Portland Parish

Coordinates: 18°08′N 76°32′W / 18.133°N 76.533°W / 18.133; -76.533
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Portland, Jamaica
)

Portland
Buff Bay
Area
 • Total814 km2 (314 sq mi)
 • Rank7
Population
 (2012)[1]
 • Total82,183
 • Density100/km2 (260/sq mi)

Portland, with its

Moore Town and Charles Town
are located.

Geography and demography

Fog hangs over the village of Section in the Blue Mountains of Portland Parish

The parish is situated at latitude 18°10' N and longitude 75°27'W. It extends from the highest peaks of the

Port Antonio
, its chief town and capital, has two harbours, the western one being sheltered by a small islet, 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, bays, 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 82,183, 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. It includes the separate

Moore Town
.

Commerce

Agriculture

The parish is a leading producer of

mangoes and ackee
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. They also do farming.

Tourism

A number of tourist facilities exist in the area, including Trident Villas and Hotel, Jamaica Palace, Dragon Bay Villas, Goblin Hill Hotel, Jamaica Crest, Fern Hill Club, and Mocking Bird Hill.[citation needed]

Attractions

Because of its natural and peaceful environment, tourism has often flourished in the parish.[citation needed] It is noted for its beaches, such as Frenchman's Cove, Boston Beach, Winifred, and Dragon Bay. The Blue Mountains are also located in Portland; two Maroon communities are located there. The internationally known Blue Lagoon is in this parish; it is believed to be the crater of an extinct volcano. The lagoon is an almost landlocked cove with approximately 55 m (180 ft) of water. Rafting on the Rio Grande is also a tourist attraction.

Boston Jerk Centre in Portland is an area well known for its "jerked" foods, including

Jamaican jerk spice
and traditional technique.

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 Sea, by Walt Disney (USA) in 1954 and The Harder They Come by Vista Productions (Jamaica) in 1972. Scenes from the film Cocktail, starring Tom Cruise, were shot at the bar on the beach at the Dragon Bay resort. An early film edition of the 1963 version of Lord of the Flies was largely shot at Frenchman's Cove; the 1990 remake by Harry Hook was filmed at Frenchman's Cove and Snow Hill. Barbadian singer Rihanna filmed the video for her song "Man Down" in various locations throughout the parish in April/May 2011. American singer Santigold filmed the video for her song "Disparate Youth" in the parish. The video was released in March 2012.[2]

Politics

Portland Parish is part of two parliamentary constituencies; Portland Eastern and Portland Western.

Places

Towns

Rivers

Islands

  • Navy Island, Jamaica
  • Pelew (Monkey) Island
  • Ship Rock Island (Lord of the Flies, 1992)
  • Wood Island
  • Christmas Island

Beaches

Notable residents

  • Edward Baugh (1936-2023) - Jamaican writer and lecturer, resided in Portland and attended Titchfield High School.
  • Errol Flynn (1909–1959) - American film and screen star, made Portland his home with an expansive estate to the east of the parish. His wife Patrice Wymore Flynn resided there until her death on 22 March 2014.
  • Duke Reid (1915–1975) - Jamaican disc jockey and record producer
  • Roy Reid (1937-2009) - Jamaican painter, grew up in Portland.
  • Rustie Lee (b. 1949) - Jamaican television personality, television chef, actress, singer and former politician.

References

  1. ^ "Population by Parish". Statistical Institute of Jamaica. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  2. ^ "Behind The Music Video: Santigold's "Disparate Youth"". 3rd & Lamar Media. Retrieved 4 October 2021.

External links

18°08′N 76°32′W / 18.133°N 76.533°W / 18.133; -76.533