ANTIGUA and BARBUDA

Antigua, together with neighbouring islands Barbuda and the uninhabited Redonda, formed a self-governing state in association with the UK in 1967. In 1981 the islands became a fully independent state.  They were formerly mapped by the British Directorate of Colonial/Overseas Surveys (now Ordnance Survey International (OSI)) but the Surveys Division, St John’s, is now responsible for the contemporary mapping of the islands.

Antigua was one of the first Caribbean islands to be mapped by the Directorate of Colonial Surveys with publication of a 1:25,000 scale map (DCS 6) in 1946 based on US Army Air Corps air photography with military ground control.  A second edition of this map (DOS 306) was published in 1962 but was not subsequently revised. DCS also published an early 1:10,000 scale contoured map of St John’s, the capital (DCS 11) in 1947.  New air photography was flown in 1968 by Fairey Surveys, and 1:2,500 scale litho-printed contour mapping of the north part of the island including St John’s was completed in 1970.  This urban series (DOS 006) was revised in the late 1970s, based on 1975 air photography and published in 1978-82 in 53 sheets.  In addition, the whole island was mapped at 1:5,000 scale (DOS 106), in seven sheets covering the center of the island.

The 1:50,000 scale map of Antigua (DOS 406) was derived from the 1:5,000 scale maps and was first published, as a tourist map, in 1973.  The most recent editions were issued in 1980.  They are printed in process colors with BWI grid (edition 7) or UTM grid (edition 8).  Contours are at 50 ft intervals, and the entire land surface is shown in shades of green (distinguishing cultivation and grassland from bush and trees). Marsh and mangrove swamp are shown in shades of blue.  The projection is Transverse Mercator, Clarke 1880 ellipsoid (modified).

A map of Barbuda in nine sheets at 1:10,000 scale was published in 1970 (DOS 257) based on 1966 air photography.  The sheets have contours at 25 ft intervals and vegetation cover is shown by annotation. The projection is Transverse Mercator, Clarke 1866 ellipsoid.  A derived two-sheet 1:25,000 scale map in four colors, with vegetation type shown by colored symbols, and with 25 ft contours, was issued in 1970-1 (DOS 357). The projection is Transverse Mercator with UTM grid.

Redonda appears on the OSI map of Montserrat.

Soviet military topographic mapping of Antigua and Barbuda exists at the following scales: 1:1,000,000 (1 sheet, complete coverage, published in 1966); 1:500,000 (1 sheet, complete coverage, published in 1986) and 1:200,000 (3 sheets, complete coverage, published in 1967).  These products are available in print, digital raster and digital vector GIS formats from East View Geospatial.