Antigua
, island (
108 sq mi/280 sq km; 1991 pop.
58,114), Antigua and Barbuda Republic, Leeward Isls.,
40 mi/64 km E of Nevis,
40 mi/64 km N of Guadelupe; 17°5N'
61°50'W. Its chief city, St. John's, is capital of Antigua and
Barbuda (
170.5 sq mi/441.6 sq km), and
Redonda, a dependency. Antigua isl. (
108 sq mi/280 sq km;
13 mi/21 km long,
10 mi/16 km wide) is of volcanic origin in SW,
of coral in N and E; rises to 1,329 ft/405 m.
It is hilly with a heavily indented coast. Has dry, pleasant climate;
water is scarce; occasional hurricanes in summer. Antigua's mainstay
is tourism; also tropical fruit, vegetables, tobacco, livestock. There
is a port for cruise ships in St. John's, and a yachting center at
English Harbor. Processing industries: textile assembly, rum
distilling, cotton ginning. Fishing for local consumption;
offshore banking. Also a center for drugs and arms smuggling.
The isl. was discovered 1493 by Columbus, who named it after a church
in Seville. Colonized 1632 by the English from St. Kitts. Shortly
thereafter occupied by the French, it was confirmed as Br. by Peace of
Breda (1667). Nelson served (1784-1787) at historic dockyard of
English Harbour. In 1941 a site on NE coast was leased to the U.S. for
naval and military base, now aerospace tracking station and electronic
listening base.
Capital city or county seat is shown by the symbol
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