| Territory: | Antigua and Barbuda |
| Current Number: | 6 parishes, 2 dependencies |
| Population Range: | 1,634 (Barbuda) - 51,737 (Saint John Parish) |
| Subdivision: | Major divisions |
| Government: | Vestry (created in 1692, inactive), Parish councils (proposed during the 2023 Antiguan general election) |
| Parishes and Dependencies | |
| Map: | Antigua parishes english.png |
| Area Range: | 24.41 sq.km (Saint George Parish) - 160.58 sq.km (Barbuda) |
Antigua and Barbuda is an island nation made up of: Antigua island, which is divided into six parishes; and of the two dependencies of Barbuda island and Redonda island.
Although Barbuda and Redonda are called dependencies, they are integral parts of the state, making them essentially administrative divisions. Dependency is simply their title. Redonda was annexed into Saint John and unlike Barbuda, is not an autonomous island, instead, it is a first-level administrative division subordinate to Saint John.[1] [2]
Antigua's first-level administrative divisions were based on Divisions, which were later joined together to form the island's five parishes. Prior to the creation of parishes, Divisions served as the basis for Antigua's administrative divisions. Despite the fact that divisions have never been eliminated, major divisions have now taken over the role of becoming Antigua's second-level administrative divisions.
On January 11, 1692, the five founding parishes of Antigua and Barbuda—Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, and Saint Philip and Saint Peter—were formally organized into what are now known as the Parishes of Antigua and Barbuda. In 1725, Saint Peter was divided into the Saint Peter as it is known today and Saint George.[3]
The office of "justice" served as the top government official in parishes in the past; but, this role is no longer held in any parishes. Each parish also had a vestry.
| No | Parish or dependency | Capital | Largest city | Area (km2) | Population (Census 2011) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint George | Fitches Creek | Piggotts | 24.41 | 8,055 | ||
| Saint John | St. John's | 66.96 | 51,737 | |||
| Saint Mary | Old Road | Bolans | 63.55 | 7,341 | ||
| Saint Paul | Falmouth | Liberta | 45.27 | 8,128 | ||
| Saint Peter | Parham | All Saints | 32.37 | 5,325 | ||
| Saint Philip | St. Philip's | Willikies | 40.67 | 3,347 | ||
| Barbuda | Codrington | 160.58 | 1,634 | |||
| Redonda | N/A | 1.50 | 0 | |||
| Antigua and Barbuda | St. John's | 435.31 | 85,567 | |||
There are seven parish/dependency capitals in Antigua and Barbuda. One of these, St. John's, serves as the national seat of government. Each parish capital contains the parish church, while the capital of Barbuda contains the administrative offices of the Barbuda Council. Most capitals have town status, however, Codrington is a village, Fitches Creek is an estate, and St. John's is the sole city in the country.
With the exception of St. John's and Codrington, the majority of parish/dependency capitals are not the largest settlements in the parish. Parham is the second-largest city in Saint Peter; that being said, it would be the largest if the population of All Saints—which is spread across three parishes—were not included. Nonetheless, compared to Parham, the population of the sector of All Saints in Saint Peter is considerably higher.[4] [5]
| Saint John | St. John's | 21,643 | City | [7] [8] [9] | ||||
| Saint George | Fitches Creek | 532 | Estate | [10] [11] [12] [13] | ||||
| Saint Peter | Parham | 1,307 | Town | [14] [15] | ||||
| Saint Philip | St. Philip's | 131 | Town | [16] [17] [18] | ||||
| Saint Paul | Falmouth | 240 | Town | [19] [20] | ||||
| Saint Mary | Old Road | 1,251 | Town | [21] [22] | ||||
| Barbuda | Codrington | 796 | Village | [23] [24] [25] | ||||
| Redonda | N/A | |||||||