Kingston may be a small city on a small
island, but it has made a big impact on
the world. The city is famous for its cool,
laidback style and toe-tapping reggae
music, as well as being home to some
of the fastest athletes on the planet.
Jamaica’s colourful capital is squeezed
between the Blue Mountains and a
deep, natural harbour.
RASTAFARI
Rastafari is a religion that developed in
Kingston in the 1930s. Followers often have
dreadlocks (matted coils of hair) just like
the faith’s most famous believer, Bob Marley.
Although Rastafari isn’t Jamaica’s main
religion, its colours of red, green and
gold can be seen throughout the
city, with many people linking it to
Bob and reggae music.
SAFE HARBOUR
Kingston Harbour stretches almost 16km (10mi) wide, making it
one of the biggest natural harbours in the world. With just a narrow
entrance guarded by two forts, the harbour was well protected from
invaders back when the waters of the Caribbean were lawless. The
bodies of dead pirates were sometimes hung at the entrance to give
unwanted visitors an idea of what could happen if they attempted to
raid the harbour.
EMANCIPATION PARK
Jamaica was ruled by the British for more than
300 years. During this time, huge numbers of
slaves from West Africa were brought to the
island to work on sugarcane farms. In 1838
freedom (also called ‘emancipation’) was
finally given to the slaves, allowing them to
choose what they wanted to do with their lives.
Kingston’s Emancipation Park is not just a pretty
escape from the hustle and bustle of the city –
it’s an important symbol of Jamaican freedom.
THE PIRATE CITY OF PORT ROYAL
Hundreds of years ago, the city of Port Royal at the edge of
Kingston Harbour was a base for many pirates of the Caribbean.
The rum-drinking scoundrels were known for their bad behaviour,
leading people to describe the place as the ‘wickedest city on
Earth’. In 1692 however, Port Royal was hit by an earthquake so
powerful, two thirds of the land and buildings were sent tumbling
into the sea. It never bounced back, leading neighbouring
Kingston to grow and become the harbour’s biggest city instead.
NICE AND SPICY
‘Jerk’ may be an insult in
some parts of the world, but
in Kingston it is a much-loved
savoury dish with a hot and
fiery flavour. Jerk is made by
coating meat – usually chicken,
pork or goat – in a tasty
sauce or blend of dry spices
before barbecuing. Delicious!
WINTER OLYMPICS
In the 1988 Winter Olympics,
Kingston surprised the world
by entering the bobsleigh event.
As the athletes came from a tropical
island, they were not used to cold
temperatures and had had limited
practice with bobsleighs. Not surprisingly
Jamaica didn’t fare well. They finished in
30th place in the two-man race and crashed
in the four-man event, leading the team to
famously push their sled along the rest of the
course. The crowd loved them anyway, and in their
first ever Winter Olympics Jamaica was the most
talked about team at the Games.
REGGAE FEVER
Reggae music was born in Jamaica then made
famous across the globe by the legendary Kingston
musician, Bob Marley. The singer and songwriter
became known for his catchy tunes about love,
freedom and changing the world.
TALKING THE TALK
In Kingston, people speak English with a unique twist.
Over the centuries the island has blended English,
African and other languages together to create its
own singsong dialect. Some of the words and phrases
– such as "wah gwan?"
, which means "what’s going
on?" – are spoken not just in Kingston, but by Jamaican
communities all around the world.