Antigua

Antigua is an island in the Caribbean, part of the country of Antigua and Barbuda.It is also known by another name, Wadadli, which means approximately "our own" (Wadadli is also the name of the local beer brewed on the island). It has a population of about 68,000, of which over 24,000 live in the capital of St. John's, at 17° 6' N. and 61° 45' W., and is 54 miles in circumference, with an area of 108 square miles. The surface is comparatively flat, and there is no central range of mountains as in most other West Indian islands, but among the hills in the southwest an elevation of 1,319 feet (402 m) feet is attained on Boggy Peak.

Antigua (pronounced An-tee'ga) and Barbuda are located in the middle of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean, roughly 17 degrees north of the equator. To the south are the islands of Montserrat and Guadaloupe, and to the north and west are Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Barts, and St. Martin. Temperatures generally range from the mid-seventies in the winter to the mid-eighties in the summer. Annual rainfall averages only 45 inches, making it the sunniest of the Eastern Caribbean Islands, and the northeast trade winds are nearly constant, flagging only in September. Low humidity year-round.

Antigua's economy has become increasingly reliant upon tourism, and it markets itself as a luxury Caribbean escape. Many hotels and resorts are located around the coastline, and the island's single airport (V C Bird airport) is serviced by several major airlines including Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, US Airways, American Airlines, Continental, Delta Air Lines, BWIA and Air Canada. The only regular service to Barbuda flies from VC Bird. The United States Air Force maintains a small base adjacent to the airport.