Antigua: St John’s
St John’s is the capital of Antigua & Barbuda. The city’s streets are lined with decaying colorful colonial-era buildings, and the harbor is filled with cruise ships (seemingly a major source of income in the otherwise rather disorganized country). About a quarter of the entire country’s population lives here, which is still minuscule at about 25k. The city’s bustling streets are lined with colorful colonial-era buildings, and the harbor is often filled with cruise ships and yachts. St John’s was founded by the British in the mid 17th century, and was named after St. John the Baptist. During the colonial period, St. John’s served as an important port and trading hub for the British Empire in the Caribbean. The natural harbor provided a safe anchorage for ships and facilitated the transport of goods such as sugar, rum, and slaves between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Antigua & Barbuda gained independence from the UK in 1981 and St John’s became the capital of the new nation.
