Kingston, Jamaica's capital, lies on the fertile plains of Liguanea (pronounced Lig-a-nee — an ancient Arawak Indian name) between the cays and banks of the eastern coast and the towering Blue Mountains. In this picturesque setting has grown a city of over half a million people: a bustling, sprawling city which is a place of deep and striking contrasts.
Kingston is not the sort of resort paradise to be found on the north coast but it offers a great deal more to the traveler who seeks to gain more than a sun tan from a holiday in Jamaica.
Jamaica's first capital under the Spanish occupation was at Spanish Town, some ten miles inland, whereas the island's major centre of trade was at Port Royal at the edge of the harbour which is the seventh largest harbour in the world.
After a series of disasters at Port Royal in the 17th century, including the tragic earthquake of 1694 and a subsequent fire, traders began to settle on the mainland and established the original township of Kingston which grew enormously in importance as a port.
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