Kingston | |
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City and Capital | |
Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (Greater Kingston) |
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Photo of the city of Kingston taken from a helicopter
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Motto: A city which hath foundations | |
Location of Kingston shown within Jamaica | |
Coordinates: 17°59′N 76°48′W / 17.983°N 76.800°WCoordinates: 17°59′N 76°48′W / 17.983°N 76.800°W | |
Country | Jamaica |
County | Surrey |
Parish |
Kingston St. Andrew |
Established | 1692 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Delroy Williams |
Area | |
• Total | 480 km2 (190 sq mi) |
Elevation | 9 m (30 ft) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 662,426 - Metropolitan Area |
• Density | 1,380/km2 (3,600/sq mi) |
Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
Kingston (/ˈkɪŋstən/ or US: /ˈkɪŋztən/) is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island. In the Americas, Kingston is the largest predominantly English-speaking city south of the United States.
The local government bodies of the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew were amalgamated by the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation Act of 1923, to form the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC). Greater Kingston, or the "Corporate Area" refers to those areas under the KSAC; however, it does not solely refer to Kingston Parish, which only consists of the old downtown and Port Royal. Kingston Parish had a population of 96,052, and St. Andrew parish had a population of 555,828 in 2001. Kingston is only bordered by Saint Andrew to the east, west and north. The geographical border for the parish of Kingston encompasses the following communities, Tivoli Gardens, Denham Town, downtown Kingston, National Heroes Park, Kingston Gardens, Rae Town, Bournemouth Gardens, Norman Gardens, Springfield, Rennock Lodge, Port Royal along with portions of Allman Town, Franklyn Town and Rollington Town.