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Jamaican Cities
Plus Major Towns, & Parish Capitals
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Jamaican Cities | Kingston 2007By Wellesley Gayle
Did you know that, officially, there are only two Jamaican cities - Kingston and Montego Bay? Apparently not many persons know and so it does creates some confusion.
Portmore, which is spoken of as the third city, and in fact, it is also called 'The Sunshine City', has not been formally ascribed the city status as yet.
Be sure to read the article, 'What goes into the making of a city? " by The Jamaica Observer.
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Kingston
Other areas are almost equally popular, but the two above, plus Portmore, are the only established ones- for now.
Kingston the capital of Jamaica, located in the south eastern part of island, is considered the administrative, cultural and industrial hub of Jamaica. It is also the largest city in Jamaica.
While Kingston is not a tourist city there are many cultural and heritage sites that captures the attention of those visiting the island. The Bob Marley Museum, Devon House and Emancipation Park are some of the most popular places to visit.
Click Here to see the complete Town And City Listing
Montego Bay
Montego Bay is a sprawling city with Jamaica's largest airport, shopping and cruise line terminal. Montego Bay's coast land boasts numerous tourist resorts.
The famous "White Witch's" Rose Hall property is one of the most popular historic attraction in Montego Bay. By the way, Rose Hall is well known for being the spot of many of James Bond thrillers. Couple that with the fantastic beaches, great restaurants, and some of the best golf courses in the Caribbean, Montego Bay is definitely one of the most favoured city for tourists.
Portmore
Portmore, the city in the making, was awarded the prestigious status of Municipality in 2003, which is just one level down from city status.
And rightly so, it was the fastest growing area in Jamaica. Just 11 miles west of the city of Kingston, it was estimated to be home to an estimated 170,000 low to middle-income families.
Portmore began as a large area for schematic residential development in the late 1960s, as the WIHCON organization built thousands of prototype housing units in an effort to alleviate the over-population of Kingston.
It has since grown as a suburban city to Kingston, as its large population travels via the Causeway Bridge into Kingston daily, for work, schooling, and many other essential services.
It has its own City Council and Mayor, following the British-based model of other Jamaican cities' governments.
While Portmore is not marketed as a tourist destination for the millions of incoming travelers to Jamaica every year, there are many places for entertainment, eating, relaxing and enjoyment.
Many Airbnbs and vacation rentals are also popping up in the area.
Today, Portmore is one of the most important towns in the island nation and comprises of approximately 10% of the population of the Kingston Corporate Area.
Other Notable Areas
Negril,
Ocho Rios & Port Antonio are other notable areas of the country
that, though not official cities, are highly popular to our tourists.
Negril
is easily the most popular though, it is almost a little Jamaica by
itself! With a little more infrastructural work, don't be surprised if
you hear that the town of Negril becomes a city too!
Don't miss my famous places in Jamaica page for details on other prominent and famed areas of the island.
Major Towns And Parish Capitals In Jamaica
| Town/City | Parish |
| Anotto Bay | Saint Mary |
| Black River | Saint Elizabeth |
| Brown's Town | Saint Ann |
| Bull Savanna | Saint Elizabeth |
| Discovery Bay | Saint Ann |
| Falmouth | Trelawny |
| Half Way Tree | Saint Andrew |
| Kingston | Kingston |
| Lucea | Hanover |
| Mandeville | Manchester |
| May Pen | Clarendon |
| Montego Bay | Saint James |
| Morant Bay | Saint Thomas |
| Negril | Westmoreland |
| Ocho Rios | Saint Ann |
| Port Antonio | Portland |
| Port Maria | Saint Mary |
| Portmore | Saint Catherine |
| St. Ann's Bay | Saint Ann |
| Savanna la Mar | Westmoreland |
| Spanish Town | Saint Catherine |
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Return to Negril Jamaica from Jamaican Cities
Return to My Island Jamaica Homepage from Jamaican Cities
References & Sources For Jamaican Cities
- The Portmore Municipal Council, https://portmoremc.gov.jm/
- Just what goes into the making of a city? - Jamaica Observer, http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Just-what-goes-into-the-making-of-a-city-_77608
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About The Author
A patriotic Jamaican who adores its culture, Wellesley has been using this medium to share what he calls 'the uniqueness of Jamaica with the world' since April 2007.
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