego Bay was repeatedly almost completely destroyed. 1795 and 1811 due to fire and 1831 in a slave revolt. The led by Sam Sharpe rebellion was directed against the British slave owner who refused to release their slaves. Sam Sharpe, who initially sought a peaceful solution, was hanged in Montego Bay.
After the end of slavery, the trade took the place of the sugar industry with bananas. He also contributed to the development of Jamaica as a tourist destination with.
Geography
Saint James on the east by Trelawny Parish, on the south by Saint Elizabeth Parish and to the west by Hanover Parish and Westmoreland. At 595 km ², in 2001 178,000 people.
Like the other counties in the north of Jamaica, there is also the ground St James ' largely of limestone. The Nassau Mountains extend across the area. The highest elevation, south of Montego Bay, is located at 1524 meters.
The Border Rivers Great River ( Saint James and Hanover ) and the Montego River, which are rises in the center of Saint James the main rivers.
Economy
Tourism is the main industry in Saint James, one in four residents work here. About 500,000 tourists visit the county in the year, one third of total tourists in Jamaica. In addition, agriculture and forestry play an important role. In particular, the textile industry and timber processors have settled here.
Places of interest
- Rose Hall east of Ironshore. A house from the 18th century in the supposedly haunted the wife of the builder. It annually attracts about 100,000 tourists.
- Sam Sharpe Square in Montego Bay. Of execution of Sam Sharpe, a statue commemorates him and his colleagues during the revolution of 1831st
- Creek Dome. Former part of the drinking water supply.
- Old Fort, built in 1774 fortress for the protection of Montego Bay.
- The Cage. Former Sklavengefägnis today and tourist information center and museum.