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The Siboney were the first people to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak Indians populated the islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early Spanish and French settlements were succeeded by an English 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.
Population: 91,295 (2014)
Nationality: noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s) adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan
Ethnic groups: black 91%, mixed 4.4%, white 1.7%, other 2.9%
Languages: English (official), local dialects
Religions: Protestant 76.4% (Anglican 25.7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 12.3%, Pentecostal 10.6%, Moravian 10.5%, Methodist 7.9%, Baptist 4.9%, Church of God 4.5%), Roman Catholic 10.4%, other Christian 5.4%, other 2%, none or unspecified 5.8%
GDP: $1 220 000 000,00 (2013)
Ministry of National Security, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (includes Antigua and Barbuda Coast Guard).
Antigua and Barbuda has no international disputes but considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe, more significant as an offshore financial center.
Capital: Saint John's
Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico. Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a large western harbor.
Geographic coordinates:
17 03 N, 61 48 W.
Area:
total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)
land: 442.6 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km.
Land boundaries: 0 km.
Coastline: 153 km.
Natural resources: NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism.
