Student Life in Antigua
 A
beautiful place
in which to live, Antigua is an ideal location for the study of
medicine: serene, secure, and sustaining. AUA provides students
with the most modern comforts and familiar lifestyle of any medical
school in the Caribbean, in a stable and safe environment.
Located 250 miles
southeast of Puerto Rico, Antigua is an independent nation that
was formerly a member of the British Commonwealth. English is the
native language. Antigua is easily accessible by daily flights from
many U.S. cities, some nonstop. AUA is located in St. John's, Antigua's
capital and largest city.
Student housing is
beautiful and affordable, and includes every amenity, such
as air conditioning, balconies overlooking the water, and modern
baths. Supermarkets are stocked with familiar items and brands.
The island is well served by public transportation.
Welcome to Antigua and
Barbuda, The Heart of The Caribbean!
The islands of
Antigua and Barbuda are located in the Leeward Islands in the heart
of the Caribbean. They are known for their many fine sandy beaches,
tourism, international business and recreation. It has been said
that there are 365 beaches and that many remain untouched and almost
undiscovered. Antigua has become an important hub of the Eastern
Caribbean. Antigua, pronounced (An-tee'ga) is the largest of the
English-speaking Leeward Islands.
Geography and Climate
 The
State of Antigua
and Barbuda is located in the Eastern Caribbean and is part of the
group of islands called the Leeward Islands. Antigua is located
at 17° N and 61° W and Barbuda is 25 miles to the north of the mainland.
The uninhabited island of Redonda is located west of the mainland.
The island of Antigua
is approximately 108 square miles (280 sq. km.) while Barbuda is
about 62 square miles (160 sq. km.). The southwest side of the island
has volcanic origins and rises up to 1,319 feet. On the other hand,
the northeast sides of Antigua are made up of limestone and sandstone.
Barbuda is a low-lying island with a peak of approximately 100 feet.
The State of Antigua and Barbuda is also made up of the 0.6 square
miles (1.6 sq. km.) islet of Redonda which is uninhabited.
The climate is
tropical and mild. Temperatures range from 24°C to 30°C (86°F).
August and September tend to be the hottest months while January
and February, the coolest months. The average rainfall is about
42 inches per year. Rainfall is heaviest during the summer. The
overall pleasant year-round climate is maintained by the cool trade
winds and low humidity.
The capital, St. John's
, is located on the northwest side of Antigua and is also the island's
main seaport.
Population
Antigua's population
is approximately
78,000 with about 30,000 residing in and around the capital of St.
John's. The population of Barbuda is around 2,000, most of who reside
in the Codrington. Most of the population is of African descent,
although there are many persons from British, American, Portuguese,
Lebanese and Syrian origins. Many retired Europeans and North Americans
have made Antigua their permanent home. Annual population growth
is about 1.3 percent.
Education and Living
Standards
Antigua's education
system is funded
by the state at all levels, without discrimination. The literacy
rate in Antigua and Barbuda is one of the highest in the Eastern
Caribbean as is the standard of living. There is a high rate of
home and car ownership and unemployment is very low.
 In
many ways, life on Antigua is similar to that of the U.S.
There are modern supermarkets, restaurants, public transportation
systems, taxis, banks, and a movie theater.
History and Government
 Antigua
was discovered by
Christopher Columbus in 1493, who named the island Antigua, after
the Santa Maria La Antigua church in Seville, Spain. The British
were the first Europeans to establish a settlement in 1632 and,
except for a brief period when the settlement was occupied by the
French, Antigua remained a British colony until 1967.
Similar to other
Caribbean lands, Antigua was turned into a sugar-producing island.
Slaves were imported from African countries until 1838. Antigua
is still a part of the Commonwealth of Nations and the 157th member
of the United Nations. It is also a member of the Commonwealth of
Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS), the Organization
of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Caribbean Common Market
(CCM), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
The system of
Government which exists in Antigua is one of democracy based upon
the British Parliamentary system. The Government consists of a Cabinet
of Ministers which is headed by the Prime Minister. Antigua's democratic
government is heavily influenced by the English parliamentary system.
The Parliament is made up of two houses: the lower house and the
upper house.
Legal System
Antigua's legal system
is strongly influenced by and based on the British system. Criminal
cases are brought to the Assizes and civil cases to the High Court.
In both cases, the right of appeal is allowed to the Court of Appeal
with a final right of appeal to England's Privy Council.
Language
The official language
of the country is English, although natives speak a local dialect
known as Creole.
Currency
The Currency in
use is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar which is linked to the United
States dollar at the official exchange rate of US $1.00 = EC $2.70.
Almost all merchants accept U.S. currency.
Agriculture
There has been
a substantial decrease in agriculture's contribution to the country's
GDP, falling from 40% to 12% over the last three decades. However,
the Ministry of Agriculture has been implementing policies to try
to encourage farmers to increase their output in an effort to decrease
the amount of imports of agricultural products.
Manufacturing
In addition to
local tax and duty concessions, manufacturers have access to the
U.S., European, and Canadian and Caribbean markets through the Lome
Convention, Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), Caricom and other
agreements.
Tourism
Although not the
largest island, Antigua has the largest tourist sector in the Leeward
and Windward Islands. With the decline of the sugar industry in
the 1960's, tourism has been the main contributor to the economy,
accounting for about sixty percent of the Gross Domestic Product.
There has been a significant increase in both the number of hotels
present on the island and the number of passenger arrivals. Frequent
cruise ship arrivals at the St. John's and Deep Water Harbors also
play a major part in boosting the tourism industry.
Antigua is a
major yachting center and every year hosts one of the world's major
yachting competitions. The annual Antigua Sailing Week Competition,
which is held at the end of April each year, attracts hundreds of
yachts and is a major source of revenue for the tourism industry.
Also see: Recreation
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