Antigua & Barbuda: Travellers Guide
The islands of Antigua and Barbuda are volcanic in origin, and claim to have a beach for every day of the year. Typically Caribbean in flavour the islands are relaxed and fun.
Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Total Area:442.6 sq km Land Borders: islands
Population: 69,108
Life Expectancy: 72 years HIV % Total Poulation:n/a
Ethnic Groups: black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian
Languages:English (official), local dialects
Prime Minister:Winston Baldwin SPENCER GDP - Per Capita: $11,000
The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak and Carib Indians populated the islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.