St Catherine (capital Spanish Town) is a parish located in the south east of Jamaica. It is located in the county of Middlesex, and is one of the island's largest parishes. It includes the first capital of Jamaica, Sante Jago De La Vega, currently known as Spanish Town. A 1774 engraving of Spanish Towns colonial offices Spanish Town is the former Spanish and English capital of Jamaica, during the 16th through 19th centuries, and is a World Heritage Site. ... A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ... The South-eastern suburbs are mainly suburbs located around the foreshores of Botany Bay. ... Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count. ... In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ...

Geography and people

St Catherine is located at latitude 18°15'N, longitude 77°12'W. It is bordered by St Andrew in the east, Carendon in the west, and by St Mary and St Ann in the north. It has an area of 1,192 sq km, making it Jamaica's fourth-largest parish. Except for the Hellshire Hills near the coast, the south of the parish is virtually flat. The central and northern sections are very mountainous, however; the northern border is on Mount Diablo, which crosses over into St Ann, the highest point being 686 metres (2,700 feet). Latitude, denoted by the Greek letter φ, gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the Equator. ... Map of Earth showing curved lines of longitude Longitude, sometimes denoted by the Greek letter λ, describes the location of a place on Earth east or west of a north-south line called the Prime Meridian. ... Saint Andrew (capital Half Way Tree) is a parish, situated in the south east of Jamaica in the county of Surrey. ... Clarendon is said to be the third largest parish in Jamaica. ... Saint Mary, Jamaica, is a parish located in the north, north eastern part of Jamaica. ... Saint Ann, Jamaica (2001 population 168,726), is a parish located in the northern part of Jamaica and is north west of Kingston. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... Saint Ann, Jamaica (2001 population 168,726), is a parish located in the northern part of Jamaica and is north west of Kingston. ...

A plain of approximately 57,000 acres occupies the southern part of the Rio Cobre basin. The Rio Cobre is the only river that runs along the southern plain. It provides water to irrigate over 18,000 acres on the plain, and provides electricity for the capital and surrounding towns like Linstead, Riversdale, Old Harbour, and the urban sections of Kingston and St Andrew. In geography, a plain is a large area of land with relatively low relief. ... An acre is an English unit of area. ... Basin has several meanings: A watershed, which may be called also a hydrological basin or catchment basin. ... The Murray River in Australia. ... Irrigation in the Heart of the Sahara Irrigation (in agriculture) is the replacement or supplementation of rainfall with water from another source in order to grow crops. ... Lightning strikes during a night-time thunderstorm. ... In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... A street in Ynysybwl, Wales, relatively stereotypical of a small town A town is usually an urban area which is not considered to rank as a city. ... Look up urban in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Location of Kingston Kingston (population 600,000) is the capital of Jamaica. ... Saint Andrew (capital Half Way Tree) is a parish, situated in the south east of Jamaica in the county of Surrey. ...

This parish also accounts for the largest population in the country, with well over half a million residents. Most people live in Portmore, the largest community in the Caribbean. ...

Brief history

The first Spanish settlement in Jamaica was at Seville, now a part of St Ann's Bay. Soon after, the island's treasurer, Pedro de Mazuela, recommended the site that later became Santiago (or St Jago de la Vega). The parish was formed in 1534 when the boundaries of St Catherine were expanded to incorporate the former parishes of St Dorothy, St John and St Thomas-in-the-Vale. It was named after Queen Katherine of Portugal, King Charles II's wife. Events May 10 - Jacques Cartier explores Newfoundland while searching for the Northwest Passage. ... The name Charles II is used to refer to numerous persons in history: Kings: Charles the Fat (also known as Charles II of France and Charles III of the Holy Roman Empire) Charles II of England Charles II of Naples Charles II of Navarre Charles II of Romania Charles II... Marriage is a relationship that plays a key role in the definition of many families. ...

Sugar cultivation and plantations were established even before the capital was transferred there in 1524 near to Mazuela's sugar mill. Time to time, life was threatened by raids from English pirates. In 1655 the English captured Jamaica from the Spaniards, who kept up guerrilla tactics for five years until they eventually abandoned efforts to recapture the island. A sugar is a carbohydrate which is sweet to taste. ... Events March 1, 1524/5 - Giovanni da Verrazano lands near Cape Fear (approx. ... Raid or RAID has several meanings: In the military or law enforcement world, any kind of offensive action characterized from swiftness of execution and importance of the aim. ... English in common usage may refer to: The English language. ... This article is about sea pirates. ... Events New Sweden (Delaware) attacked and captured by Dutch forces. ... Distinguish from the type of ape called a gorilla. ...

The English renamed the town Spanish Town, and kept it as the administrative capital of the island. For two centuries it prospered, and was one of the most populus areas on the island. Taverns, theatres, a slave market and the prison —which still stands today— were established in the parish. During the 'dead season' on the sugar estates — October to December — planters and their families from all over Jamaica would converge on Spanish Town. Synagogues were also to be found in the parish. Organisational use In some organisational analyses, administration can refer to the bureaucratic or operational performance of mundane office tasks, usually internally oriented. ... These pages contain the trends of millennia and centuries. ... A tavern is, loosely, a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and, more than likely, also be served food, though not licenced to put up guests. ... For other usages see Theatre (disambiguation) Theater (American English) or Theatre (British English and widespread usage among theatre professionals in the US) is that branch of the performing arts concerned with acting out stories in front of an audience using combinations of speech, gesture, music, dance, sound and spectacle — indeed... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, designed by Samuel Sanders Teulon, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, erected in Victoria Tower Gardens, Millbank, Westminster, London. ... October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Planters is an American snack food company, best known for its peanuts and the Mr. ... A synagogue or synagog (from Greek συναγωγη, transliterated sunagoge, place of assembly literally meeting, assembly) is a Jewish house of prayer and study. ...

Since 1755 there had been lobbies from Kingston, by people who had wanted the capital transferred there. This was officially done in 1872 by the Governor Sir John Peter Grant. The boundaries of the present parish were established in 1867 when the number of parishes in Jamaica were reduced from 22 to 14. St Catherine was then expanded to include the former parishes of St Thomas-in-the-Vale, St John and St Dorothy. 1755 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Location of Kingston Kingston (population 600,000) is the capital of Jamaica. ... 1872 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A governor is also a device that regulates the speed of a machine. ... 1867 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ...

Economy

Agriculture remains the main source of employment in the parish. There are many small farmers who practise mixed farming; crops such as bananas, coconuts, pineapple, citrus, pumpkins, pepper, coffee and calaloo are planted for both domestic and commercial purposes. The larger properties produce sugar cane, bananas and citrus mainly for export. Dairy farms are also found in the parish. One of these is a thousand-acre farm in Old Harbour. The Salt Ponds District between Spanish Town, Port Henderson and Passage Fort is noted for the fine fish especially calipera. Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Species Hybrid origin; see text A banana is a tree-like plant (though strictly a herb) of the genus Musa in the family Musaceae, closely related to plantains. ... Binomial name Cocos nucifera L.. The Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera L.), is a member of the Family Arecaceae (palm family). ... Binomial name Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. ... Species & major hybrids Species Citrus maxima - Pomelo Citrus medica - Citron Citrus reticulata - Mandarin & Tangerine Major hybrids Citrus x aurantifolia - Lime Citrus x aurantium Citrus x hystrix - Kaffir Lime Citrus x ichangensis - Ichang Lemon Citrus x limetta Citrus x limon - Lemon Citrus x limonia - Rangpur Citrus x paradisi - Grapefruit Citrus x... Pumpkins A pumpkin is a gourd (Cucurbitaceae), most commonly orange in colour when ripe, that grows from a trailing vine. ... Look up Pepper in Wiktionary, the free dictionary There are several completely different plants referred to by the name of pepper; most are used in food for the hot sensation that the chemical piperine or capsaicin induces on the tongue. ... Coffee beans and a cup of coffee Coffee as a drink, usually served hot, is prepared from the roasted seeds (beans) of the coffee plant. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Species Ref: ITIS 42058 as of 2004-05-05 Sugarcane is one of six species of a tall tropical southeast Asian grass (Family Poaceae) having stout fibrous jointed stalks whose sap at one time was the primary source of sugar. ... Banana can be The Banana fruit The town Banana, Queensland The town Banana, Democratic Republic of the Congo The Rev. ... Species & major hybrids Species Citrus maxima - Pomelo Citrus medica - Citron Citrus reticulata - Mandarin & Tangerine Major hybrids Citrus x aurantifolia - Lime Citrus x aurantium Citrus x hystrix - Kaffir Lime Citrus x ichangensis - Ichang Lemon Citrus x limetta Citrus x limon - Lemon Citrus x limonia - Rangpur Citrus x paradisi - Grapefruit Citrus x... Bales of hay on a farm near Ames, Iowa A farm is the basic unit in agriculture. ...

St Catherine is next only to Kingston as an industrial centre. Industrial plants are some of the biggest employers in the parish. Spanist Town is the largest salt producing plant in the Caribbean, and Jamaica Milk Products, an affiliate of the Nestle organization, has a factory in Bog Walk, another major town in the parish. The largest power plant in the island and several factories are located in Old Harbour. A power station (also power plant) is a facility for the generation of electric power. ...

Sites

• Jamaica's Emancipation Square can be found in Spanish Town. This is the only Georgian square in Jamaica. Kings House and the House of Assembly on the west and east sides, respectively, were erected in 1762. The Courthouse was built in 1819 and used as a chapel and armory with the Town Hall upstairs.
• The Rio Cobre River and Gorge is one of the largest in the island. Sinking at a place called River Sink at Worthy Park, it runs underground for nearly six kilometres, then surfaces at River Head Grand Cave in St Thomas-in-the-Vale. Before entering the gorge it is joined by a number of tributaries, such as the Thomas River, the Rio D'Oro and the Rio Pedro. In the early 1770s, a road was opened through the gorge. The Flat Bridge was originally constructed of logs, which were washed away in a flood. The present bridge was built and it has withstood countless floods. A marker can be found, which shows where the water rose to over 25 feet above the bridge in 1933. An apocryphal story is that at noon, on every Good Friday, for a short period of time the ghosts of all the slaves who drowned in the river can be seen.
• Caymanas Race Track, Jamaica's most famous race track, is in St Catherine.
• St Clair's Cave, one of Jamaica's more famous caves, is found in the parish.

Emancipation means becoming free and equal; the term can be used in various contexts: historically, a slave becoming free by being set free by the owner (manumission), voluntarily or in accordance with laws requiring it after a certain time or in certain cases, thereby becoming freedman (e. ... House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral legislature, in some countries, often at subnational level. ... A compass rose with west highlighted This article refers to the cardinal direction; for other uses see West (disambiguation). ... A compass rose with east highlighted East is most commonly a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. ... 1762 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... In most counties in the United States the local trial courts conduct their business in a centrally located courthouse which may also house the offices of the county treasurer, clerk and recorder and assessor. ... 1819 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... A chapel is a private church, usually small and often attached to a larger institution such as a college, a hospital, a palace, or a prison. ... An armory is a military depot used for the storage of weapons and ammunition. ... Grand Canyon, Arizona A canyon, or gorge, is a valley walled by cliffs. ... Underground as an adjective commonly refers to something that is either below the ground or outside of public consciousness. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ... Alternate meanings: Cave (disambiguation) The outside world viewed from a cave A cave is a natural underground void large enough for an adult human to enter. ... Grand Canyon, Arizona A canyon, or gorge, is a valley walled by cliffs. ... A tributary (or affluent or confluent) is a contributory stream, a river that does not reach the sea, but joins another major river (a parent river), to which it contributes its waters, swelling its discharge. ... Insert non- ttt67y ... A road is a strip of land, smoothed or otherwise prepared to allow easier travel, connecting two or more destinations. ... A log is: a cut portion of a tree bole or large branch (see logging) a time-sequential data record (see data logging) logarithm a device to measure the speed of a ship This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same... Look up Flood on Wiktionary, the free dictionary A flood (in Old English flod, a word common to Teutonic languages; compare German Flut, Dutch vloed from the same root as is seen in flow, float) is an overflow of water, an expanse of water submerging land, a deluge. ... A log bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a gorge, valley, road, railroad track, river, body of water, or any other physical obstacle. ... 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Noon is the time exactly halfway through the day, written 12:00 in the 24-hour clock and 12:00 pm in the 12-hour clock. ... Good Friday is a holy day celebrated by Christians on the Friday before Easter or Pascha. ... This article is about the paranormal. ...

References

• Statistical Institute of Jamaica
• St. Catherine
• The Political Geography of Jamaica
• Pariah Information

Parishes of Jamaica
Clarendon | Hanover | Kingston | Manchester | Portland | Saint Andrew | Saint Ann | Saint Catherine | Saint Elizabeth | Saint James | Saint Mary | Saint Thomas | Trelawny | Westmoreland