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| Montego Bay stretches fifteen miles along the coastline from the luxurious Tryall Club in the west to Greenwood in the east. The blue waters of the Bay are fringed by mangrove wetlands and beautiful white sand beaches, surrounding the old town, which nestles at the feet of lush green mountains. Located on the north coast of Jamaica, with a population of just over 100,000.  The Montego Bay coast, has nearly a continuous fringe of well developed coral reefs. These reefs protect the shoreline from the erosive forces of waves and currents. They contribute much of the sand that forms beaches, and create the calm, shallow turquoise lagoons which are the centerpiece of the tourism industry. They are also the most productive areas for the local fishing industry.  Beaches are the lifeline of Montego Bay. The tourist industry depends on them more and more. Montegonians gravitate toward them for recreation. Sandy beaches occupy less than 10% of the shoreline. The remaining 90% is made up of rocky beaches and headlands, mangrove forests, and man-made structures such as wharves, piers, and buildings.   The large map below illustrates just how important the coastline of Montego Bay is.  Mangroves are undoubtedly one of the most important, yet least understood, of the natural communities around Montego Bay. Before settlement mangroves occupied most of the Montego Bay coastline. Today, there remain only the large mangrove forest around Bogue Lagoon. Clearing and filling for urban development as well as other activities, have diminished their extent and health. Non-mangrove wetlands are uncommon in Montego Bay. The porous limestone rock and hilly topography are not conducive to inland wetland formation, due to the heavy rains that fall ever so often. |
| Montego Bay | Table of Contents | Geography | Urban Structure | Economy | Culture | Pictures | Bibliography | World Urbanization Homepage | Macalester Homepage This webpage was created by Lichele A. Hue as a requirement for Prof. David Lanegran's Geography of World Urbanization class- SPRING 2001 Macalester College St. Paul, MN. |
Physical Landscape