Portsmouth, Dominica

Portsmouth
Town
Nickname(s): Town
Country Dominica
Parish Saint John Parish.
Elevation 141 ft (43 m)
Population
  Total 2,977
Time zone ECT

Portsmouth is the second largest town in Dominica, with 2,977 inhabitants.[1] It lies on the Indian River on Dominica's northwest coast, in Saint John Parish. Cabrits National Park is located on a peninsula to the north of town. Portsmouth has its own sea port in Prince Rupert Bay.

Portsmouth was initially chosen as the capital of Dominica, but only served in that capacity in 1760. After malaria broke out there the same year, the capital was moved to Roseau, where it remains.

The Ross University School of Medicine, which has over 1,000 students mainly from the United States and Canada, is located near Portsmouth, in Picard. The school's presence is a major economic resource for the local people.

A farmer's market runs Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays in the city.

The area is the birthplace of Exile One's Gordon Henderson, and local politician Roosevelt Douglas

Benjamin's Park is the primary sporting venue and has hosted first-class cricket.

The area has many plans for tourism and employment in general. The Japanese Government is currently funding and constructing a fish processing plant in Portsmouth.

References

  1. Commonwealth of Dominica, Population and Housing Census — 2001. Roseau, Dominica: Central Statistical Office, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Kennedy Avenue, 2001.

Coordinates: 15°34′06″N 61°27′23″W / 15.56833°N 61.45639°W / 15.56833; -61.45639


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/16/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.