St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda

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.

St. John's is one of the most developed and cosmopolitan municipalities in the Lesser Antilles. The city is famous for its shopping malls as well as boutiques throughout the city, selling designer jewellery and haute-couture clothing.

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

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

There is a 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 on the island.

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 a population of Levantine Christian Arabs.[2]

City Centre, St. John's

Antigua and Barbuda Parliament Building

St John's is the home of the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda. St John's is the capital of the Parish of Saint John.

The Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority has its headquarters on Factory Road in St. John's.[3]

St John's is twinned with Waltham Forest borough in London, England.

The "City of St. John's" is defined by the Public Health Act as:[4]

All land enclosed by an imaginary line starting at a point on the coast where the road running West of Greenbay meets the sea and thence in a southerly direction along the western side of this road to its junction with the road leading to Union Estate; continuing along the western side of the same road, in a southerly direction towards Cooks Estate, to a location which is marked by a concrete beacon located where the said road to Cooks Estate reaches a valley running East and West; running from the said beacon and following the centre of the valley to another concrete beacon situated at Grays Hill; thence in an Easterly direction to a point marked with a beacon on the Bolans road immediately beyond Nut Grove: from this beacon in a north-easterly direction to a point on the All Saints road where the Bendals road joins a track which forms the existing boundary of Ottos Estate and along the said track to the Factory road; turning West at this junction and following the southern side of the Factory road to a point marked by a beacon at the boundary between Sunnyside paddock and St. Johnston Village; thence following the eastern boundary of the said paddock to the Parham road to a point opposite the track West of Bell Village; thence northwards along the eastern boundary of Gambles Estate to the north-eastern corner of the said Estate; thence West along the North boundary of Gambles Estate to the western side of Friars Hill road; thence North to the boundary between Friars Hill and Gambles; thence West along the said boundary to the Marble Hill road; thence in a southerly direction to a point where the said road turns West towards Fort James; and finally along the southern and western side of Fort James road to that point on the sea coast immediately West of the point where the said road turns South to Fort James.

The "City of St. John's" is defined by the Property Tax Act, 2006 as the region enclosed by Dickenson Bay Street on both sides from the Sea to the North; Independence Avenue on both sides from Robinson Gas Station to the East; All Saints Road on the right from Joseph Lane to Kentish Road; and Perry Bay Road on the right from Kentish Road to Ribbits.[5]

There are several museums, including the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda and the Museum of Marine Art, a small facility containing fossilised bedrock, volcanic stones, petrified wood, a collection of more than 10,000 shells, and artefacts from English shipwrecks.

St. John's Cricket Ground

Just east of St. John's is the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, 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. The Antigua Recreation Ground, Antigua and Barbuda's national stadium, is located in St. John's.

Nearby villages and settlements include St. Johnston. McKinnon's Pond is located just north of St. John's.

The city's skyline is dominated by the white baroque towers of St. John's Cathedral.

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.

Sandy Island Light

Sandy Island is a lighthouse located on a small island about 5 km off the coast leading the way to St. John's harbour.

Fort James stands at the entrance to St. John's harbour, across from Fort Barrington. Other fortifications on the the island include Fort Berkeley, Fort George, Fort Charles, and Fort Shirley (Shirley Heights).

Government House is the Governor's residence, originally a 19th-century parsonage building. It is included on the World Monuments Fund's 2018 list of monuments at risk, following exposure to severe weather events.[6]

St. John's is served by the V. C. Bird International Airport.

Fort Road Heliport is located in the city, on Fort Road.[7]

St. John's is home to two medical schools – the American University of Antigua and University of Health Sciences Antigua. Secondary schools include Christ the King High School, Princess Margaret School and the Antigua Girls High School. Private grade schools include St. John's Lutheran School[8][9] of the WELS.

St. John's has a Tropical savanna climate (Koppen: Aw) with summer-like weather year-round, with hot days and warm nights. Rainfall is at its highest during the months of September to November due to hurricane activity. On 12 August 1995, a temperature of 34.9 °C (94.8 °F) was recorded, which was the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Antigua and Barbuda.[10][11]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda.

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