Location

At a longitude of 62° W, Antigua is four hours behind Greenwich Mean time, and the same as Eastern Standard Time in the United States.

Its latitude of 17° North of the equator results in a very steady climate. The shortest day, December 21 has ten hours between sunrise and sunset while the longest has 14.

Climate

This latitude also puts us in the middle of the trade wind zone and the island enjoys steady easterly breezes around 15 mph nearly year round. Late summer / early autumn are the stillest months and the most prone to tropical storms.

Without very high topography, the tradewinds don't usually let rain-bearing clouds sit over the island long enough to provide reliable rainfall. Great for sun-worshippers but not for life on the island. There are no permanent watercourses, but there are several man-made resevoirs, one of which, Potworks dam, has the largest surface area of any West Indian body of fresh water. For this reason, we are forced to rely on de-salination plants for most of our fresh - water.

In the late summer the trade winds ease and conditions can become favourable for tropical storms to form over the Atlantic. These can develop into some of the most powerful storms on the planet. Hurricane Luis arrived on September 5, 1995 with sustained winds of 140 mph and gusts of at least 180 mph. This wind blew for 36 hours, it was the first direct hit in nearly 50 years and it levelled everything from one room shacks to solid concrete houses. In recent years, construction, meteorology and public awareness have improved drastically to minimize the threat of awesome storms like this. Antiguans know what to expect and how to prepare.

Geology and Physical Geography

Like all the Caribbean islands, Antigua is located on the eastern edge of the Caribbean Techtonic plate. Its highest points, the Shekerly Mountains in the south are ancient, dormant volcanos. Their dark, basaltic peaks are steep and rugged. They rise to 1,309 feet at the summit of Boggy Peak - King of the Shekerly mountains. This range runs for about ten miles along the south of Antigua - starting with Isaac's point in the east and ending with the formation known as 'sleeping indian' in the west at five Islands.

The northern and eastern portions of the island and Barbuda is composed of limestone and coral rock hills - you can find lots of fossilized coral in the rocks of those areas. In places these rocks have been eroded by the slightly acid rainwater and sinkholes have formed. The largest one is Darby's Cave in Barbuda. It's 100 feet deep and has a forest in it.

In between, the center and western parts of the island are a flat, red clay plain, ancient seafloor lifted over geological time. These plains have some of the richest topsoil on the island and are the most cultivated area of the island.

Human Geography

Like all the Caribbean islands, Antigua is located on the eastern edge of the Caribbean Techtonic plate. Its highest points, the Shekerly Mountains in the south are ancient, dormant volcanos. The northern and eastern portions of the island is composed of limestone and coral rock hils - you can find lots of fossilized coral in the rocks of those areas. In between, the center and western parts of the island are a flat clay plain, ancient seafloor lifted over geological time.

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