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St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda

Coordinates: 17°07′N 61°51′W / 17.117°N 61.850°W / 17.117; -61.850
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17°07′N 61°51′W / 17.117°N 61.850°W / 17.117; -61.850

St. John's
Sen Jaan
City of St. John's
Top: St. John's skyline; Middle: Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, St. John's Harbour; Bottom: Fort James, St. John's Cathedral
Location of St. John's in Antigua and Barbuda
Location of St. John's in Antigua and Barbuda
Coordinates: 17°07′38″N 61°50′48″W / 17.12722°N 61.84667°W / 17.12722; -61.84667
Country Antigua and Barbuda
IslandAntigua
ParishSaint John
Colonised1632
Government
 • BodySt. John's Development Corporation (city centre)
 • Executive DirectorCraig B. Whyte
 • City ManagerCarolyn Thomas-Parker
Area
 • Total
10 km2 (4 sq mi)
Elevation
0–59 m (0–194 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
22,219
 • Density3,100/km2 (8,000/sq mi)
Ethnicities
 • African84.86%
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)
AirportV.C. Bird International Airport
Websitesjdcanu.com

St. John's (Antiguan and Barbudan Creole: Sen Jaan)[1] is the capital and largest city of Antigua and Barbuda, part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. With a population of 22,219,[2] St. John's is the commercial centre of the nation and the chief port of the island of Antigua.

History

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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.


Geography and climate

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

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.[3][4]

Climate data for St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda (V. C. Bird International Airport)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 31.2
(88.2)
31.8
(89.2)
32.9
(91.2)
32.7
(90.9)
34.1
(93.4)
32.9
(91.2)
33.5
(92.3)
34.9
(94.8)
34.3
(93.7)
34.1
(93.4)
32.6
(90.7)
31.5
(88.7)
34.9
(94.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 28.3
(82.9)
28.4
(83.1)
28.8
(83.8)
29.4
(84.9)
30.2
(86.4)
30.6
(87.1)
30.9
(87.6)
31.2
(88.2)
31.1
(88.0)
30.6
(87.1)
29.8
(85.6)
28.8
(83.8)
29.8
(85.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 25.4
(77.7)
25.2
(77.4)
25.6
(78.1)
26.3
(79.3)
27.2
(81.0)
27.9
(82.2)
28.2
(82.8)
28.3
(82.9)
28.1
(82.6)
27.5
(81.5)
26.8
(80.2)
25.9
(78.6)
26.9
(80.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 22.4
(72.3)
22.2
(72.0)
22.7
(72.9)
23.4
(74.1)
24.5
(76.1)
25.3
(77.5)
25.3
(77.5)
25.5
(77.9)
25.0
(77.0)
24.4
(75.9)
23.9
(75.0)
23.0
(73.4)
24.0
(75.2)
Record low °C (°F) 15.5
(59.9)
16.6
(61.9)
17.0
(62.6)
16.6
(61.9)
17.8
(64.0)
19.7
(67.5)
20.6
(69.1)
19.3
(66.7)
20.0
(68.0)
20.0
(68.0)
17.7
(63.9)
16.1
(61.0)
15.5
(59.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 56.6
(2.23)
44.9
(1.77)
46.0
(1.81)
72.0
(2.83)
89.6
(3.53)
62.0
(2.44)
86.5
(3.41)
99.4
(3.91)
131.6
(5.18)
142.2
(5.60)
135.1
(5.32)
83.4
(3.28)
1,049.2
(41.31)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 11.1 8.7 7.3 7.2 8.6 8.3 11.8 12.7 12.0 12.9 12.4 12.1 124.7
Source: Antigua/Barbuda Meteorological Services[5][6][7]

Administrative divisions

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Areas (or major divisions) are the second-level administrative divisions of Antigua and Barbuda. St. John's is considered a first-level administrative division when the major divisions were divided. Its areas include:

  • City Centre
  • Greenbay
  • Point
  • Cook's Hill
  • Gray's Farm
  • Nut Grove
  • Kentish
  • Desouza Road
  • Browns Avenue
  • Villa
  • Radio Range
  • Sutherlands Development
  • Upper Fort Road
  • Micheal's Mount
  • Princess Margaret
  • Upper Gamble's

Demographics

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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.[8]

Economy

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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.


City Centre, St. John's

Government

[edit]
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.[9]

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

The current Executive Director of the city centre is Craig B. Whyte, while the current City Manager is Carolyn Thomas-Parker.[10]

Landmarks

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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. 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 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.[11]

Education

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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[12][13] of the WELS

Transportation

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

Fort Road Heliport is located in the city, on Fort Road.[14]

.

References

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  1. ^ Joseph, Jerene. Antigua and Barbuda Dictionary. ISBN 9781090590541.
  2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Our Climate". Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Normal Daily Temperature: TEMPERATURE AT V.C. Bird International Airport". Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Normals and averages: temperature at V.C Bird International Airport". Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  6. ^ "Normals and averages: rainfall at V.C Bird International Airport". Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  7. ^ "78862: Vc Bird International Airport Antigua (Antigua and Barbuda)". ogimet.com. OGIMET. 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  8. ^ "St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda (1632- ) •". 24 February 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  9. ^ "Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (formerly, The Directorate of Civil Aviation) (Main Offices)." Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved on 23 December 2012. "Address : Factory Rd City : Saint John's State : Antigua Country : Antigua and Barbuda"
  10. ^ "About | SJDC". sjdcanu.com. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Government House". 2018 World Monuments Watch. World Monuments Foundation.
  12. ^ "St Johns Ev Lutheran School Antigua". Facebook.
  13. ^ "Antigua – WELS".
  14. ^ "CalvinAir Helicopters – Fort Road Heliport" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
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