Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda are a pair of islands that are part of the Leeward Islands chain in the eastern Caribbean Sea. They form an independent state within the Lesser Antilles with the small island of Redonda forming a dependency on them. The capital of the islands is located on Antigua and is known as St. John’s, a city that boasts a deep-water harbor. The two islands which form the independent state are quite different in terms of terrain. Antigua has a highly intricate coastline consisting of bays and headlands fringed with reefs and shoals. This creates a land of 108 square miles which for the most part is low and undulating, with volcanic rocks in the west that rise to 1,330 feet at Mount Obama. Because of the absence of rivers and the sparse number of springs, droughts occur rather often despite an annual rainfall of some 40 inches. Barbuda, on the other hand, lies 25 miles north of Antigua. It is a flat and well-wooded coral island, including in its 62 square miles of land highlands which rise to 143 feet at Lindsay Hill located in the northeast. Like its sibling, the island does not have streams or lakes and receives less rainfall. Its only settlement, Codrington, lies on a lagoon to the west.

While Antigua and Barbuda may seem to offer very little in terms of higher education, the two islands can be quite advantageous. As the pair have few well-credited institutes and one state college which can provide programs focused on Hospitality and Information Technology. Apart from these programs, several medical schools have greatly contributed to the local health care and economy. There is also a branch of the University of the West Indies, found on Antigua, which can be of great help should one choose to pursue more advanced studies. However, when choosing to obtain a higher education at Antigua and Barbuda several details of importance should be noted. These include the fact that tuition fees can be a bit costly, especially for restricted budgets. Due to this, one would do well to call in advance the university of choice to check the fees for the program. Also, the length of the different programs can vary based on the field of expertise that has been chosen. For instance, a medical degree can take as long as eight years.