St. James is a suburban parish, located on the north-west end of the island of Jamaica. Its capital is Montego Bay (derived from the Spanish word manteca (lard) because many wild hogs were found there, from which lard was made).

 

Montego Bay was officially named the second city of Jamaica, behind Kingston, in 1981, although Montego Bay became a city in 1980 through an act of the Jamaican Parliament. The parish is the birthplace of the Right Excellent Samuel Sharpe (died 1833), one of Jamaica's seven National Heroes.