Portland Parish
Portland | |
---|---|
Buff Bay | |
Area | |
• Total | 814 km2 (314 sq mi) |
• Rank | 7 |
Population (2012)[1] | |
• Total | 82,183 |
• Density | 100/km2 (260/sq mi) |
Portland, with its
Geography and demography
The parish is situated at latitude 18°10' N and longitude 75°27'W. It extends from the highest peaks of the
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
Commerce
Agriculture
The parish is a leading producer of
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
Other activities
Since the early 1950s, more than 782 film or screen productions have been shot in Portland. Two of the most popular are
Politics
Portland Parish is part of two parliamentary constituencies; Portland Eastern and Portland Western.
Places
Towns
- Buff Bay
- Cattawood Springs
- Hope Bay
- Manchioneal
- Port Antonio, Capital
- St. Margaret's Bay
- Norwich
- Snow Hill
- Boston
- Drapers
- Fruitful Vale
- Shrewsbury
- Coopers Hill
- Moore Town
- Charles Town, Jamaica
- Fellowship
- Mount Pleasant
- Long bay
Rivers
- Buff Bay River
- Daniels River
- Hectors River
- Rio Grande
- Spanish River
- Swift River
- Reach Falls
- Somerset Falls
- Danny River
Islands
- Navy Island, Jamaica
- Pelew (Monkey) Island
- Ship Rock Island (Lord of the Flies, 1992)
- Wood Island
- Christmas Island
Beaches
- Boston Beach
- Long Bay Beach
- Frenchman's Cove
- Winifred's Beach
- San San Beach
- San shy Beach
- Pt. Antonio Pier
- Titchfield beach
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
- ^ "Population by Parish". Statistical Institute of Jamaica. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
- ^ "Behind The Music Video: Santigold's "Disparate Youth"". 3rd & Lamar Media. Retrieved 4 October 2021.