Saint John's

 

city (1991 pop. 21,514), capital of Antigua and Barbuda, in the West Indies. St. John's, at the head of a harbor formed by an inlet, is the commercial center of the country. Tourism is important. The harbor has been dredged to accommodate deep-draft vessels. In the 18th cent. St. John's served as a headquarters for the Royal Navy in the West Indies.

It has been suggested that St. John's Antigua Light be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

St. John's
Newgate Street in St. John's
Location of St. John's in Antigua and Barbuda
Coordinates: 17°07′N 61°51′W / 17.117, -61.85
Country	Antigua and Barbuda
Island	Antigua
Colonised	1632
Area
- City	sq mi (km²)
Population (2005)
- City
- Density	/sq mi (/km²)
Time zone	AST (UTC-4)
Emergency Numbers	Police/Ambulance: 911 Fire: 462 0044 Air/Sea Rescuse: 462 3062 Police HQ: 462 0125

St John's is the capital city of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda, a country located in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. 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. 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.

Sights

St. John's Cathedral

The skyline of St. John's is dominated by the white baroque towers of St. John's Cathedral. The present cathedral was built in 1845, and is now in its third incarnation — as earthquakes in 1683 and in 1745 destroyed the previous structures. The iron gates on the south face of the church are flanked by pillars displaying lead figures of St John the Divine and St John the Baptist. They were taken by HMP Temple in 1756, from a French ship destined for Martinique.

Museum of Antigua and Barbuda

The Museum of Antigua and Barbuda 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 on archaeological digs on the islands. It also features a life-sized replica of an Arawak house, models of sugar plantations, along with a history of the island, and Viv Richards' cricket bat.

Government House

This is the official residence and office of the governor-general of Antigua. The building has dignified colonial lines and is surrounded by beautiful grounds. It is located on the eastern edge of St.John's. The house is not open to the public on a regular basis. Tours are by appointment only; contact the Antigua and Barbuda Department of Tourism on Long Street.

Fort James

The fort was built in 1706 to guard St.John's harbor 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, overlooking the town, northwesterly. A powder magazine, several cannons and the foundation of the fort's wall remains. The main attraction today is the excellent view of the surrounding harbor. Other forts include Fort George, Fort Charles, Fort Shirley, Fort Berkeley and Fort Barrington. http://www.antiguamuseums.org/images/FtJames5Cannons2.jpg

Other Sights

On Friday and Saturday mornings, there is a farmers' market on the southern edge of the city, with folk crafts, colorful tropical fruits, and a buzzing crowd. The towers of the cathedral are the first sight of Antigua for the roughly half of the island's visitors each year who arrive by boat. With its recently completed cruise ship dock, shopping centre, Heritage Quay and several hotels, St. John's is a lively hub for shopping and dining.

Just east of St. John's is the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, a multi-use stadium in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda, that was created mostly for cricket matches, and has hosted the matches during the 2007 Cricket World Cup that took place from 13 March to 28 April 2007.

The Museum of Antigua & Barbuda, located on the corner of Long and Market streets, is housed in the Old Courthouse, built in 1750. Its archaeological exhibits trace the history of the early inhabitants, colonists and slaves.

The Antigua Rum Distillery is located at the Citadel and is the only rum distillery on the island. Annual production yields more than 180,000 gallons bottled.

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.

The Museum of Marine Art, at Gambles Terrace, is a small facility containing fossilized bedrock, volcanic stones, petrified wood and a collection of more than 10,000 shells. Also displayed are artifacts from several English shipwrecks.

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

City life

In the capital, there are many different stores, some are for local people, some sell expensive items which are for the tourists from cruise ships. It has a Caribbean chain store - Court's which sells consumer electronics. It also has some stores, one small supermarket and some restaurants which are operated by people of Chinese descent.

There is also a "King's Casino" right by the docking yard for cruise ships. Next to it, there is a supermarket called IGA.

It also has a big cinema. It costs about 15 EC$ to buy a ticket. The movies are mainly imported from the US. Right next to it, there is a KFC restaurant. There is also a nearby Subway restaurant.

At the edge of the city, there is a Woods Mall which has several stores, including traveling agent, clothing stores, one nice supermarket called Epicurean. Further down, there is a medical school called American University of Antigua .

In the capital, there are many different stores, locally owned, chain, and high-end. It has a Caribbean chain store - Courts which sells consumer electronics. It also has many stores, several supermarkets and myriad restaurants.

External links

• Map of St. John's at Caribbean-On-Line.com

Capitals of North America

Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe – Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis – Belmopan, Belize – Bridgetown, Barbados – Castries, Saint Lucia – Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands – Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos – Fort-de-France, Martinique – George Town, Cayman Islands – Guatemala City, Guatemala – Gustavia, Saint Barthélemy – Hamilton, Bermuda – Havana, Cuba – Kingston, Jamaica – Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Managua, Nicaragua – Marigot, Saint-Martin – Mexico City, D.F., Mexico – Nassau, Bahamas – Nuuk, Greenland – Oranjestad, Aruba – Ottawa, Canada – Panama City, Panama – Philipsburg, Sint Maarten – Plymouth, Montserrat – Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago – Port-au-Prince, Haiti – Road Town, British Virgin Islands – Roseau, Dominica – Saint-Pierre, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon – San José, Costa Rica – San Juan, Puerto Rico – San Salvador, El Salvador – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – St. George's, Grenada – St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda – Tegucigalpa, Honduras – The Valley, Anguilla – Washington, D.C., United States of America – Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles

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