Portland Parish, Jamaica
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| Location | latitude Latitude In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a... 18°10' N longitude Longitude Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda .... 75°27'W |
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| Capital Town | Port Antonio Port Antonio Port Antonio is the capital of the parish of Portland on the northeastern coast of Jamaica, about 60 miles from Kingston. It had a population of 12,285 in 1982 and 13,246 in 1991... |
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| Major towns | Buff Bay | |
| County County A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain... |
Surrey | |
| Area | 814 square km | |
| Rank | Jamaica's seventh largest parish | |
| Population Population A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals... |
81,000 in 2001 | |
| Commerce Commerce While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any... |
Tourism Tourism Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a... , Agriculture Agriculture Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the... |
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Portland, with its capital town Port Antonio
Port Antonio
Port Antonio is the capital of the parish of Portland on the northeastern coast of Jamaica, about 60 miles from Kingston. It had a population of 12,285 in 1982 and 13,246 in 1991...
, is a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
located on Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
's northeast coast. It is situated to the north of St Thomas
Saint Thomas Parish, Jamaica
Saint Thomas is a suburban parish that is situated at the south eastern end of Jamaica, in the county of Surrey. It is the birth place of The right Honorable Paul Bogle, one of Jamaica's seven National Heroes...
, and the east of St Mary
Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica
Saint Mary is a parish located in the northeast section of Jamaica. With a population of 115,000 it is one of Jamaica's smallest parishes, located in the county of Middlesex. Its chief town and capital is Port Maria, located on the coast. It is also the birthplace of established dancehall reggae...
in Surrey
Surrey, Jamaica
Surrey is the easternmost and the smallest by area of the three historic counties into which Jamaica is divided. It has no current-day administrative significance...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
. It is one of the rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
areas of Jamaica and is known for its great beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es.
Geography and demography
The parish is situated at latitudeLatitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
18°10' N and longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
75°27'W. It extends from the highest peaks of the Blue Mountains
Blue Mountains (Jamaica)
The Blue Mountains form the longest mountain range in Jamaica. They include the island's highest point, Blue Mountain Peak, at 2256 m . From the summit, accessible via a walking track, both the North and South coasts of the island can be seen...
, 2256 metres (7,401.6 ft) above sea-level, down to the north coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
, and is noted for its fertile soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
, beautiful scenery, and fine beaches. The parish lies in the direct path of the northeast trade winds, and the Blue Mountain ridge
Ridge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
to its south traps the moisture causing the parish to have the highest rainfall in the island. Port Antonio, its chief town and capital, has two harbours, the western one being sheltered by a small islet
Islet
An islet is a very small island.- Types :As suggested by its origin as islette, an Old French diminutive of "isle", use of the term implies small size, but little attention is given to drawing an upper limit on its applicability....
, Navy Island. Portland covers an area of 814 square kilometers, making it Jamaica's seventh largest parish.
The parish has a variety of complex landforms; the entire coastline is dotted with caves, bay
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
s, rivers, waterfalls and hills. There are fourteen caves, which include those at Buff Bay, Orange Bay, Hope Bay, Port Antonio, Boston Bay, Long Bay, Innis Bay and Nonsuch. There are also 17 rivers which form a network throughout the parish. The largest are the Rio Grande, Buff Bay and Hectors Rivers.
The population of Portland is an estimated 82,000, 15,000 of whom live in the capital town. Its people are 89.8% black, 1.2% white, 5.3% Asians, 2.6% mixed race, and 1.1% other.
Agriculture
The parish is a leading producer of bananaBanana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
s, breadfruit
Breadfruit
Breadfruit is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae, growing throughout Southeast Asia and most Pacific Ocean islands...
s, coffee, mangoes and ackee
Ackee
The ackee, also known as the vegetable brain, achee, akee apple or akee is a member of the Sapindaceae , native to tropical West Africa in Cameroon, Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.It is...
which are grown for export as well as local consumption. Portland has very rich land on its coastal strips that is suitable for any kind of cultivation, so many domestic crops are grown. Manufacturing is a small sector of the economy, with about 18 factories.
Tourism
Portland by and large remains a playground for the wealthy, many of whom own property there. A number of tourist facilities exist, including Trident Villas and Hotel, Jamaica Palace, Dragon Bay Villas, Goblin Hill Hotel, Jamaica Crest, Fern Hill Club, and Mocking Bird Hill, which cater to people of varying wealth. There is a growing emphasis on eco-tourism, which could be sensitively developed in the parish.Attractions
Because of its natural attractions, tourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
has often flourished in the parish. It is noted for its fine beaches, such as Frenchman's Cove, Boston
Boston Beach, Portland Parish, Jamaica
Boston Beach is a coastal community on the north coast of the island of Jamaica, with a public beach which is one of the few beaches in Jamaica attracting surfers. It is located nine miles east of the town of Port Antonio.-History:...
, Winifred, and Dragon Bay. The very famous Blue Mountains are also located in Portland, as is the world-famous Blue Lagoon, which is believed to be the crater
Volcanic crater
A volcanic crater is a circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity. It is typically a basin, circular in form within which occurs a vent from which magma erupts as gases, lava, and ejecta. A crater can be of large dimensions, and sometimes of great depth...
of an extinct volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
. The lagoon is an almost landlocked
Landlocked
A landlocked country is a country entirely enclosed by land, or whose only coastlines lie on closed seas. There are 48 landlocked countries in the world, including partially recognized states...
cove
Cove
A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. They usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often inside a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are often considered coves...
with approximately 55m (180 ft) of water. Rafting
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
on the Rio Grande River is also a tourist attraction.
Boston Jerk Centre in Portland is an area well known for its famous jerked foods, including chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
, fish and pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
. Jerked foods are foods made with Jamaican jerk spice
Jamaican jerk spice
Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica in which meat is dry-rubbed or wet marinated with a very hot spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice. Jerk seasoning is traditionally applied to pork and chicken. Modern recipes also apply jerk spice mixes to fish, shrimp, shellfish, beef, sausage,...
.
Other activities
Since the early 1950s, more than 782 film or screen productions have been shot in Portland. Two of the most popular are Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the SeaTwenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a classic science fiction novel by French writer Jules Verne published in 1870. It tells the story of Captain Nemo and his submarine Nautilus as seen from the perspective of Professor Pierre Aronnax...
, by Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
, USA 1954 and The Harder They Come
The Harder They Come
The Harder They Come is a 1972 Jamaican crime film directed by Perry Henzell.The film stars reggae singer Jimmy Cliff, who plays Ivanhoe Martin, a character based on Rhyging, a real-life Jamaican criminal who achieved fame in the 1940s...
by Vista productions Ja 1972. Scenes from the film "Cocktail" starring Tom Cruise were shot at the bar on the beach at the Dragon Bay resort, while an early film edition of "The Lord of the Flies" was largely shot at Frenchman's Cove. Rihanna filmed the video for her song 'Man Down' in various locations throughout the parish in April/May 2011.
Towns
This parish trumps all others with its beauty. Only a clear mind can come from such a place. Andrew A.- Buff Bay
- Cattawood SpringsCattawood SpringsCattawood Springs is a place in Portland Parish, Jamaica located at latitude 18 04' 00", longitude 76 26' 00".Originally this was a Maroon settlement. This name probably derives from the Twi word katá which means to cover conceal or protect....
- Hope BayHope Bay, JamaicaHope Bay is a settlement in Jamaica. It had a population of 1,646 as of 2009....
- Manchioneal
- Nanny TownNanny TownNanny Town was a village in the Blue Mountains of Portland Parish, north-eastern Jamaica, used as a stronghold for Maroons led by Granny Nanny; the town held out against repeated British attacks before being destroyed in 1734....
- Port AntonioPort AntonioPort Antonio is the capital of the parish of Portland on the northeastern coast of Jamaica, about 60 miles from Kingston. It had a population of 12,285 in 1982 and 13,246 in 1991...
, Capital - St. Margaret's Bay
Rivers
- Buff Bay River
- Daniels River
- Rio GrandeRio Grande (Jamaica)The Rio Grande is a popular river of Jamaica, found in the parish of Portland. It was named when the Spanish occupied Jamaica in the 15th and 16th centuries. One of the largest rivers in Jamaica, it was named "Big River" by the Spanish, and today is one of the many tourist attractions in Portland,...
Germs falls
- Spanish River
- Swift River
Islands
- Navy Island, JamaicaNavy Island, JamaicaNavy Island is a small island off the coast of Port Antonio in Portland Parish, Jamaica, formerly owned by actor Errol Flynn.The island was once owned by movie pirate Errol Flynn and hosted many wild Hollywood parties...
- Pelew (Monkey) Island
portland is the best parish in jamaica.
Beaches
- Boston BeachBoston Beach, Portland Parish, JamaicaBoston Beach is a coastal community on the north coast of the island of Jamaica, with a public beach which is one of the few beaches in Jamaica attracting surfers. It is located nine miles east of the town of Port Antonio.-History:...
- Long Bay Beach
- Frenchman's Cove
- Winifred's Beach
- San San Beach
- san shy beach
Notable residents
- Edward BaughEdward BaughEdward Alston Cecil Baugh is a Jamaican poet and scholar, recognised as an authority on the work of Derek Walcott.He was born in Port Antonio, Jamaica, and began writing poetry at Titchfield High School...
(b. 1936) - Jamaican writer and lecturer, resided in Portland and attended the Titchfield High School. - Errol FlynnErrol FlynnErrol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
(1909–1959) - American film and screen star, made Portland his home with an expansive estate to the east of the parish. His wife Patrice still resides there. - Roy ReidRoy ReidRoy Reid was a Jamaican painter. He was best known for his paintings depicting the Jamaican people and dress and those with themes of devastation such as fires etc, which often have moral and spiritual meaning....
(b. 1937) - Jamaican painter, grew up in Portland. - Dr. Samuel Street - Former chief medical officer (CMO) of Jamaica at the Ministry of Health and legendary surgeon.
In 1938, when he was one of two students awarded the Jamaica Scholarship for Boys, in 1944, achieving a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians and was a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in Britain. He was among pioneers credited with setting up the first urological clinic at KPH and in the treatment of renal disease. Dr. Street brought in the first dialysis machine in the 1970s. Dr. Street among three leading doctors who discovered in 1971 that extracts of the Jamaican bush known as "cerrasie" had anti-growth properties and had been shown to inhibit the anti-growth of plant and animal cells, as well as the growth of cancer cells under experimental conditions.
Dr Street In his later years resided Windsor Forest, Portland where he operated a clinic catering to residents in his community, Hartford, Commodore, Fair Prospect, Long Bay and surrounding areas.
- For more on some of the notable residents of Portland go to http://www.portlandtheotherjamaica.com
External links
- Profile of Portland
- Political Geography of Jamaica
- History
- (http://www.portlandtheotherjamaica.com "Portland: The Other Jamaica" chronicles the history of this remarkable parish and many of the dreamers, schemers and crusaders who left their mark.