St John's is the capital and largest city of Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island nation lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands...

, a country located in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea

Caribbean Sea

The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....

. St John's is located at 17°7′N 61°51′W. With a population of 24,226 (2000), St John's is the commercial centre of the nation and the chief port of the island of Antigua

Antigua

Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...

.

History

The settlement of St John's has been the administrative centre of Antigua and Barbuda since the islands were first colonised in 1632, and it became the seat of government when the nation achieved independence in 1981.

Economy

St. John's is one of the most developed and cosmopolitan municipalities in the Lesser Antilles. The city is famous for its various shopping malls as well as boutiques throughout the city, selling designer jewelry and haute-couture clothing. There are also many independent, locally-run establishments, selling a variety of fashions.

St. John's attracts tourists from the many exclusive resorts on the island and from the cruise ships which dock in its harbor at Heritage Quay and Redcliffe Quay several times a week.

The investment banking industry has a strong presence in the city. Many major world financial institutions have offices in St. John's.

There is a fresh produce, meat and fish market on the southwestern edge of the city where fresh produce, meats and fresh fish are sold daily.

The Antigua Rum Distillery is located at the Citadel and is the only rum distillery

Distillation

Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....

 on the island. Annual production yields more than 180,000 gallons bottled.

Demographics

The majority of the population of St. John's reflects that of the rest of Antigua: people of African and mixed European-African ancestry, with a European minority, including British and Portuguese. There is also a population of Levantine Christian Arabs.

Culture

Several museums, including the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda

Museum of Antigua and Barbuda

The Museum of Antigua and Barbuda is a museum in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda. It is housed in the colonial Court House, constructed in 1747 on the site of the first city market, and is the oldest building still in use in the city. The museum displays both Arawak and colonial artifacts recovered...

 and the Museum of Marine Art, a small facility containing fossilized bedrock, volcanic stones, petrified wood, a collection of more than 10,000 shells, and artifacts from several English shipwrecks.

Just east of St. John's is the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium

Sir Vivian Richards Stadium

Sir Vivian Richards Stadium is a stadium in North Sound, Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda. It was built for use in the 2007 Cricket World Cup where it hosted Super 8 matches. The stadium usually caters for 10,000 people, but temporary seating doubled its capacity for the 2007 Cricket World Cup...

, a multi-use stadium in North Sound, that was created mostly for cricket matches, and has hosted the matches during the 2007 Cricket World Cup

2007 Cricket World Cup

The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...

. The Antigua Recreation Ground

Antigua Recreation Ground

Antigua Recreation Ground is the national stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in St. John's, on the island of Antigua. The ground has been used by the West Indies cricket team and Antigua and Barbuda national football team...

, Antigua and Barbuda's national stadium

National stadium

Many countries have a national football stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadium. Usually, a national stadium will be in or very...

, is located in St. John's.

Main sights

The city's skyline is dominated by the white baroque

Baroque

The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...

 towers of St. John's Cathedral

St. John's Cathedral, St. John's

St. John's Cathedral also known as the St. John the Divine, the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba, is an Anglican church perched on a hilltop in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda...

.

The Botanical Garden is near the intersection of Factory Road and Independence Avenue. This small park's shaded benches and gazebo provide a quiet refuge from the bustle of activity of St.John's.

St. John's Antigua Light is a lighthouse

Lighthouse

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....

 located in the city's harbour (17.1343°N 61.9263°W).

Fort James

Fort James, Antigua and Barbuda

Fort James is a fort at the entrance to the harbour of St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda. The fort was built in 1706 to guard St. John's harbour and is one of the many forts built by the British in the 18th century. Fear of French invasion prompted the construction. It is located on a headland...

 stands at the entrance to St. John's harbour. Other nearby forts include Fort George, Fort Charles, Fort Shirley, Fort Berkeley and Fort Barrington.

Education

St. John's is home to a medical school called American University of Antigua.

External links

• Street Map of St John's Antigua From Paradise Islands (non commercial site)
• Map of St. John's at Caribbean-On-Line.com