View source for Saint Elizabeth Parish

{{Refimprove|article|date=May 2009}}
{| border=1 align=right cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=300 style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|+<big><big>'''Saint Elizabeth'''</big></big>
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" align="center" colspan=2 |
{| border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
| align="center" width="250px" | [[Image:Jamaica-Saint Elizabeth.png|200px]]
|}
|-
|'''Location'''
| [[latitude]] 18°15'N, <br> [[longitude]] 77°56'W
|-
| '''[[Capital (political)|Capital town]]'''
| [[Black River, Jamaica|Black River]]
|-
| '''Other Towns'''
| [[Santa Cruz, Jamaica|Santa Cruz]], [[Malvern, Jamaica|Malvern]], [[Junction, Jamaica|Junction]],<br/> [[Balaclava, Jamaica|Balaclava]], [[Prospect, Jamaica|Prospect]], [[Southfield, Jamaica|Southfield]]
|-
| '''[[County]]'''
| Cornwall
|-
| '''Area'''
| 1212.4 [[square km]] <br> (468.1 square miles)<ref name=ann>The title of largest parish in Jamaica has caused some confusion. The parishes of St. Catherine, Saint Elizabeth or St. Ann are usually ranked as the largest, depending on the source. ''The Gleaner'', one of the nations most reputable newspapers, lists St. Catherine as the largest with an area of 1,260 sq km, St. Ann as the second largest with 1200 sq km, and St. Elizabeth third with 1,185 sq km ([http://www.discoverjamaica.com/gleaner/discover/geography/polgol.htm Geography and History of Jamaica]. ''The Jamaica Gleaner''. Accessed 09-04-2009). However, The Jamaica Library Service database ranks St Ann the largest with an area of 1212.6 sq km ([http://www.jamlib.org.jm/stann_history.htm Saint Ann]. ''Jamaica Library Services''. Accessed 09-04-2009), St. Elizabeth second with 1212.4 sq km ([http://www.jamlib.org.jm/steliza_history.htm St. Elizabeth]. ''Jamaica Library Services''. Accessed 09-04-2009), and St. Catherine third with 1192.4 sq km ([http://www.jamlib.org.jm/stcathe_history.htm Saint Catherine]. ''Jamaica Library Services''. Accessed 09-04-2009).</ref>
|-
| '''Rank'''
| Jamaica's second largest parish ([[Saint Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica#References|see below]])<ref name=Eliza>[http://www.jamlib.org.jm/steliza_history.htm Saint Elizabeth]. ''Jamaica Library Services''. Accessed 09-04-2009</ref>
|-
| '''[[Population]]'''
| 148,000 in 2001
|-
| '''[[Commerce]]'''
| [[Tourism]], [[Agriculture]], <br> [[Bauxite|Bauxine Mining]] [[Factory|Manufacturing]]
|}

'''St. Elizabeth''', one of [[Jamaica]]'s largest [[Parishes of Jamaica|parishes]], is located in the [[Ordinal directions|southwest]] of the [[island]], in the [[county]] of [[Cornwall, Jamaica|Cornwall]]. Its capital, [[Black River, Jamaica|Black River]], is located at the [[river delta|mouth]] of the [[Black River (Jamaica)|eponymous river]], the longest on the island.

==History==

Saint Elizabeth originally included most of the south-west part of the island, but in 1703 [[Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica|Westmoreland]] was taken from it and in 1814 a part of [[Manchester Parish, Jamaica|Manchester]]. The resulting areas were named after the wife of Sir Thomas Modyford, the first English [[Governor]] of Jamaica.

There are also traces of [[Taíno]]s/[[Arawak peoples|Arawak]]s existence in the parish, as well as Spanish settlements. After 1655, when the English settled on the island, they concentrated on planting sugar cane. Today, buildings with 'Spanish wall' (masonry of limestone sand and stone between wooden frames) can still be seen in some areas. 

St Elizabeth became a prosperous parish and Black River an important seaport. In addition to shipping sugar and molasses, Black River became the centre of the [[logging]] trade. Large quantities of logwood were exported to Europe to make a Prussian-blue dye which was very popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. 

Electric power was first introduced in Jamaica in a house called Waterloo in Black River in 1893. 

==Geography==

The parish is located [[latitude]] 18°15'N, and [[longitude]] 77°56'W; to the west of [[Manchester Parish, Jamaica|Manchester]], the east of [[Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica|Westmoreland]], and to the south of [[Saint James Parish, Jamaica|St. James]] and [[Trelawny Parish, Jamaica|Trelawny]]. It covers an area of 1212.4 [[km²]], making it Jamaica's second-largest parish, behind [[Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica|Saint Ann's]] 1212.6 [[km²]]. The parish is divided into four electoral districts (constituencies), that is North-East, North-West, South-East and South-West.

[[Image:Lovers' Leap.jpg|thumb|left|Lovers' Leap, Saint Elizabeth]]

The northern and northeastern parts of the parish are [[mountainous]]. There are three mountain ranges &mdash;the Nassau Mountains to the north-east, the Lacovia Mountains to the west of the Nassau Mountains, and the Santa Cruz Mountains which, running south, divide the wide plain to end in a precipitous drop of 1600 feet at Lovers' Leap.  The central and southern sections form an extensive [[plain]] divided by the Santa Cruz Mountains. A large part of the [[lowland]]s is covered by morass, but it still provides [[grazing]] land for [[horse]]s and [[mule]]s.

The main river in the parish is the [[Black River (Jamaica)|Black River]], and measuring 53.4 kilometres (33 miles), it is one of the longest rivers in Jamaica. It is navigable for about 40 kilometres (25 miles), and is supported by many [[tributary|tributaries]] including Y.S., Broad, Grass and Horse Savannah. The river has its source in the mountains of [[Manchester Parish, Jamaica|Manchester]] where it rises and flows west as the border between Manchester and [[Trelawny Parish, Jamaica|Trelawny]] then goes underground. It reappears briefly in several surrounding towns, but reemerges near Balaclava and tumbles down gorges to the plain known as the Savannah, through the Great Morass and to the sea at Black River, the capital of the parish.

The geology of the parish is primarily alluvial plains to the south, and karstic [[limestone]] to the north. The karstic zones are known to contain over 130 caves (Jamaica Cave Register as of 2007 - from Fincham and JCO). These include Mexico Cave and Wallingford River Cave, near Balaclava, which are two associated sections of a major underground river that has its source in south Trelawny, as well as Yardley Chase Caves near the foot of Lovers' Leap, and Peru Cave, near Goshen, which has [[stalactite]]s and [[stalagmite]]s. Mineral deposits include [[bauxite]], [[antimony]], white limestone, [[clay]], [[peat]] and [[silica]] [[sand]] which is used to manufacture glass.

===Demography===

The parish had an estimated [[population]] of 148,000 in 2001, 4000 of which live in the [[Capital (political)|capital]] town. The distinct feature of this parish is that numerous [[ethnic group]]s can be found there; St Elizabeth probably has the greatest racial mixture in Jamaica. When the Miskito Indians came from [[Central America]] to help track the [[Maroon (people)|Maroons]] in the 18th century they were given land grants in this parish. In the 19th century [[Ireland|Irish]], [[Spain|Spanish]], [[Portugal|Portuguese]], [[Scotland|Scots]] [[Germany|Germans]] Chinese and East Indians migrated to Saint Elizabeth, and this accounts for pockets of distinct racial mixtures in the parish including [[Mulatto]] and [[Creole peoples|Creole]] notably found in the southeast.

==Economy==
===Mining===

The parish has been a major producer of [[bauxite]] since the 1960s. Port Kaiser, near a town called [[Alligator Pond]], has a leading deep-water [[pier]] for bauxite [[export]]. The Alpart alumina refinery was constructed in the 1960s at Nain and produces nearly 2 million tonnes of alumina annually for export.  The replacement cost of building the refinery is approximately $2 billion.

There are other alumina refineries close to the nearby town of Mandeville.

===Agriculture===

Apart from bauxite mining, the parish also produces a large quantity of Jamaica's [[sugar]]; there are two sugar factories in the parish. [[Fishing]] is a major [[industry]] in the parish, as is tomato canning; a plant is at Bull Savannah. The parish also cultivates [[agriculture|crops]] such as [[cassava]], [[cereal|corn]], [[peas]], [[beans]], [[pimento]], [[ginger]], [[tobacco]], [[tomato]], [[rice]] sweet potatoes and [[coffee]]. As a result of the fertile soil that provide for grazing fields, [[pastoralism]] is possible. [[Livestock]] include [[goat]]s, [[sheep]], [[Hog (swine)|hogs]], and [[cattle]], [[horses]].

===Tourism===

Since the 1990s, the parish has become a significant [[tourism|tourist]] destination, with most visitors going to the [[Treasure Beach]] area. The [[Appleton Estate|Appleton]] [[rum]] [[distillery]], near  Cockpit Country in the north of the parish, is also a tourist destination. [[Ecological]] tourism along the Black and YS rivers, and in the Great Morass has been developed in recent years.

==Education==

* [[St. Elizabeth Technical High School]] in [[Santa Cruz, Jamaica|Santa Cruz]]
* [[Munro College]] and [[Hampton School, Jamaica|Hampton School]], both located in the hills of [[Malvern, Jamaica|Malvern]], boys and girls schools respectively.
* [[Black River High]]
* [[Maggotty High]]
* [[Lacovia High School]] in [[Lacovia]]
* [[Bethlehem Moravian College]]
* [[Lewisville High School]] in [[Newmarket]]
* [[Black River Primary and Infant School]] in [[Black River]]

==Places==
===Beaches===
* [[Font Hill Beach]]
* [[Galleon, Crane]]
* [[Fullerswood]]
* [[Parottee]]
* Fort Charles
* [[Calabash Bay]]
* Great Bay
* Billy's Bay
* Frenchman's Bay
* [[Treasure Beach]]
* [[Blue Fields Beach]]

===Towns and Villages===
* [[Accompong]], a Maroon village, located in the [[Cockpit Country]] in the north of the parish
* [[Appleton, Jamaica|Appleton]]
* [[Arlington, Jamaica|Arlington]]
* [[Balaclava, Jamaica|Balaclava]]
* [[Black River, Jamaica|Black River]]
* [[Bogue, Jamaica|Bogue]]
* [[Breadnut Walk]]
* [[Carlisle, Jamaica|Carlisle]]
* [[Cotterwood]]
* [[Fullerswood]]
* [[Gayle Town]]
* [[Hodges, Jamaica|Hodges]]
* [[Ipswich, Jamaica|Ipswich]]
* [[Junction, Jamaica|Junction]]
* [[Lacovia]], on the Black River
* [[Maggoty]]
* [[Mountainside, Jamaica|Mountainside]]
* [[Rose Hall, Jamaica|Rose Hall]]
* [[Santa Cruz, Jamaica|Santa Cruz]]
* [[Southfield, Jamaica|Southfield]]
* [[St. Pauls, Jamaica|St. Pauls]]
* [[Try All]]
* [[Vineyard, Jamaica|Vineyard]]
* [[Flagaman, Jamaica|Flagaman]]
* [[Brighton, Jamaica]]
* [[Middlequarters, Jamaica]]

===Caves===
St. Elizabeth has approximately 44 [[cave]]s:
* Mexico
* Peru Cave
* [[Yhardly Chase Caves]]
* [[Wallingford Caves]]
Nain

===Other Places of Interest===
* [[Lover's Leap]] is a cliff plunging several hundred metres into the sea, with an attached romantic legend of two young slaves jumping to their death rather than live apart.<ref>http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Atrium/5460/Introduction/About_Lover_s_Leap/about_lover_s_leap.html&date=2009-10-25+09:58:25</ref> There is a [[Lover’s Leap Lighthouse|lighthouse]] here too. 
* [[Y.S. Falls]] is a famous falls in [[Jamaica]], similar to [[Dunn's River Falls]] in [[Ocho Rios]], [[Saint Ann, Jamaica|St. Ann]].
* Bamboo Avenue - was developed in the 17th century when local landowners planted bamboo on both sides of the road to provide shade during their travels.

==See also==
{{Portal|Jamaica}}
* [[History of Jamaica]]
{{-}}

==References==
===Notes===
{{reflist}}
===Bibliography===
*''Lover's Leap: Based on the Jamaican Legend'', Horane Smith, Minerva Press (June 1, 1999), ISBN 0-7541-0589-X

==External links==
* [http://www.jamlib.org.jm/steliza_history.htm Parish Information]
* [http://www.statinja.com/ Statistical Institute of Jamaica]
* [http://www.discoverjamaica.com/gleaner/discover/geography/polgol.htm Political Geography of Jamaica]
* [http://www.jamaicancaves.org/mexico_050511.htm Mexico Cave - JCO Report]
* [http://www.mfaft.gov.jm/Country_Profile/st_elizabeth.htm Parishes of Jamaica]
* [http://reference.allrefer.com/gazetteer/S/S00732-saint-elizabeth.html Stats]

{{Parishes of Jamaica}}

{{coord|18|03|N|77|47|W|display=title|region:JM_type:adm1st_source:GNS-enwiki}}

[[Category:Saint Elizabeth Parish| ]]
[[Category:Parishes of Jamaica]]

[[de:Saint Elizabeth Parish]]
[[eu:Saint Elizabeth (Jamaika)]]
[[fr:Paroisse de Saint Elizabeth]]
[[it:Parrocchia di Saint Elizabeth]]
[[nl:Saint Elizabeth (Jamaica)]]
[[ja:セント・エリザベス教区]]
[[no:Saint Elizabeth Parish]]
[[pl:Saint Elizabeth]]
[[pt:Saint Elizabeth]]