Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda , independent Commonwealth nation (2005 est. pop. 68,700), 171 sq mi (442 sq km), West Indies, in the Leeward Islands. It consists of the island of Antigua (108 sq mi/280 sq km) and two smaller islands, sparsely populated Barbuda (62 sq mi/161 sq km) and uninhabited Redonda (0.6 sq mi/1.6 sq km). Saint John's , on Antigua, is the capital. Antigua is a hilly island with a heavily indented coast, while Barbuda is a flat coral island dominated by a large lagoon on its western side. Most residents are of African ancestry. Anglicanism is the predominant religion. Tourism is the most important industry, and the on-line gambling and offshore financial services sectors generate additional foreign currency earnings. Agriculture, fishing, and manufacturing (bedding, handicrafts, and electronics) also contribute to the economy. There is a U.S. air force tracking station on the north coast of Antigua. Periodic hurricanes can cause heavy damage to the islands. The country has a parliamentary-style government with a bicameral legislature. The British monarch is the titular head of state, but primary executive power lies with the prime minister.

History

Antigua was sighted by Columbus in 1493 and named for a Spanish church in Seville. The islands were successfully colonized in 1632, when the British introduced sugarcane from St. Kitts. Barbuda was colonized from Antigua in 1661. The abolition of slavery in 1834 hurt the sugar industry; sugar has not been commercially grown on the island since 1985. Antigua, with Barbuda and Redonda as dependencies, became an associated state of the Commonwealth in 1967 and achieved full independence within the Commonwealth in 1981. The Labor party, and the Bird family, led the nation in its first decades. Vere Bird was the nation's first prime minister and was succeeded by Lester Bird, his son, in 1994. The islands suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Luis in 1995. Six consecutive terms of Labor governments ended in 2004 when the United Progressive party won the election; Baldwin Spencer became prime minister. Many inhabitants of Barbuda, culturally and politically distinct from Antiguans, have pressed for independence from the larger island.

Antigua and Barbuda Caribbean islands in the Leeward Islands group, part of the Lesser Antilles. The capital is St John's (on Antigua). Antigua is atypical of the Leeward Islands in that, despite its height – rising to 405m (1328ft) – it has no rivers or forests; Barbuda, in contrast, is a wooded, low coral atoll. Only 1400 people live on the game reserve island of Barbuda, where lobster fishing is the main occupation, and none on the rocky island of Redondo. Antigua and Barbuda were linked by Britain after 1860, gained internal self-government in 1967, and independence in 1981. The islands are dependent on tourism, though some attempts at diversification (notably Sea Island cotton) have been successful. Other industries: livestock rearing, market gardening, fishing. Area: 440sq km (170sq mi). Pop. (2000) 65,000. See West Indies map

http://www.antigua-barbuda.org; http://www.antigua.net

Antigua and Barbuda A country consisting of the Caribbean islands of Antigua, Barbuda, and the uninhabited Redonda, which came under British sovereignty in 1632. Apart from 1971–6, it was governed by Vere Cornwall Bird and his Antigua Labour Party (ALP) (founded 1938) from 1946. Universal adult suffrage was introduced in 1951, and in 1967 it became an independent country in ‘association’ with Britain. Antigua and Barbuda gained full independence on 1 November 1981. The 1980s were marked by considerable tensions within the ALP caused by corruption allegations against, and hostilities between, Bird and two of his sons in the government. After winning the 1994 elections with a reduced majority, the country's leadership passed to Bird's younger son, Lester, who had campaigned against government corruption for some time. In 2001, Bird was concerned to counter US allegations that his country was a major centre for international money laundering and drug trafficking.