Cockpit Country- A Global Treasure

24 March 2009 by Karin in Worth A Visit [ 5 comments ]

Cockpit Country, Trelawny

Did you know that Jamaica’s Cockpit Country…

• Has one of the world’s most remarkable levels of environmental biodiversity
• Is home to 27 of Jamaica’s 28 endemic bird species

• Is home to 1,500 species of plants and several species of amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates some found only in the Cockpit Country

• Has a unique karst topography – limestone hills which look like an upside-down egg carton

• Harbours a complex cave system with numerous natural springs and rivers

• Supplies 40% of the island’s fresh water resources

• Is home to a Maroon community with a rich history and culture that stretches back several centuries (The Maroons originated as a small group of slaves who retreated to the hilly terrain of the Cockpit Country following the invasion of Jamaica by the British. Refusing to be re-enslaved, the Maroons lived as free people protected by the terrain of the Cockpit Country and waged a guerrilla-type war on the British military. The Maroons were eventually granted their own land).

• Is under threat from a lack of economic options and poor land use practices

• Is under threat from the possibility of bauxite mining

Outside Clarks Town, Trelawny

Flagstaff, St. James

Trelawny, Cockpit Country

Flagstaff, St. JamesFlagstaff,  St. James

Cockpit Country