- Clarendon Parish, Jamaica
Clarendon (capital
May Pen ) is aparish inJamaica . It is located on thesouth of the island, roughly half-way between the island'seast ern andwest ern ends. Located in thecounty of Middlesex, it is bordered by Manchester on the west, Saint Catherine in the east, and in thenorth by Saint Ann.History
Clarendon was named in honour of the Lord
Chancellor Sir Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon. The parish was formed from a combination of threeparishes : St. Dorothy's, Vere and the old parish of Clarendon. Before the merger, the capital was Chapelton.Geography and population
Covering an area of 1,196
km² , Clarendon ranks as Jamaica's third largest parish. The parish is predominantly a wideplain , marked by severalrivers , including the Rio Minho River, which runs the length of the parish. Toward the northern end of the parish lies the Mocho Mountain, (200 ft), and Bull HeadMountain range (2800 ft), which is considered to be the geographical centre of theisland . The Vere plain is another significant geographical feature.Portland Point, the southernmost point of
Jamaica , is on apeninsula in Clarendon. On the same peninsula are Jackson Baybeach , the flood-prone community of Portland Cottage, and two different locations both called Rocky Point: a residential community on the western side of the peninsula, and a port used primarily for the export ofalumina on the eastern side of the peninsula.With a population at an estimated 215,515,Fact|date=October 2007 Clarendon is one of the most populous parishes in the island. May Pen, the capital, has a population estimated at around 60,000.Fact|date=October 2007
Economy
Bauxite , Jamaica's majormineral source, can be found extensively in Clarendon. Bauxite mining has been established in the parish by JAMALCO andALCOA . Most of the island'stobacco is also grown in Clarendon, along withcotton ,allspice (colloquially referred to as pimento),ginger ,livestock ,indigo ,banana s,coffee , andcocoa . May Pen is also an importantcitrus packing centre, famous for 'Trout Hall' oranges. Additionally,dairy farming ,fish farming , andcopper mining have been carried on intermittently, and thesugar-cane production contributes significantly to the amount of sugarexport ed annually. The Denbigh agricultural showground is a short distance from May Pen.Tourism
* Clarendon is the location of the
Milk River Bath , a mineral spa famous for the therapeutic value of its waters. The oldest church on the island is in Alley, the old capital of Vere.* Halse Hall Great House —one of the island's historic houses. The land on which the house stands was given to an English officer, Major Thomas Halse, in
1655 , and was passed from him to Francis Sadler Halse. Halse played a leading role in the Maroon Wars.* The Denbigh Agricultural Show Grounds — once a year, on the weekend prior to Independence celebrations, a national Agriculture Show is staged here.
* Vernam Field - first car-racing track established in Jamaica. The track is located on the former American lend lease air base, Vernam Field (later Vernam Air Force Base) that was named in honor of WWI flyer
Remington D. B. Vernam . Vernam Field is known fordrag racing * The Woodleigh racetrack outside of May Pen is known for
dirtbike racing.* It is the home of the New Yarmouth, Sevens Estate and Moneymusk Sugar factories.
Notable residents
* Birthplace of Canadian sprinter
Atlee Mahorn
* Birthplace of singerLiz Mitchell ofBoney M. fame.
* Birthplace of singer Millie who had a hit in 1964 withMy Boy Lollipop ,
* Birthplace of Reggae singerCocoa Tea - Calvin George Scott
* Birthplace of singerFreddie McGregor
* Birthplace of writerClaude McKay , who was part of theHarlem Renaissance .
* Birthplace of singerBarrington Levy
* Birthplace of singerToots Hibbert of Toots & The Maytals fame.
*The Earl of Carlisle , a governor of Jamaica from 1678-1680.
* Birthplace of world champion boxer Glen JohnsonReferences
External links
* [http://www.mfaft.gov.jm/Country_Profile/clarendon.htm Clarendon]
* [http://www.statinja.com/ Statistical Institute of Jamaica]
* [http://reference.allrefer.com/gazetteer/C/C08162-clarendon.html Statistics]
* [http://www.tageo.com/index-e-jm-v-01.htm Clarendon]
* [http://www.discoverjamaica.com/gleaner/discover/geography/polgol.htm Political Geography]
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