What type of mountains are the Blue Mountains of Jamaica?

Answer 1

THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

The Blue Mountains are a mountainous region of Jamaica. It is the largest mountain range in Jamaica. They include the island's highest point, blue mountain peak, at 2256 m (7402 ft). From the summit (top), accessible by a walking track, both the north and south coasts of the island can be seen. On a clear day, the outline of the island Cuba, 210 km (130 miles) away, can be seen. As one of the longest continuous mountain ranges in the Caribbean, the Blue Mountains are the eastern third of Jamaica, while bordering the eastern parishes of Portland and St. Thomas and St. Andrew to the south. The Blue Mountains are a cooling relief from the sweltering heat of Kingston below. These summits rise and fall along for 24 miles long and 14 miles at its widest point, where the temperature gets colder from around 27°c (80°f) at sea level to 5°c (40°f) at blue mountain peak, just 16 km (10 miles) inland. This climatic diversity has enabled the high rainfall that feeds the lush vegetation, which includes towering trees and over 500 species of flowering plants, of which half are found nowhere else on earth. The blue mountains are home to the world's second largest butterfly and the largest in the Americas, the Homerus swallowtail (Papilio Homerus), the Jamaican Coney (Geocapromys brownii), a type of rodent, and the Jamaican boa (Epicrates subflavus). More than 200 species of birds live in the Blue Mountains, most of which are exclusively Neotropical. Also two possibly extinct species occurred in the Blue Mountains, the moth Urania sloanus and the Jamaican petrel. 250 flowers are exclusive to the Blue Mountains eastern a few Jamaican iguanas were found (the rarest lizard in the world) found believed to be extinct 1948 found Blue Mountains, Hellshire hills and goat isle

The famous Jamaican blue mountain coffee is cultivated on the lower slopes, while higher slopes are preserved as forest. Hagley gap and Mavis bank are farming communities located on Blue Mountain with Hagley gap being closest to blue mountain peak. Both towns rely upon the area's rich, fertile soils for growing blue mountain coffee, considered by many [?] To be the finest coffee in the world.

Part of the Blue Mountains is contained in the blue mountain john crow mountain national park established in 1992, which is maintained by the Jamaican government.

In past years, when Jamaica's economy was dominated by plantation slavery, some slave maroons were able to escape to the Blue Mountains and live independently. It is among the most expensive coffees in the world and is exported mainly to Japan.

Blue mountain peak is the highest mountain in Jamaica at 2,256 metres (7,402 ft). It is the home of blue mountain coffee and their famous tours.

The Blue Mountains are considered by many to be a hiker's and camper's paradise. The traditional blue mountain trek is the 7-mile (10 km) hike to the peak, a 3,000-foot (1,000 m) increase in elevation. Jamaicans prefer to reach the peak at sunrise so the 3--4 hour hike is usually undertaken in darkness. This is also done because the sky is very clear in the morning and Cuba can be seen far away. The climate is very cold and it has been reported that it even snows on the peak in the winter. Some of the plants found on the blue mountain cannot be found anywhere else in the world and they are often of a dwarfed sort. This is mainly due to the cool climate which inhibits growth. Hagley gap is the small coffee farming community located near the peak and is about a 7-mile hike to the top. Coffee is also farmed on this peak. Jamaica is believed to have been formed from volcanoes billions of years ago. The highest elevations are in the Blue Mountains to the east 7,402 feet (2,256 meters), composed in part of ancient volcanic rock. Grenada studies done up to 2003 indicate - There are no known active volcanoes in the vicinity of Jamaica or in the Greater Antilles.

By

Shadow Patterson

(Jamaican Citizen)