St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda

St. John's was laid out following the French invasion of 1666, due to the site's strategic location on St. John's Harbour.{{Cite web |title=Why That Name? |url=https://cpoise.gov.ag/2023/03/24/why-that-name/}} An act was passed to build a town on the harbour in April 1668.https://mirror.unhabitat.org/pmss/getElectronicVersion.aspx?nr=3322&alt=1 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.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ib5FAAAAcAAJ&q=parish |title=The Laws of the Island of Antigua: Consisting of the Acts of the Leeward Islands, Commencing 8. Novem. 1690 Ending 21. April 1798, and the Acts of Antigua Commencing 10. April 1668, Ending 7. May 1804 : with Prefixed to Each Volume, Analytical Tables of the Titles of the Acts, and at the End of the Whole, a Copious Digested Index |date=1805 |publisher=Bagster |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Lanaghan |title=Antigua and the Antiguans |pages=27}} 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.{{Cite book |last=Lanaghan |title=Antigua and the Antiguans |pages=38}} 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.{{Cite web |last=KESSE |date=2020-04-14 |title=Prince Klaas, the Ghanaian rebel slave in Antigua |url=https://ghanaianmuseum.com/the-horrifying-execution-of-prince-klaas-the-slave-from-ghana-who-planned-to-make-antigua-an-african-state/ |access-date=2022-12-18 |website=Ghanaian Museum |language=en-US}} The plot caused a large scare, and in 1741, barracks were built on Rat Island, and in 1753, in the centre of the town.{{Cite book |last=Lanaghan |title=Antigua and the Antiguans |pages=42}}

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.{{Cite book |last=Lanaghan |title=Antigua and the Antiguans |pages=51–52}} 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.{{Cite book |last=Lanaghan |title=Antigua and the Antiguans |pages=53}} 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.{{Cite book |last=Lanaghan |title=Antigua and the Antiguans |pages=54}} In the early 1800s, the present-day Government House was built.{{Cite web |title=Government House |url=https://www.wmf.org/project/government-house |access-date=26 April 2021 |website=World Monuments Fund}}

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, St. John's once had an elected city council.{{Cite web |title=Public Health Act |url=http://laws.gov.ag/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/cap-353.pdf}}{{Cite news |last=Abbott |first=W.J. |date=13 August 1914 |title=At a meeting of the Saint John's City Commissioners held at their office in Church Lane on Thursday the 16th day of July, 1914. |url=https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/00/07/68/63/01698/1914081301.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624225144/https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/00/07/68/63/01698/1914081301.pdf |archive-date=24 June 2024 |access-date=24 June 2024 |work=The Leeward Islands Gazette |pages=272–273}} 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.{{Cite web |title=SJDC {{!}} Home |url=https://sjdcanu.com/ |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=sjdcanu.com}} 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.{{Cite web |last=jennelsa.johnson |date=2024-01-20 |title=Early air travel to Antigua |url=https://antiguaobserver.com/early-air-travel-to-antigua/ |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=Antigua Observer Newspaper |language=en-GB}}

While no law explicitly states St. John's is the island's capital,{{Cite web |title=The Laws of Antigua and Barbuda |url=https://laws.gov.ag |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241205033419/https://laws.gov.ag/ |archive-date=2024-12-05 |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=laws.gov.ag |language=en-US}} 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.{{citation |title=Court Circular |date=30 October 2006}} The Labour Party largely dominates the city's politics, carrying the city in the 2023 election.{{Cite web |date=19 January 2023 |title=BREAKING: ABLP retains government by slim majority |url=https://antiguanewsroom.com/breaking-ablp-retains-government-by-slim-majority/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119103312/https://antiguanewsroom.com/breaking-ablp-retains-government-by-slim-majority/ |archive-date=19 January 2023 |access-date=19 January 2023 |website=Antigua News Room |language=en-US}}

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 {{convert|34.9|C|F|abbr=on}} was recorded, which was the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Antigua and Barbuda.{{cite web |url=http://www.antiguamet.com/Climate/Our_Climate.html |title=Our Climate |publisher=Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service |access-date=30 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305012206/http://www.antiguamet.com/Climate/Our_Climate.html |archive-date=5 March 2017 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.antiguamet.com/Climate/STATS/coolidge_dailytemp.html |title=Normal Daily Temperature: TEMPERATURE AT V.C. Bird International Airport |publisher=Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service |access-date=30 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031025855/http://www.antiguamet.com/Climate/STATS/coolidge_dailytemp.html |archive-date=31 October 2016 |url-status=live }}

{{Weather box

|location = St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda (V. C. Bird International Airport)

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|Jan record high C = 31.2

|Feb record high C = 31.8

|Mar record high C = 32.9

|Apr record high C = 32.7

|May record high C = 34.1

|Jun record high C = 32.9

|Jul record high C = 33.5

|Aug record high C = 34.9

|Sep record high C = 34.3

|Oct record high C = 34.1

|Nov record high C = 32.6

|Dec record high C = 31.5

|year record high C = 34.9

|Jan high C = 28.3

|Feb high C = 28.4

|Mar high C = 28.8

|Apr high C = 29.4

|May high C = 30.2

|Jun high C = 30.6

|Jul high C = 30.9

|Aug high C = 31.2

|Sep high C = 31.1

|Oct high C = 30.6

|Nov high C = 29.8

|Dec high C = 28.8

|year high C = 29.8

|Jan mean C = 25.4

|Feb mean C = 25.2

|Mar mean C = 25.6

|Apr mean C = 26.3

|May mean C = 27.2

|Jun mean C = 27.9

|Jul mean C = 28.2

|Aug mean C = 28.3

|Sep mean C = 28.1

|Oct mean C = 27.5

|Nov mean C = 26.8

|Dec mean C = 25.9

|year mean C = 26.9

|Jan low C = 22.4

|Feb low C = 22.2

|Mar low C = 22.7

|Apr low C = 23.4

|May low C = 24.5

|Jun low C = 25.3

|Jul low C = 25.3

|Aug low C = 25.5

|Sep low C = 25.0

|Oct low C = 24.4

|Nov low C = 23.9

|Dec low C = 23.0

|year low C = 24.0

|Jan record low C = 15.5

|Feb record low C = 16.6

|Mar record low C = 17.0

|Apr record low C = 16.6

|May record low C = 17.8

|Jun record low C = 19.7

|Jul record low C = 20.6

|Aug record low C = 19.3

|Sep record low C = 20.0

|Oct record low C = 20.0

|Nov record low C = 17.7

|Dec record low C = 16.1

|year record low C = 15.5

|precipitation colour=green

|Jan precipitation mm = 56.6

|Feb precipitation mm = 44.9

|Mar precipitation mm = 46.0

|Apr precipitation mm = 72.0

|May precipitation mm = 89.6

|Jun precipitation mm = 62.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 86.5

|Aug precipitation mm = 99.4

|Sep precipitation mm = 131.6

|Oct precipitation mm = 142.2

|Nov precipitation mm = 135.1

|Dec precipitation mm = 83.4

|year precipitation mm = 1049.2

|Jan precipitation days = 11.1

|Feb precipitation days = 8.7

|Mar precipitation days = 7.3

|Apr precipitation days = 7.2

|May precipitation days = 8.6

|Jun precipitation days = 8.3

|Jul precipitation days = 11.8

|Aug precipitation days = 12.7

|Sep precipitation days = 12.0

|Oct precipitation days = 12.9

|Nov precipitation days = 12.4

|Dec precipitation days = 12.1

|year precipitation days = 124.7

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|source 1 = Antigua/Barbuda Meteorological Services{{cite web

|url= http://www.antiguamet.com/Climate/STATS/coolidge_dailytemp.html

|publisher = Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services

|title= Normals and averages: temperature at V.C Bird International Airport

|access-date=14 October 2012}}{{cite web

|url= http://www.antiguamet.com/Climate/STATS/coolidge_monthlyrainfall.html

|publisher = Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services

|title= Normals and averages: rainfall at V.C Bird International Airport

|access-date=14 October 2012}}{{cite web |url=https://www.ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=78862&ano=2021&mes=10&day=17&hora=0&min=0&ndays=30 |title=78862: Vc Bird International Airport Antigua (Antigua and Barbuda) |author= |date= 17 October 2021|website=ogimet.com |publisher=OGIMET |access-date= 17 October 2021|quote=}}

|date=October 2012

}}

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

{{Main|Demographics of Saint John's (Antigua and Barbuda)}}

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.{{Cite web |date=2015-02-24 |title=St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda (1632- ) • |url=https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/places-global-african-history/st-johns-antigua-and-barbuda-1632/ |access-date=2022-09-20 |language=en-US}}

{{see also|Economy of Antigua and Barbuda}}

{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2019}}

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.

File:St Johns Antigua 2012.jpg

File:Parliament Building in St. John's.jpg]]

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."[http://www.eccaa.aero/index.php?option=com_gmapfp&view=gmapfp&layout=article&tmpl=component&id=1&Itemid=64 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"

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.{{Cite web |title=About {{!}} SJDC |url=https://sjdcanu.com/about |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=sjdcanu.com}}

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.

Image:Cricket ground.jpg]]

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.

Image:AntiguaLight.jpg

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.{{cite web|title=Government House|url=https://www.wmf.org/project/government-house|website=2018 World Monuments Watch|publisher=World Monuments Foundation}}

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{{cite web|title=St Johns Ev Lutheran School Antigua|website = Facebook|url=https://www.facebook.com/pg/St-Johns-Ev-Lutheran-School-Antigua-157281109099/about/?ref=page_internal}}{{cite web|title=Antigua – WELS|url=https://wels.net/serving-others/missions/north-america/antigua/}} of the WELS

{{main|Transport in Antigua and Barbuda}}

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

Fort Road Heliport is located in the city, on Fort Road.{{cite map |title=CalvinAir Helicopters {{ndash}} Fort Road Heliport |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/CalvinAir+Helicopters+-+Fort+Road+Heliport/@17.1345876,-61.8594057,808m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8c12937c66bdc953:0x39e837075cf5566c!8m2!3d17.1345918!4d-61.8572172 |website=Google Maps |access-date=11 July 2023 |language=en}}

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{{reflist}}

{{commons category|position=right}}

• {{Wikivoyage-inline|Saint John's|St. John's}}
• [http://www.paradise-islands.org/antigua/st-johns-map.htm Street map of St John's Antigua] From Paradise Islands (non-commercial site)
• [http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/islands/ab/sjmap.shtml Map of St. John's] at Caribbean-On-Line.com

{{List of North American capitals|state=collapsed}}

{{Saint John's}}

{{Saint John}}

{{Populated places of Antigua and Barbuda|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:St. John's, Antigua And Barbuda}}

Category:Capitals in the Caribbean

Category:Populated places in Antigua and Barbuda

Category:Port cities in the Caribbean

Category:Populated places established in 1632

Category:1630s establishments in the Caribbean

Category:1632 establishments in North America

Category:1632 establishments in the British Empire

Category:Capitals in North America