Parish of Saint Peter[1] | |
---|---|
Country | Antigua and Barbuda |
Established | January 11, 1692 January 21, 1692 (new style) | (old style)
Capital | Parham |
Largest city | All Saints[A] |
Largest major division | All Saints Northeast |
Government | |
• MPs | Asot Michael, Jamale Pringle, Anthony Smith |
Population (2018) | |
• Total | 5,706[2] |
Time zone | UTC-4 (AST) |
Saint Peter, officially the Parish of Saint Peter, is a parish of Antigua and Barbuda on the island of Antigua. Saint Peter borders Saint Paul to the south, Saint Philip to the east, and Saint George and Saint John to the west. Saint Peter is dominated by farmland, savanna, and undeveloped fields, and its borders are not well-defined. The largest city fully within the parish is Parham, which is also the capital. However, the portion of the city of All Saints in Saint Peter is significantly larger than Parham. Saint Peter was created with the other four original parishes in 1692.[3] It had an estimated population of 5,706 in 2018.[4]
Saint Peter is mostly dominated by agriculture and industry, with the few populated places in the parish being portions of All Saints, Diamonds, Freemans, Pares, Parham, and Vernons. Most of the parish lives on the western border with Saint John. Pares is the only major settlement in the center of the parish. There is almost no settlement in the eastern portion of the parish other than the hamlets of Coconut Hall and Gilberts. In the northern areas of the parish, Saint Peter is home to Guiana Island and the Galley Islands, as well as the Crabbs Peninsula. Long Island, home to three permanent inhabitants, and Maiden Island are legally part of Saint George, but are politically and statistically part of Saint Peter. Long Island and Maiden Island are counted as parts of Saint Peter for purposes of the census.
Saint Peter is not home to many tourist attractions, and the mainland portion of the parish is home to very few, if any beaches. Parham Harbour is sometimes used by local residents, specifically children, for swimming. Saint Peter is however home to many historic Amerindian villages, and the Betty's Hope sugar plantation, one of the major symbols of the island. Saint Peter also has populations of European fallow deer on Guiana Island. On the offshore islands, there are many clear waters and reefs, and many of the offshore islands, like Great Bird Island, are frequented by tourists.
Saint Peter was created in August 1681, when Antigua was divided into five parishes.[3] Saint Peter and the four other parishes were permanently established in July 1692, and confirmed in January 1693.[3] The primary objective of the establishment of parishes was providing for the parish church. The majority of the parish's lands were, and still are, used for agricultural purposes. Numerous historical relics from the parish can still be seen today, including the Mercer's Creek[5] and Coconut Hall[6] plantations.
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