St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda

St. John's
St. John's in mid-December 2011
Location of St. John's in Antigua and Barbuda
Coordinates: 17°07′N 61°51′W / 17.117°N 61.850°W / 17.117; -61.850
Country	Antigua and Barbuda
Island	Antigua
Colonised	1632
Area
• Total	10 km2 (4 sq mi)
Elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	81,799
• Density	3,100/km2 (8,000/sq mi)
Time zone	AST (UTC-4)

St. John's is the capital and largest city of Antigua and Barbuda, a country located in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. With a population of 22,193, 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. Saint John is also the capital of Antigua.

St. John's is one of the most developed and cosmopolitan municipalities in the Lesser Antilles. The city is famous for its various shopping malls as well as boutiques throughout the city, selling designer jewellery and haute-couture clothing. There are also many independent, locally run establishments, selling a variety of fashions.

St. John's attracts tourists from the many exclusive 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. Many 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. Annual production yields more than 180,000 gallons bottled.

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 also a population of Levantine Christian Arabs.

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

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 several 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.