Trifter

The northwest part of the island is home to the county of Cornwall. The capital city is named Falmouth. With a land area covering 87.4 square kilometers and a population of 74,000 (as of 2001) Trelawny Parish is the fifth largest parish in Jamaica. Among the list of city names are Clarks Town, Wakefield, Duncans and Albert Town. The most interesting town name, possibly the most interesting on the entire island is a city named Wait-a-Bit.

The southern portion of Trelawny sits in an area that is not fit for human occupants. Called Cockpit Country it is designated as a nature preserve with 27 species of birds, and also home to the largest butterfly in the entire Western Hemisphere. It is the beautiful Swallowtail Butterfly.

In the area are sinkholes and approximately 48 caves. Two of them Windsor and Carambie Cave are especially lovely. Some of the caves have drawings on the walls. These were done by the Taino people. It isn’t noted whether or not they are from ancient times. Four main rivers, the Quashie, Cane, Rio Bueno and the Martha Brae complete the landscape in Trelawny Parish.

The citizens of Trelawny Parish are employed in manufacturing jobs, agriculture and tourism. Of course sugar cane is grown but also coconuts, ginger, coffee, pimento, bananas, yams and strawberries. Some are working in the commercial fishing industry with up to thirty boats going out each day. Diminished from a flourishing business is the sugar production. There are only eight factories producing sugar on the island. Of the eight, two of them are in Trelawny Parish. Among all industries, it is the tourist portion that is flourishing the most. Some major hotels are located here also. One has an interesting name, The Starfish Hotel. It is amusing to think of all the swimming pools at all these hotels that are considered necessary on an island surrounded by water.

Falmouth the capital city has been thriving due to the need for a port from which to export sugar and other products. Quite the social center Falmouth has two major newspapers. Perhaps part of its popularity stems from the fact that the Parish that Falmouth is in was named after Sir William Trelawny who was the Governor of Jamaica at the time.

With the British influence it isn’t surprising that the government is is modeled after that of UK. The Queen appoints a Governor General. His role is ceremonial as is the Queen’s in UK. The Prime Minister has executive powers along with a cabinet, It resembles the structure of the American System. The Representatives are elected officials and number sixty, while the twenty-one Senators are appointees. There is a Judicial System also and though Jamaica voted for independence it remains a part of the Commonwealth.

The entire island of which Trelawny Parish is a part, covers an area of 10,991 square kilometers (4,244 square miles). It has a mountainous terrain with the mountains rising to 4000 feet above sea level. Climate being tropical is a major attraction to the 100,000 tourists that fly in each year. Total population in 2006 was estimated at 2,643,800 people. Two languages are listed, Patois and English. Surprisingly, children are obligated to continue school only until the age of fourteen. Employment of about 1.25 million people is seventeen percent in industries, almost eighteen percent work in agriculture and a whopping sixty-four percent are in the service industry. This of course is in the tourist industry. This magnificent island brings joy into the lives of the many visitors and the people of Jamaica welcome them…