Database: Kingston

In 1692, devastating earthquakes destroyed Port Royal, Jamaica's major city at the time. In desperation, refugees assembled nearby in a tent city that was eventually to become Kingston. In 1703, what was left of Port Royal was burned to the ground by pirates, and Kingston quick grew to become a major city in its own right. Today it is a diverse, sprawling and raucous city far from the resorts on the north of the island.