Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is a country in the Caribbean.

Flag of Antigua and Barbuda

## History

Antigua was first settled by archaic age hunter-gatherer Amerindians called the Siboney or Ciboney.[3] Carbon dating has established the earliest settlements started around 3100 BC. They were succeeded by the ceramic age pre-Columbian Arawak-speaking Saladoidpeople who migrated from the lower Orinoco River.

The Arawaks introduced agriculture, raising, among other crops, the famous Antigua black pineapple (Moris cultivar of *Ananas comosus*), corn, sweet potatoes (white with firmer flesh than the bright orange "sweet potato" most often used in the United States), chiles, guava, tobacco, and cotton.

The indigenous West Indians made excellent seagoing vessels which they used to sail around on the Atlantic and the Caribbean. As a result, Caribs and Arawaks were able to colonise much of South America and the Caribbean Islands. Their descendants still live there, notably in Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia.

Most Arawaks left Antigua around 1100 AD; those who remained were later raided by the Caribs. According to the *Catholic Encyclopedia*, the Caribs' superior weapons and seafaring prowess allowed them to defeat most of the West Indian Arawak nations, enslaving some and possibly cannibalising others.

The *Catholic Encyclopedia* makes it clear that the European invaders had difficulty differentiating between the various groups of the native peoples they encountered. As a result, the number and types of ethnic/tribal groups in existence at that time may have been much more varied and numerous than just the two mentioned in this article.

European and African diseases, malnutrition, and slavery eventually killed most of the Caribbean's native population. Smallpox was probably the greatest killer.[4] Some historians[*who?*] believe that the psychological stress of slavery may also have played a part in the massive number of deaths amongst enslaved natives. Others believe the reportedly abundant but starchy, low-protein diet may have contributed to their severe malnutrition as they were used to a diet fortified with protein from the sea.[5]

The Spaniards did not colonise Antigua because it lacked fresh water but not aggressive Caribs. The English settled on Antigua in 1632; Sir Christopher Codrington settled on Barbuda in 1684. Slavery, established to run sugar plantations around 1684, was abolished in 1834. The British ruled from 1632 to 1981, with a brief French interlude in 1666.

The islands became an independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations on 1 November 1981, with Elizabeth II as the first Queen of Antigua and Barbuda. The Right Honourable Vere Cornwall Bird Sr became the first Prime Minister.

## Geography

### Islands

* Prickly Pear Island17°10′33″N 61°47′53″W
* Great Bird Island17°8′46″N 61°43′31″W
* Galley Island Major17°08′35.5″N 61°43′37.5″W
* Galley Island Minor
* Jenny Island
* Exchange Island17°08′11″N 61°43′23″W
* Rabbit Island17°8′10″N 61°43′52″W
* Lobster Island17°8′1″N 61°43′47″W
* Long Island17°9′19″N 61°45′14″W
* Maiden Island17°8′44″N 61°45′48″W
* Rat Island17°7′44″N 61°46′11″W
* Little Bird Island17°09′27″N 61°44′17″W
* Hells Gate Island17°8′26″N 61°43′18″W
* Monocle Point Island
* Red Head Island17°8′16″N 61°43′41″W
* Guiana Island17°7′26″N 61°43′57″W
* Crump Island17°6′32″N 61°43′8″W
* Nanny Island (Henry Island)17°04′05″N 61°41′26″W
* Laviscounts Island17°5′57″N 61°43′24″W
* Bird Island17°4′45″N 61°40′20″W
* Round Island
* Hawes Island17°6′46″N 61°43′40″W
* Little Island
* Green Island17°4′11″N 61°39′58″W
* Pelican Island17°06′21″N 61°42′17″W
* York Island17°3′11″N 61°40′9″W
* Codrington Island17°6′9″N 61°42′21″W

* ake Island17°0′52″N 61°46′58″W
* Cinnamon Island17°7′21″N 61°47′9″W
* Five Islands17°04′50″N 61°54′50″W
* Hawksbill Rock17°6′43″N 61°54′8″W
* Johnson Island17°01′31″N 61°53′28″W
* Maiden Island17°5′44″N 61°53′14″W
* Moor Rock17°09′49″N 61°45′27.0″W
* Mouse Island17°07′42.0″N 61°46′13″W
* Neck of Land17°03′40″N 61°40′29″W
* Sandy Island17°8′4″N 61°55′36″W
* Smith Island17°2′27″N 61°40′48″W
* The Sisters17°9′39″N 61°52′6″W
* Vernon’s Island17°6′51″N 61°46′8″W
* Wicked Will Island17°02′53.5″N 61°40′19.5″W

* Goat Island17°42′20″N 61°50′49″W
* Kid Island17°41′47″N 61°48′52″W
* Man of War Island17°40′5″N 61°51′5″W
* Rabbit Island17°42′23″N 61°49′36″W

#### Climate

Rainfall averages 990 mm (39 in) per year, with the amount varying widely from season to season. In general the wettest period is between September and November. The islands generally experience low humidity and recurrent droughts. Hurricanes strike on an average of once a year. Temperatures average 27 °C (80.6 °F), with a range from 23 °C (73.4 °F) in the winter to 30 °C (86 °F) in the summer and autumn. The coolest period is between December and February. Its low humidity makes it one of the most temperate climates in the world.

#### Ecology

The sandy soil on much of the islands has only scrub vegetation. Some parts of Antigua are more fertile–most notably the central plain–due to the volcanic ash in the soil. These areas support some tropical vegetation and agricultural uses. The planting of acacia, mahogany, and red and white cedar on Antigua has led to as much as 11% of the land becoming forested, helping to conserve the soil and water.