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Kingston

Kingston
Capital City
The Lion City
Motto:  A city which hath foundations
Kingston Location of Kingston within Jamaica Kingston Kingston (Caribbean) Kingston Kingston (North America)
Coordinates: 17°58′17″N 76°47′35″W
Country	Jamaica
County	Surrey
Jurisdiction	City of Kingston
Established	1692
Government
• Type	Mayor-council
• Mayor	Delroy Williams
Area
• Capital City	480 km2 (190 sq mi)
Elevation	9 m (30 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Capital City	937,426
• Rank	1st, JM
• Density	1,380/km2 (3,600/sq mi)
• Metro	1,179,302
Demonym	Kingstonian
Languages
• Official	English
• National	Patwah
Time zone	UTC−5:00 EST
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4:00 EDT
Area code	876 | 658
ISO 3166 code	JM-KGN
HDI (2018)	0.732 – high
Website	kingston.gov.jm

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the capital of Jamaica. For other uses, see Kingston (disambiguation).

Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica and has the largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean. 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 last official census done in 2011 estimates the population of the city proper at 962,426 and the metropolitan population at 1,390,763.The city proper is bounded by Caymanas and Red Hills to the west, Stony Hill to the north, the Blue Mountains and Harbour View to the east and the Kingston Habour to the south. The city was first settled in 1560 and was later established as the capital of Jamaica in 1692.

Today, Kingston is a leading Caribbean city and a global center for music, gastronomy, sports and culture. The city is the birth place of Reggae music, Jerk Cuisine, the (+), the Rastafarian Movement and is home to the world's fastest Male and Female athletes. In 2015 Kingston was designated a (City of Music) by UNESCO, followed by the inscription of Reggae music onto the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2018. Kingston is the political, cultural, financial, industrial and commercial center of Jamaica, and is also a regional transport hub and a major business & financial services center in the Caribbean.The city is home to five of the largest banks in the region, The Bank of Jamaica and the largest and most successful stock exchange in the Caribbean; the Jamaica Stock Exchange, which was named the world's best performing stock exchange in 2015 and 2018 by the New York based Bloomberg Businessweek .The City is also home to the largest and busiest Container Terminal in the Caribbean; The Kingston Wharves, which sits on the world's 7th largest natural harbour. Kingston's strategic location near the center of the Americas, in front the Panama Canal and at the crossroads of major international shipping lanes connecting the Americas to the world has position the city as a major logistics and transshipment hub in the region.

The City has two main Business Districts; the New Kingston Business District which is located Uptown and the Financial District which is located Downtown. The New Kingston Business District host the Headquarters of many multinational corporations, Technology Parks, and has some of the tallest buildings in Jamaica. The Downtown Kingston Financial District host the Caribbean's tallest skyscrapers; the (,World Trade Center Kingston, Capital Finance Center), multiple banking head quarters, The Central Bank, the Jamaica Stock Exchange and many historical buildings, monuments and museums. The seat of Government; the Houses of Parliament and the Government ministries are also located in Downtown Kingston. (+)

Every year the city plays host to the Jamaica Music Festival, Kingston Fashion Week, Jamaica Carnival, Caribbean Fashion Week, CPL Cricket Tournament

* Wiki Overview *

During the time of the British Empire, Kingston was the center of trade and the seat of the British colonial rule in the Caribbean region.

Kingston was the scene of the firts ever James Bond movie; Doctor No.

Kingston 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. Kingston is a leading Caribbean city and a global center for Music, Gastronomy, Sports and Culture. The City is the birth place of Reggae music, Jerk Seasoning, the Rastafarian Movement, the UNIA Movement and is home to the World's Fastest Male and Female athletes. Kingston was designated a (City of Music) by UNESCO in 2015, followed by Reggae being inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list three years later in 2018.

The City of Kingston is Jamaica's Political, Financial, Cultural and Economic center, and is also a regional Transportation Hub and an important Business and Financial Center in the Caribbean. The City is home to three of the five largest banks in the region, several international banks, the Bank of Jamaica and the Jamaica Stock Exchange, which was named the best performing Stock Exchange in the world for five years in a row by Bloomberg in 2018. The City is also home to the largest Container Terminal and Transshipment Port in the Caribbean, The Kingston Wharves, which sits on the world's 7th largest natural harbour.

Kingston was first settled in 1560 and was establish as the capital of Jamaica in 1692. The last official census done in 2011 estimate the city had a population of 962,426 and a metropolitan population of 1,179,302. The City has two main Central Business Districts; the New Kingston Business District, which is Uptown and the Financial District, which is Downtown. Both of which are served by the Norman Manley International Airport and also by the smaller and primarily domestic Tinson Pen Aerodrome. The New Kingston Business District host the headquarters of several multinational corporations, tech parks, International banks and some of the tallest buildings in Jamaica and the Caribbean. The Downtown Kingston Business District host most of the city's historical buildings, monuments, museums and historical sites.

The seat of Government is located Downtown and houses the Parliament of Jamaica and the Government offices which is home to agencies like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who is task with the responsibility of the International affairs of Jamaica and the Global Affairs of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

The City is renowned for its music, history, lush mountains, parks, historical sites and gardens. Kingston is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites; The sunken city of Port Royal & The Blue Mountains

In 2018 Kingston won the award for best nearshore city in the Americas.

Since 2013 Kingston has been an annual host to the CPL Cricket Tournament

Kingston was the host city for the Commonwealth Games In 1966 and was one of three host cities for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Economy of Jamaica

Economy of Jamaica

Currency	Jamaican Dollar (JMD, J$)
Fiscal year	1 April – 31 March
Trade organisations	WTO, CARICOM, ACP
Country group	Developing/Emerging Upper-middle income economy
Statistics
Population	2,726,667 (2018)
GDP	$15.461 billion (nominal, 2018) $27.092 billion (PPP, 2018)
GDP rank	118th (nominal, 2019) 133rd (PPP, 2019)
GDP growth	1.9% (2018) 0.7% (2019e) −6.2% (2020f) 2.7% (2021f)
GDP per capita	$5,406 (nominal, 2018 est.) $9,473 (PPP, 2018 est.)
GDP per capita rank	97th (nominal, 2018) 109th (PPP, 2018)
GDP by sector	agriculture: 7.5% industry: 21.3% services: 71.2% (2017 est.)
Inflation (CPI)	3.733% (2018)
Population below poverty line	17.1% (2016 est.) 29.7% on less than $5.50/day (2004)
Gini coefficient	35 medium (2016)
Human Development Index	0.726 high (2018) (96th) 0.604 IHDI (2018)
Labour force	1,514,936 (2019) 58.2% employment rate (2018)
Unemployment	7.8% (July 2019)
Average gross salary	J$272,604 (£1,493/$2,498)
Average net salary	J$255,021 (£1,396/$2,337)
Main industries	Bauxite Mining, Financial Services, Tourism, Shipping and Logistics, ICT, Manufacturing, Telecommunications, Cement, Food and Beverages, Metals, Petroleum Refining , Chemicals, Liquor
External
Exports	$1.296 billion (2017 est.)
Export goods	Alumina and Bauxite, Chemicals, Limestone, Rum, Pharmaceuticals, Cement, Coffee, Fruits and Vegetables, Sugar, Beverages
Main export partners	United States 39.1% Netherlands 12.3% Canada 8.4% (2017)
Imports	$5.151 billion (2017 est.)
Import goods	Machinery and Equipment, Mineral Fuels, Construction Materials, Food and Consumer Goods, Chemicals
Main import partners	United States 40.6% Colombia 6.8% Japan 5.8% China 5.8% Trinidad and Tobago 4.7% (2017)
FDI stock	$15.03 billion (2016) Abroad: $604 million (2016)
Current account	−$679 million (2017 est.)
Gross external debt	$14.94 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
Public finances
Government debt	101% of GDP (2017 est.)
Budget balance	+0.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Revenues	4.382 billion (2017 est.)
Expenses	4.314 billion (2017 est.)
Economic aid	recipient: $102.7 million (1995)
Credit rating	Standard & Poor's: B- (Domestic) B- (Foreign) B (T&C Assessment) Outlook: Stable Moody's: B3 Outlook: Stable Fitch: B- Outlook: Positive
Foreign reserves	$3.781 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars.

The economy of Jamaica is an upper-middle income free-market economy.

Jamaica is ranked 1st in the Caribbean for the ease of doing business and 5th worldwide out of 190 economies for starting a business by+ the World Bank's' 2019 Ease of Doing Business Index

Over the years, Jamaica has been positioning itself as the preferred hub for international business and investments in the Caribbean and Latin American region due to its strategic location in the Americas; ease of doing business, political stability, investment protection treaties, qualified and multilingual workforce, hybrid regulatory framework, non-double taxation treaties, +, coupled with modern infrastructure and connectivity.

The main drivers of the Jamaican economy are the mining industry, primarily bauxite, limestone, gypsum, marble and silica sand; along with the service industry, primarily finance, shipping, tourism, ICT and real estate; followed by the agriculture and manufacturing industries, notably pharmaceuticals, textile, rum, coffee, sugar, and dairy products.The Tourism industry which accounts for more than $4 billion in annual earnings along with the mining industry and remittances are Jamaica's three main sources of foreign exchange. Business process and tourism are the fastest-growing export sectors.

Jamaica is the leading Caribbean producer of bauxite and cement and was one the world's largest producer of bauxite in 1978+

Economic History

British Colonization

Singapore's economy was a major beneficiary of colonialism establishing financial and commercial hubs.

1819: Sir Stamford Raffles a Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen (1818–1824), established a post on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Colonization provided the foundation for capitalism in the region. Colonization led Singapore to be the "second richest place in Asia after Japan". Much of the wealth accumulated early within the region was to be accredited to it hosting one of the major seaport hubs.

1826: Singapore was deemed the capital of the straits settlements, which were territories ruled by the British East India Company

Independence

1950: The region saw social unrest which resulted in colonial powers deciding to relinquish some decision making. With spurs of race riots the colonial powers sought to empower and establish a formidable local government. With most of the unrest resulting from high unemployment, the local government was directed to solve this issue. The economic development board was the official name of the organization designed to create jobs.

1955: A Singapore local legislative Assembly with 25 out of 35 members elected was formed.

1965: Upon independence from Malaysia, Singapore faced a small domestic market, and high levels of unemployment and poverty. 70 percent of Singapore's households lived in badly overcrowded conditions, and a third of its people squatted in slums on the city fringes. Unemployment averaged 14 percent, GDP per capita was US$516, and half of the population was illiterate.

Industrialization Boom

Structural change and machinery propels the economy

1965-1973: Annual growth of real GDP was 12.7%.

1973-1979: Oil crises raised government awareness of economic issues. It slated the government to create a new forum of economic change. The government highlighted a focus in technology and education to be the new wave of economic gain. It managed to minimize inflation and provide workers with the proper machinery to sustain growth.

The Singapore government established the Economic Development Board to spearhead an investment drive, and make Singapore an attractive destination for foreign investment. FDI inflows increased greatly over the following decades, and by 2001 foreign companies accounted for 75% of manufactured output and 85% of manufactured exports. Meanwhile, Singapore's savings and investment rates rose among the highest levels in the world, while household consumption and wage shares of GDP fell among the lowest.

Sectors

To maintain its competitive position despite rising wages, the government seeks to promote higher value-added activities in the manufacturing and services sectors. It also has opened, or is in the process of opening, the financial services, telecommunications, and power generation and retailing sectors up to foreign service providers and greater competition. The government has also attempted some measures including wage restraint measures and release of unused buildings in an effort to control rising commercial rents with the view to lowering the cost of doing business in Singapore when central business district office rents tripled in 2006.

Agriculture and Fishing

Kingston is considered a global financial hub, with Singapore banks offering world-class corporate bank account facilities. In the 2017 Global Financial Centres Index, Singapore was ranked as having the third most competitive financial center in the world after London and New York City (and alongside cities such as Hong Kong, Tokyo, San Francisco, Chicago, Sydney, Boston, and Toronto). These include multiple currencies, internet banking, telephone banking, checking accounts, savings accounts, debit and credit cards, fixed term deposits and wealth management services. According to the Human Rights Watch, due to its role as a financial hub for the region, Kingston has continually been criticized for reportedly hosting bank accounts containing ill-gotten gains of corrupt leaders and their associates, including billions of dollars of Burma's state gas revenues hidden from national accounts. Singapore has attracted assets formerly held in Swiss banks for several reasons, including new taxes imposed on Swiss accounts and a weakening of Swiss bank secrecy. Credit Suisse, the second largest Swiss bank, moved its head of international private banking to Kingston in 2005

Energy

Kingston is considered a global financial hub, with Singapore banks offering world-class corporate bank account facilities. In the 2017 Global Financial Centres Index, Singapore was ranked as having the third most competitive financial center in the world after London and New York City (and alongside cities such as Hong Kong, Tokyo, San Francisco, Chicago, Sydney, Boston, and Toronto). These include multiple currencies, internet banking, telephone banking, checking accounts, savings accounts, debit and credit cards, fixed term deposits and wealth management services. According to the Human Rights Watch, due to its role as a financial hub for the region, Kingston has continually been criticized for reportedly hosting bank accounts containing ill-gotten gains of corrupt leaders and their associates, including billions of dollars of Burma's state gas revenues hidden from national accounts. Singapore has attracted assets formerly held in Swiss banks for several reasons, including new taxes imposed on Swiss accounts and a weakening of Swiss bank secrecy. Credit Suisse, the second largest Swiss bank, moved its head of international private banking to Kingston in 2005

Finance

Kingston is widely considered the financial capital of the Caribbean. Home to the largest Fx market, five of the biggest banks, three of the largest insurance companies and home to the largest an most successful stock exchange in the region; the Jamaica Stock Exchange which was named the best performing stock exchange in the world in 2015 and 2018 by the New York based Bloomberg Businessweek and in 2019 by the London based Financial Times. It is home to a number of international banks, investment funds, accounting firms, private equity funds and legal firms, that provide a wide range of financial products and service, these include; investment banking, wealth management, private banking, insurance and reinsurance, global headquarter administration, and international company registration.

due to its role as a financial hub for the region

Kingston is considered a global financial hub, with Singapore banks offering world-class corporate bank account facilities. In the 2017 Global Financial Centres Index, Singapore was ranked as having the third most competitive financial center in the world after London and New York City (and alongside cities such as Hong Kong, Tokyo, San Francisco, Chicago, Sydney, Boston, and Toronto). These include multiple currencies, internet banking, telephone banking, checking accounts, savings accounts, debit and credit cards, fixed term deposits and wealth management services. According to the Human Rights Watch, due to its role as a financial hub for the region, Kingston has continually been criticized for reportedly hosting bank accounts containing ill-gotten gains of corrupt leaders and their associates, including billions of dollars of Burma's state gas revenues hidden from national accounts. Singapore has attracted assets formerly held in Swiss banks for several reasons, including new taxes imposed on Swiss accounts and a weakening of Swiss bank secrecy. Credit Suisse, the second largest Swiss bank, moved its head of international private banking to Kingston in 2005

Information and Communication Technology

The contribution of the ICT sector accounts for 5.7% of the GDP+. The ICT Sector employs 46,390 people. In 2019,

Over the course of the last decade, Jamaica has made immense strides in developing its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure. Today, the island is a highly competitive and attractive business destination and a regional leader in Information Technology Export Services (ITES).

As the largest English speaking territory in the Caribbean, Jamaica is the region's leading contact centre location with over 30 information communications technology/business process outsourcing (ICT/BPO) companies operating in the country employing 11,500 full-time agents.

Manufacturing

Kingston is considered a global financial hub, with Singapore banks offering world-class corporate bank account facilities. In the 2017 Global Financial Centres Index, Singapore was ranked as having the third most competitive financial centre in the world after London and New York City (and alongside cities such as Hong Kong, Tokyo, San Francisco, Chicago, Sydney, Boston, and Toronto). These include multiple currencies, internet banking, telephone banking, checking accounts, savings accounts, debit and credit cards, fixed term deposits and wealth management services. According to the Human Rights Watch, due to its role as a financial hub for the region, Kingston has continually been criticized for reportedly hosting bank accounts containing ill-gotten gains of corrupt leaders and their associates, including billions of dollars of Burma's state gas revenues hidden from national accounts. Singapore has attracted assets formerly held in Swiss banks for several reasons, including new taxes imposed on Swiss accounts and a weakening of Swiss bank secrecy. Credit Suisse, the second largest Swiss bank, moved its head of international private banking to Kingston in 2005

Mining and Quarrying

Jamaica was the third-leading producer of bauxite and alumina in 1998, producing 12.6 million tons of bauxite, accounting for 10.4% of world production, and 3.46 million tons of alumina, accounting for 7.4% of world production. 8,540 million tons of bauxite was mined in 2012 and 10,200 million tons of bauxite in 2011.

Mining and quarrying made up 4.1% of the nation's gross domestic product in 1999. Bauxite and alumina formed 55.2% of exports in 1999 and are the second-leading money earner after tourism. Jamaica has reserves of over 2 billion tonnes, which are expected to last 100 years. Bauxite is found in the central parishes of St. Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon, St. Catherine, St. Ann, and Trelawny. There are four alumina plants and six mines.

Jamaica has deposits of several million tons of gypsum on the southern slopes of the Blue Mountains. Jamaica produced 330,441 tons of gypsum in the year 2000, some of which was used in the local cement industry and in the manufacturing of building materials.

Other minerals present in Jamaica include marble, limestone, and silica, as well as ores of copper, lead, zinc, manganese and iron. Some of these are worked in small quantities. Petroleum has been sought, but so far none has been found

Tourism

Tourism is tied with remittances as Jamaica's top source of revenue. The tourism industry earns over 50 percent of the country's total foreign exchange earnings and provides about one-fourth of all jobs in Jamaica. Most tourist activity is centered on the island's northern coast, including the communities of Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Port Antonio, as well as in Negril on the island's western tip.

Some destinations include Ocho Rios, Green Grotto Caves, Y.S. Falls and Appleton Estate. Most of the tourist sites are landmarks as well as homes for many Jamaicans. Many of the most frequented tourist sites are located mainly by water such as rivers and beaches where fishermen make a living from seafood. One of the most famous beach towns in Jamaica is Ocho Rios, a located in the parish of Saint Ann on the north coast of Jamaica. It was once a fishing village but now attracts millions of tourists yearly. The site is popular today because of the food and culture that can be found there.

Another famous location in Jamaica that attracts millions yearly is Dunn's River Falls, located in Ocho Rios; this waterfall is approximately 600 feet long and runs off into the sea. Around the location many hotels and restaurants are available and many street vendors sell food around the clock. Another well-known beach town is Negril, the party capital of the country. This beach town has many different factors to add to the night life.

Shipping and Logistics

Rising to join Singapore, Dubai and Rotterdam as the fourth node in global logistics, the Jamaican Government has embarked on a restructuring of the economy, deciding to utilize its location at the center of North-South and East-West shipping lanes to become the choice of global logistics companies to be the Hub of the Western Hemisphere, serving a market of 800 million, and becoming the gateway to Europe and Africa. With the establishment of the Logistics Hub, Jamaica is set to become an important part of the global value chain. Preliminary agreements with the Chinese government were signed in April 2014, marking the first step in the restructuring of the Jamaican economy.

Jamaica Stock Exchange

The Jamaica Stock Exchange, also known as the JSE, is a stock exchange located in Kingston, Jamaica. It was founded in 1968, making it the oldest stock exchange in the Caribbean. The Jamaica Stock Exchange is the largest and most successful stock exchange in the Caribbean region and was named the world's best performing stock exchange in 2015 and 2018 by the New York based Bloomberg L.

History

Kingston was founded in July 1692 as a place for survivors of the 1692 earthquake that destroyed Port Royal. Before the earthquake, Kingston's functions were purely agricultural. The earthquake survivors set up a camp on the sea front. Approximately two thousand people died due to mosquito-borne diseases. Initially the people lived in a tented camp on Colonel Barry's Hog Crawle. The town did not begin to grow until after the further destruction of Port Royal by fire in 1703. Surveyor John Goffe drew up a plan for the town based on a grid bounded by North, East, West and Harbour Streets. The new grid system of the town was designed to facilitate commerce, particularly the system of main thoroughfares 66 feet (20 m) across which allowed transportation between the port and plantations farther inland. By 1716 it had become the largest town and the centre of trade for Jamaica. The government sold land to people with the regulation that they purchase no more than the amount of the land that they owned in Port Royal, and only land on the sea front. Gradually wealthy merchants began to move their residences from above their businesses to the farm lands north on the plains of Liguanea.

The first free school, Wolmers's, was founded in 1729 and there was a theatre, first on Harbour Street and then moved in 1774 to North Parade. Both are still in existence. In 1755 the governor, Sir Charles Knowles, had decided to transfer the government offices from Spanish Town to Kingston. It was thought by some to be an unsuitable location for the Assembly in proximity to the moral distractions of Kingston, and the next governor rescinded the Act. However, by 1780 the population of Kingston was 11,000, and the merchants began lobbying for the administrative capital to be transferred from Spanish Town, which was by then eclipsed by the commercial activity in Kingston.

By the end of the 18th century, the city contained more than 3,000 brick buildings. The harbour fostered trade, and played part in several naval wars of the 18th century. Kingston took over the functions of Spanish Town (the capital at the time). These functions included agriculture, commercial, processing and a main transport hub to and from Kingston and other sections of the island.

The government passed an act to transfer the government offices to Kingston from Spanish Town, which occurred in 1872. It kept this status when the island was granted independence in 1962.

In 1907, 800 people died in another earthquake known as the 1907 Kingston earthquake, destroying nearly all the historical buildings south of Parade in the city. That was when a restriction of no more than 60 feet (18 m) was instituted on buildings in the city centre. These three-story-high buildings were built with reinforced concrete. Construction on King Street in the city was the first area to breach this building code.

During the 1930s, island-wide riots led to the development of trade unions and political parties to represent workers.

The city became home to the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies founded in 1948, with 24 medical students.

Not until the 1960s did major change occur in the development of Kingston's city centre. The international attention of reggae music at that time coincided with the expansion and development of 95 acres (38 ha) of the Kingston city centre waterfront area. These developments led to an influx of shops and offices, and the development of a new financial centre: New Kingston, which replaced the Knutsford Racetrack. Multi-story buildings and boulevards were placed within that section.

In 1966 Kingston was the host city to the Commonwealth Games.

The western section of the city was not the focus of development, and that area proved to be politically tense. The 1970s saw deteriorating economic conditions that led to recurrent violence and a decline in tourism which later affected the island.

In the 1980 general elections, the democratic socialist People's National Party (PNP) government was voted out, and subsequent governments have been more market-oriented. Within a global urban era, the 1990s saw that Kingston has made efforts to modernise and develop its city structure and functions. Various organisations such as the Kingston Restoration Company, the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), the Port Authority of Jamaica and the Port Royal Development Company, among others sought to develop the urban structure of the city.

Geography

Photo of Kingston taken from the International Space Station

Kingston is surrounded by the Blue Mountains, Red Hills, Long Mountain and the Kingston Harbour. The city is on the Liguanea plain, an alluvial plain alongside the Hope River. Kingston experiences frequent earthquakes, including the 1907 earthquake.

Kingston has a tropical climate, specifically a tropical wet-and-dry climate, that borders on a hot-semi arid climate. (Bsh). characterised by a wet season from May to November, which coincides with the hurricane season, and a dry season from December to April. During the dry season, there is not much rainfall, however, cold and stationary fronts occur at this time, and often bring heavy showers, especially in March. Kingston is in the rain shadow of the Blue Mountains; therefore, little to none of the moisture carried by the Northeast Trade Winds falls over Kingston, causing Kingston to be very dry in comparison to Portland and Saint Mary on the windward side of the Blue Mountains. Kingston is on a coastal location, hence it comes under the influence of the sea, though dense urban development can negate this effect. In the 21st century, Kingston has experienced temperatures as high as 38.8 °C (102 °F) and as low as 13.4 °C (56 °F). Between 1895 and 1990, the total average rainfall was recorded at 813 mm (32.0 in), the highest monthly average rainfall recorded in October at 177 mm (7.0 in), and the lowest monthly average rainfall recorded in March at 18 mm (0.71 in). Fog, hail, thunder and tornadoes are all extremely rare.

Cityscape

Climate

Kingston has a tropical climate, specifically a tropical wet-and-dry climate, that borders on a hot-semi arid climate. (Bsh). characterised by a wet season from May to November, which coincides with the hurricane season, and a dry season from December to April. During the dry season, there is not much rainfall, however, cold and stationary fronts occur at this time, and often bring heavy showers, especially in March. Kingston is in the rain shadow of the Blue Mountains; therefore, little to none of the moisture carried by the Northeast Trade Winds falls over Kingston, causing Kingston to be very dry in comparison to Portland and Saint Mary on the windward side of the Blue Mountains. Kingston is on a coastal location, hence it comes under the influence of the sea, though dense urban development can negate this effect. In the 21st century, Kingston has experienced temperatures as high as 38.8 °C (102 °F) and as low as 13.4 °C (56 °F). Between 1895 and 1990, the total average rainfall was recorded at 813 mm (32.0 in), the highest monthly average rainfall recorded in October at 177 mm (7.0 in), and the lowest monthly average rainfall recorded in March at 18 mm (0.71 in). Fog, hail, thunder and tornadoes are all extremely rare.

Climate data for Kingston, Jamaica
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	33.2 (91.8)	33.0 (91.4)	34.9 (94.8)	34.9 (94.8)	35.3 (95.5)	34.4 (93.9)	33.5 (92.3)	34.2 (93.6)	36.5 (97.7)	35.5 (95.9)	33.8 (92.8)	33.2 (91.8)	36.5 (97.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	28.0 (82.4)	28.9 (84.0)	30.3 (86.5)	31.0 (87.8)	33.1 (91.6)	31.5 (88.7)	31.3 (88.3)	31.7 (89.1)	32.2 (90.0)	32.2 (90.0)	31.5 (88.7)	31.1 (88.0)	31.1 (87.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	17.0 (62.6)	19.2 (66.6)	20.7 (69.3)	22.0 (71.6)	23.0 (73.4)	23.3 (73.9)	23.0 (73.4)	23.0 (73.4)	23.1 (73.6)	22.6 (72.7)	22.3 (72.1)	21.0 (69.8)	21.7 (71.0)
Record low °C (°F)	14.6 (58.3)	16.1 (61.0)	16.7 (62.1)	17.2 (63.0)	18.9 (66.0)	19.7 (67.5)	18.3 (64.9)	18.9 (66.0)	19.4 (66.9)	19.4 (66.9)	17.9 (64.2)	15.7 (60.3)	14.6 (58.3)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	42.9 (1.69)	39.8 (1.57)	16.9 (0.67)	27.7 (1.09)	67.5 (2.66)	155.6 (6.13)	193.6 (7.62)	244.0 (9.61)	190.5 (7.50)	143.3 (5.64)	210.5 (8.29)	75.7 (2.98)	1,408 (55.43)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm)	11	10	6	6	11	20	21	19	16	15	18	13	166
Average relative humidity (%)	81	80	77	77	79	84	84	84	84	85	86	84	82
Mean monthly sunshine hours	241.3	231.3	248.3	237.5	233.2	183.7	205.9	212.5	197.1	207.4	197.7	214.5	2,610.4
Source 1: World Meteorological Organization
Source 2: NOAA (sun, extremes and humidity)

Notes

The National Works Agency of Jamaica defines the Kingston Metropolitan Region as comprising the parishes of Kingston, Saint Catherine and Saint Andrew.