Saint John's, Antigua And Barbuda

St. John's () is the largest city of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in the western part of Antigua, surrounding St. John's Harbour. The city is Antigua and Barbuda's primate city, having a population of 22,219. St. John's also tends to dominate the parish of Saint John, which composes much of the city's metropolitan area. From its establishment after the French invasion in 1666, the city has rapidly grown, eventually replacing Falmouth as the island's dominant city.

After its establishment, St. John's became an official trading point in 1675. By 1689, St. John's had overtaken Falmouth in population. St. John's continued to grow throughout the 1700s, occasionally being impacted by a fire or hurricane. St. John's has largely been spared from armed conflict, although a large-scale slave revolt was planned in the city in 1736.

St. John's is not necessarily a tourist destination, as it primarily functions as the country's economic centre. St. John's is home to Antigua State College, the country's largest higher education institution, and an open campus of the University of the West Indies. St. John's is attempting to modernise its economy, being home to many convention centres and contemporary office buildings. St. John's is also home to the national library and most government agencies. St. John's is the origin of the All Saints Road corridor, in which most of the country's population lives. While St. John's completely dominates its metropolitan area, the city's economy has stimulated that of surrounding areas like Piggotts and Cedar Valley.

History

St. John's was laid out following the French invasion of 1666, due to the site's strategic location on St. John's Harbour. An act was passed to build a town on the harbour in April 1668. On 16 September 1675, a sitting of the island’s legislature in Old Road established six places of trade, one of which being St. John’s. This was a significant increase from the traditional two. By 1689, St. John’s was as large as Falmouth. The remainder of the 1600s were largely peaceful, until 7 December 1710. On that date, Daniel Parke was killed after much of his assembly had nearly been expelled from St. John's to Parham. In 1736, a plan by St. John's resident Prince Klaas to turn Antigua into an independent African kingdom was discovered, resulting in him being killed. 132 other co-conspirators were also punished. The plot caused a large scare, and in 1741, barracks were built on Rat Island, and in 1753, in the centre of the town.

In 1768, the city was hit by a major fire. By this time, St. John's was also the seat of government of the British Leeward Islands, a title it maintained until the colony's permanent abolishment in 1959. In 1772 the island was hit by a hurricane, resulting in significant damage to the city's shipping industry. In 1782, the city was again damaged by a fire that occurred in one of the most densely populated parts of the city. In 1784, the city's night watch was established, and citizens of the city were subjected to a tax to pay for it. To prevent another fire, building regulations were also improved, with most public buildings being required to have brick walls and tiled or slate roofs. In 1786, another tax was established due to the prevalence of vermin, reptiles, prickly pear bushes lining the streets. The roads were also not paved at the time, nor were they kept clean. Gaming tables were also outlawed. In 1790, the parish vestry was granted the ability to tax traders, which impacted the city due to it being the parish's economic centre. In the early 1800s, the present-day Government House was built.

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, St. John's once had an elected city council. The council no longer exists, and there is no longer a city-wide local government. In Downtown St. John's, the St. John's Development Corporation continues to handle a degree local government. St. John's is now the country's primate city, being home to around a quarter of its population, and about half of the population of the parish. St. John's was once home to an airstrip in the 1940s at the Old Runway area of Villa, but is now served by V. C. Bird International Airport.

While no law explicitly states St. John's is the island's capital, the city is home to the Government Complex in the Botanical Gardens neighbourhood, which is home to the High Court, the Office of the Prime Minister, and the Parliament Building. The Parliament building was opened in 2006. The Labour Party largely dominates the city's politics, carrying the city in the 2023 election.

Geography and climate

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 was recorded, which was the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Antigua and Barbuda.

Administrative divisions

Areas

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

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.

Economy

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.

Government

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.

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.

Landmarks

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.

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 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.

Education

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 of the WELS

Transportation

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

Fort Road Heliport is located in the city, on Fort Road.

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References

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

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Capitals in the Caribbean
Populated places in Antigua and Barbuda
Port cities in the Caribbean
Populated places established in 1632
1630s establishments in the Caribbean
1632 establishments in North America
1632 establishments in the British Empire
Capitals in North America