Saint Ann 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°12'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 .... 77°28'W |
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| Capital Town | Saint Ann's Bay | |
| Major towns | Ocho Rios, Browns Town, Runaway Bay Runaway Bay, Jamaica Runaway Bay is a town in Saint Ann Parish on the northern coast of Jamaica. Runaway Bay is a notable tourist destination located 16 km west of Ocho Ríos, and slightly east of Discovery Bay. It is also the location of the Hedonism III nudist resort. Ocean View Beach is a private beach situated at... , Claremont Claremont, Jamaica Claremont is a settlement in Jamaica.... |
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| 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... |
Middlesex | |
| Area | 1,212.6 square km | |
| Rank | Jamaica's largest parish (see below) | |
| 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... |
166,762 (2001 census Census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common... ) |
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| 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... Bauxite Mining Bauxite Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2... , Manufacturing Factory A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production... , |
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Saint Ann (capital Saint Ann's Bay) is the largest parish
Parishes of Jamaica
Administratively, Jamaica is divided into fourteen parishes. They are grouped into three historic counties, which have no administrative relevance :...
in 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...
. It is situated on the north coast of the island, in the 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...
of Middlesex
Middlesex, Jamaica
Middlesex is the central of the three historic counties into which Jamaica is divided. It has no current-day administrative significance. It covers 5041.9 km² and has a population of 1,183,361 giving it the largest area and population of the three counties...
, roughly halfway between the eastern and western ends of the island. It is often called 'the Garden Parish of Jamaica' on account of its natural beauty
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
. Saint Ann is the birthplace of reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
singers Floyd Lloyd
Floyd Lloyd
Floyd Lloyd , better known by his stage name Floyd Lloyd, is an Jamaican reggae musician and singer who was best known for his 1982 hit "Jah Jah Why?".-Discography:...
, Burning Spear
Burning Spear
Winston Rodney, OD , also known as Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae singer and musician. Burning Spear is known for his Rastafari movement messages.-History:...
, Shabba Ranks
Shabba Ranks
Shabba Ranks is a Jamaican dancehall musician.He was one of the most popular dancehall artists of his generation. He was also one of the first Jamaican deejays to gain worldwide acceptance, and recognition for his 'slack' lyrical expressions and content, when "ridin' di riddim"...
, and Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
. The Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey, one of Jamaica's seven National Heroes, was also born there. More recently, it has become known as the headquarters of the Jamaica Dogsled Team
Jamaica Dogsled Team
The Jamaica Dogsled Team is a team of sled dogs and mushers headquartered at Chukka Caribbean Adventures in Ocho Rios, located in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica. The dog team is made up of strays rescued by the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and offers dryland dogsled rides,...
.
Brief history
St. Ann is one of the oldest populated areas in the island of Jamaica tracing back to 600 - 650 A.D.Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
It is believed to be the earliest Taino
Taíno people
The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America...
/Arawak settlement in Jamaica. When Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
first came to Jamaica in 1494, he landed on the shores of St. Ann. He returned to Jamaica on his fourth voyage and was eventually marooned for one year at St. Ann's Bay (June 1503 - June 1504), which he called Santa Gloria. The first Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
settlement in Jamaica was also at Sevilla la Nueva, now called Seville, just to the west of St Ann's Bay. Established by Juan de Esquivel, the first Spanish Governor of Jamaica, St Ann's Bay became the third capital established by Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. The first sugar mills were established by the Spaniards in Sevilla la Nueva before 1526.
After 1655, when the English captured Jamaica, St Ann's Bay gradually developed as a fishing port with many warehouses and wharves
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
. The parish of St. Ann was later named after Lady Anne Hyde
Anne Hyde
Anne Hyde was the first wife of James, Duke of York , and the mother of two monarchs, Mary II of England and Scotland and Anne of Great Britain....
the first wife of King James II of England
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
. Ocho Ríos
Ocho Rios
Ocho Ríos is a town in the parish of Saint Ann on the north coast of Jamaica. Although he landed in many spots along the Jamaican coast, many believe that Christopher Columbus first set foot on land in Ocho Rios...
began to develop as a modern town and a favourite tourist destination in Jamaica. Its development commenced when Reynolds Jamaica Mines built a deep-water pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
, west of the town to ship bauxite
Bauxite
Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2...
ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
from the mines
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
.
In the 1960s the St Ann Development Council began the systematic development of Ocho Ríos
Ocho Rios
Ocho Ríos is a town in the parish of Saint Ann on the north coast of Jamaica. Although he landed in many spots along the Jamaican coast, many believe that Christopher Columbus first set foot on land in Ocho Rios...
creating a modern town.
Geography
The parish is located at latitude 18°12'N, longitude 77°28'W. It is bordered on the south by Clarendon and Saint Catherine in the east by Saint Mary, and Trelawny, in the west. As with all but one parish, its coast is washed by the Caribbean sea. St. Ann covers an area of 1,212.6 km², making it the largest parish, before Saint Elizabeth's 1,212.4 km². The population was an estimated 168,726 in 2001, with 11,066 living in the capital, St Anns Bay. Other important towns located in St. Ann are Discovery Bay, Brown's Town and Ocho Rios.The highest elevation in the parish is in the Dry Harbour Mountains at 762 metres above sea level. Because of its limestone formation, the parish is noted for its 59 caves and numerous sinkholes. The Moneague Lake, which varies considerably in size, is one of the few large intermittent lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s in the island. The boundary between St Ann and St Mary is formed by the White River, which flows for 27.4 kilometres. Other rivers like the Dunns River appear intermittently, rising a few kilometres from the coast. The names of the main rivers are Negro, St Ann, Great, Roaring, Cave and Pedro.
Agriculture
The agricultural products are mainly bananas, allspice/pimento, sugar, coconuts, coffee, limes, corn, ginger, sweet potatoes, sensimilia yam, and annatto. The soil is also suitable for citrus and, sisal is cultivated in the drier areas. The parish is also noted for cattle rearing, horses and hogs (swine). Recently, however, agriculture has been on the decline as farmland is being used for housing and other developments and the cultivated area has decreased.Tourism
The major economic activity in the parish is tourism. Ocho Rios is one of the major tourist destinations of Jamaica, given that Dunn's River Falls and many popular beaches, like Puerto Seco Beach, are located there. There is a cruise ship Dock (maritime) on the west shore of Ocho Rios Bay, and numerous hotels and resorts (including Sandals (resorts) Jamaica) are located in and around the city. It is also the birth place/resting place for Bob MarleyBob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
(February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981).
Government and infrastructure
The Department of Correctional Services, JamaicaDepartment of Correctional Services, Jamaica
The Department of Correctional Services, Jamaica is a department of the Ministry of National Security of Jamaica, headquartered in Kingston...
operates juvenile correctional centres in St. Anne Parish. The Hill Top Juvenile Correctional Centre
Hill Top Juvenile Correctional Centre
Hill Top Correctional Centre was built to accommodate 98 boys.It is operated by the Department of Correctional Services for the Ministry of National Security.-External links:*.*Photos:...
is located in Bamboo
Bamboo, Jamaica
Bamboo is a settlement in Saint Ann Parish in Jamaica. Its population as of a 1991 census was 3,732 inhabitants.The Hill Top Juvenile Correctional Centre of the Department of Correctional Services, Jamaica is located in Bamboo....
. The Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre
Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre
Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre was built to accommodate 40 girls. It is operated by the Department of Correctional Services for the Ministry of National Security....
was located in Alexandria
Alexandria, Jamaica
Alexandria is a town in the parish of Saint Ann in Jamaica.The Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre of the Department of Correctional Services, Jamaica was located in Alexandria. On 22 May 2009 a fire went through the facility, killing 5 girls and injuring 13 girls...
. On 22 May 2009 a fire went through the Armadale facility, killing 5 girls and injuring 13 girls. The replacement facility is located in Diamond Crest Villa near Alligator Pond
Alligator Pond
Alligator Pond is a fishing village on the southwestern coast of Jamaica in the parish of Saint Elizabeth.Unlike the tourist-oriented coasts in the northern part of the country, Alligator Pond's shoreline is as much about work as play; here fishermen launch their boats to catch some of the island's...
in Manchester Parish.
Natural
- Dunn's River FallsDunn's River FallsDunn's River Falls is a famous waterfall near Ocho Rios, Jamaica and a major Caribbean tourist attraction that attracts thousands of visitors each year.About high, the waterfalls are terraced like giant stair steps of which some are man-made improvements...
- Green Grotto Caves
- Ocho Rios Marine Park
- Fern Gully
- Shaw Park Gardens
- Coyaba River Garden
- Puerto Seco Beach
- Chukka Cove Adventures
- White River Rafting
- Dolphin Cove
- Drax Hall/ Steer Town
- Mystic Mountain.
Historic
- Seville Heritage Park
- Bob Marley Mausoleum, Nine Mile
- Columbus Park
- Marcus Garvey Statue, St. Ann's Bay
- Edinburgh CastleEdinburgh Castle, JamaicaEdinburgh Castle, an estate and now ruined great house in St Ann, was built by Jamaica's earliest recorded serial killer, Lewis Hutchinson. It had two circular, loopholed towers placed diagonally at opposite corners...
(ruins) - Roaring RiverRoaring River (Jamaica)-References:**OMC Map**Ford, Jos C. and Finlay, A.A.C. .The Handbook of Jamaica. Jamaica Government Printing Office...
See also
- Bob MarleyBob MarleyRobert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
- Marcus GarveyMarcus GarveyMarcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., ONH was a Jamaican publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator who was a staunch proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, to which end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League...
- Burning SpearBurning SpearWinston Rodney, OD , also known as Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae singer and musician. Burning Spear is known for his Rastafari movement messages.-History:...
- Peter CargillPeter CargillPeter Cargill was a Jamaican international football player. His position was midfielder or defender.Nicknamed "Jair", he played for local sides Swallowfield FC, CC Lions, Port Morant United and Harbour View F.C. and also spent 8 years in Israel with Maccabi Netanya and Hapoel Petah Tikva...
- Floyd LloydFloyd LloydFloyd Lloyd , better known by his stage name Floyd Lloyd, is an Jamaican reggae musician and singer who was best known for his 1982 hit "Jah Jah Why?".-Discography:...
- Jamaica Dogsled TeamJamaica Dogsled TeamThe Jamaica Dogsled Team is a team of sled dogs and mushers headquartered at Chukka Caribbean Adventures in Ocho Rios, located in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica. The dog team is made up of strays rescued by the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and offers dryland dogsled rides,...
- Bass OdysseyBass OdysseyBass Odyssey is a Reggae sound system best known for their dominance in clashes and unique juggling style. Selectors on Bass Odyssey are Mark, Worm, Squingy , Damion Delingy, Dwayne, Charly Blacks, Lexxy, Keithy, Harry D, Speng, Villy, Shane and Rat...