Middlesex County, Jamaica

Middlesex
Location of Middlesex
CountryJamaica
County townSpanish Town
Established1758
Named forMiddlesex, England

Middlesex is the central of the three historic counties into which Jamaica is divided. It has no current-day administrative significance.[citation needed] It covers 5,041.9 km2 and has a population of 1,183,361[1] (about 45% of the island's area and population) giving it the largest area and population of the three counties. It includes Spanish Town, the island's original capital.

The county of Middlesex is shown in pink.

History

[edit]

Jamaica's three counties were established in 1758 to facilitate the holding of courts along the lines of the British county court system.[2] Middlesex, the middle of the three, was named after an English county of the same name. It was chosen in Jamaica presumably because of its central position.[2] Spanish Town was its county town.[2]

Parishes

[edit]
Middlesex County
On
map
Parish Area
km2
Population
Census 2011
Capital
6 Clarendon 1,196.3 237,024 May Pen
7 Manchester 830.1 185,801 Mandeville
8 Saint Ann 1,212.6 166,762 Saint Ann's Bay
9 Saint Catherine 1,192.4 482,308 Spanish Town
10 Saint Mary 610.5 111,466 Port Maria
  Middlesex County 5,041.9 1,183,361
  Jamaica total 10,990.5 2,607,631 Kingston

References

[edit]
  1. ^ 2001 census
  2. ^ a b c Higman, B. W.; Hudson, B. J. (2009). Jamaican Place Names. Mona, Jamaica: University of the West Indies Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-976-640-306-5.

18°09′N 77°12′W / 18.15°N 77.20°W / 18.15; -77.20