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Antigua And Barbuda

Page history last edited by PBworks 15 years, 8 months ago

 

 

Industrial Development Board Antigua and Barbuda

 

 

Antigua and Barbuda

 

Details

As the headquarters for the British fleet in the Caribbean during the 18th and 19th centuries, Antigua is an historic and very popular tourist destination. Cruise ships use the deep water port at St John's and its international airport serves jumbo jets from around the world.

The island is known for its low humidity, shopping bargains, a passion for cricket by the locals, sugar cane fields, rain forests and small, scenic coastal villages.

Barbuda, (a dependency) 26 miles to the north, is sparsely populated and famous for hunting and diving venues. Redonda (a dependency) 25 miles to the southwest, is an uninhabited rock.

Facts and Figures

Official Name Antigua and Barbuda

Capital City St. John's

Languages English (official), local dialects

Official Currency East Caribbean Dollar

Religions Anglican, Protestant, Catholic

Population 67,897 (July 2003 est.)

Land Area 443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km) (Barbuda 161 sq km) (Redonda (2 sq km)

Latitude/Longitude 17º 03N, 61º 48W

Highest Point Boggy Peak (402 meters)

 

Antigua and Barbuda[1]
Flag of Antigua and Barbuda Coat of arms of Antigua and Barbuda
Flag Coat of arms
Motto"Each Endeavouring, All Achieving"
AnthemFair Antigua and Barbuda
Royal anthemGod Save the Queen 1
Location of Antigua and Barbuda
Capital
(and largest city)
Saint John's
17°7′N, 61°51′W
Official languages English
Demonym Antiguans, Barbudans
Government Federal constitutional monarchy
 -  Head of State Elizabeth II
 -  Governor-General Louise Lake-Tack
 -  Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer
Independence from the United Kingdom 
 -  Date November 1, 1981 
Area
 -  Total 442 km² (198th)
171 sq mi 
 -  Water (%) negligible
Population
 -  2007 estimate 95,000 (197th)
 -  Density 184/km² (57)
394/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate
 -  Total US$875.8 million (170th)
 -  Per capita US$12,586 (59th)
HDI (2004) 0.808 (high) (59th)
Currency East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Time zone AST (UTC-4)
 -  Summer (DST) ADT (UTC-3)
Internet TLD .ag
Calling code +1 268
1 God Save The Queen is officially a national anthem but is generally used only on regal and vice-regal occasions.

 

 

 

 

Geography

Main article: Geography of Antigua

 

 

Info from Wikipedia

 

 

The country consists of a number of islands, of which Antigua is the largest and most populous. Barbuda, just north of Antigua, is the other main island. The islands have a warm, tropical climate, with fairly constant temperatures throughout the year. Redonda, another nearby island which was annexed in the 1860s when its phosphate resources were discovered, and is also the territory of Antigua and Barbuda, although it has been unoccupied since 1930.

 

The islands are mostly low-lying, with the highest point being Boggy Peak, at 402 metres (1,319 ft). The small country's main town is the capital, Saint John's, on Antigua; Barbuda's largest town is Codrington. Antigua & Barbuda combined have 365 beaches.

 

The Antigua Racer Snake is the rarest snake in the world, with only about two hundred living. It is found on Bird Island, an island off the coast of Antigua.

 

 

 

Economy

Tourism dominates its economy, accounting for more than half of its GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers since early 2000 have slowed the economy, however, and pressed the government into a tight fiscal corner. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water supply and a labour shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages in tourism and construction work.

 

Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the industrialised world, especially in the United States, which accounts for about one-third of all tourist arrivals.

 

 

See also

   

 

 

Travel Info

 

 

 

Antigua

 

 

 

St Johns

 

St Johns Antigua is a great place. It has a simple feel, but at the same time, you can tell that people are doing well, and that they are proud of their island. With only 80,000 people on the island, you get the feeling that all of the locals believe that it is their island. People in Antiqua seem really to understand that tourists are needed, and they welcome tourists as their number one source of money. (It used to be sugar cane, but that industry is very small now). With a background in British culture, the people of Antigua play cricket as their number one sport. You will notice that the people drive on the left side of the road, and that all of the cars have the steering wheel on the right hand side (like in England). There are actually some very nice stadiums on the island. If you ask the locals, they pronounce their island as Antig-aa (without the 'u"). A nice day trip from the port of St Johns is to hire a driver, and get a feel for the island. Along the drive, you will see old sugar cane mills that are grown over with grass (one even has a tree growing out of it). Also, you will see lots of construction as the locals are rebuilding stronger hotels in place of weaker ones that were destroyed by previous hurricanes. One place we saw, the only thing left was the dance floor! There is currently an incredible amount of construction going on on the island. It looks like everyone has a job building something. All of the new construction is being done in stone (where do the materials come from?).

 

 

Its a good idea to negotiate the rates with the drivers. There are more of them than there are of tourists, and they are not really all that hard of negotiators. They are quite friendly, and dont seem to be too money hungry. The rates from the port were approximately $10 per person for a tour + 1/2 hour stop at a beach.

 

For the stop at the beach, you can ask the driver to stop at Dickenson Bay, where there is a nice beach and small restaurant (called "the Beach") to have a local beer and food. The Dickenson Bay in Antigua is a bit busy with sunbathers, but it still has a small town simplicy that is quite welcoming. You can walk through the restaurant with bare feet and sandals. Its ok to swim and then sit down for a beer. If you are ordering a beer, you might want to try the local "Wadidly", which was named after the name of the island (pre Columbus). Another good choice is the "Carib" beer which comes from St. Kitts.

 

The beach itself is very flat and is therefore very nice for walking / swimming. The sand is hard packed and nice. The only problem is that "Sandals" resorts is just building a big resort nearby that might change the simple nature of the place over time. I hope not! After you are done, you shouldnt spend more than $3 per person for a taxi (bus) ride back to the city of St Johns.

 

Down near the cruise ship ports, there is an ice cream parlor with incredible mango and coco(nut) icecreams. Its called "Australian", but I guess that's because the owner is from Australia.

 

The main religion on the island is "Anglican". (Catholic is #3). There is a great church if you have time to visit. The artificial shopping area by the port is a bit of a tourist trap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

General information about Antigua

 

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigua

 

Antigua and Barbuda is an island nation located in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. This country has two major islands: Antigua (IPA: ænˈtiːgə) and Barbuda (IPA: bɑrˈbjuːdə). They are located in the middle of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean, roughly 17 degrees north of the equator. Antigua and Barbuda are part of the Lesser Antilles archipelago with the islands of Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago to the south, Montserrat to the southwest, Saint Kitts and Nevis to the west and Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin and Anguilla to the northwest.

 

Antigua (pronounced /ænˈtiːgə/) is an island in the Caribbean, part of the country of Antigua and Barbuda.

 

It is also known by another name, Wadadli, which means approximately "our own" (Wadadli is also the name of the local beer brewed on the island). It has a population of about 68,000, of which over 24,000 live in the capital of St. John's, at 17° 6' N. and 61° 45' W., and is 54 miles in circumference, with an area of 108 square miles. The surface is comparatively flat, and there is no central range of mountains as in most other West Indian islands, but among the hills in the southwest an elevation of 1,319 feet (402 m) feet is attained on Boggy Peak. Owing to the absence of rivers, the paucity of springs, and the almost complete deforestation, Antigua is subject to frequent droughts, and although the average rainfall is 45.6 inches, the variations from year to year are great.

 

The problem is partly solved by desalination of sea water. The high rocky coast is much indented by bays and arms of the sea, several of which form excellent harbours, that of St John's being safe and commodious.

 

The soil, especially in the interior, is very fertile. Sugar and pineapples are the chief products for export, but sweet potatoes, yams, maize and guinea corn are grown for local consumption. Leading population settlements are St. John's (22,634), All Saints (3,412) and Liberta (2,239), according to the 2001 Census. St John's, the capital, is situated in the northwest, near to the airport and has a deep harbour which is able to accommodate large cruise ships. English Harbour on the southeastern coast, is famed as a "hurricane hole" (protected shelter during violent storms) and the site of a restored British colonial naval station. The latter is called "Nelson's Dockyard". Nelson was at the time a Captain and in correspondence made it clear he would prefer not to be there, but rather facing the French. Today English Harbour and the neighbouring village of Falmouth are an internationally famous yachting and sailing destination and provisioning centre. Indian Town National Park is located on the island.

 

Antigua's economy has become increasingly reliant upon tourism, and it markets itself as a luxury Caribbean escape. Many hotels and resorts are located around the coastline, and the island's single airport (V C Bird airport) is serviced by several major airlines including Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, US Airways, American Airlines, Continental, Delta Air Lines, BWIA and Air Canada. The only regular service to Barbuda flies from VC Bird. The United States Air Force maintains a small base adjacent to the airport.

 

The country's official currency is the East Caribbean Dollar. However, many prices in tourist oriented businesses are shown in US dollars. The EC dollar is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of $1 US = $2.7 EC.

 

At the end of April and beginning of May Antigua Sailing Week, an annual world-class regatta started in 1967, brings many sailing vessels and sailors to the island to race and party.

 

Antigua was discovered by accident in 1493 by Christopher Columbus, who is said to have named it after a church in Seville, Spain, called Santa Maria la Antigua. It remained, however, virtually uninhabited until 1632, when a body of English settlers took possession of it. This settlement was abandoned following attacks by Carib Indians. In 1663 another settlement of the same nation was effected under the direction of Lord Willoughby, to whom the entire island was granted by Charles II. It was ravaged by the French in 1666, but was soon after reconquered by the British and formally restored to them by the Treaty of Breda. in 1674, Sir Christopher Codrington arrived on Antigua, bringing with him the newest techniques in sugarcane farming. Over the next half century, sugarcane dominated the island's economy, and by the 18th century, there were more than 150 sugarcane processing windmills on the island. Antigua remained under British control until 1981, when Antigua and Barbuda gained independence. The government is a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state and two elected houses, the upper one called the Senate.

 

The major Antiguan sport is cricket. Antigua is the location of a 2007 Cricket World Cup site, on a new ground constructed on an old cane field in the North of the island. Sir Vivian ("Viv") Richards is one of the most famous Antiguans, who played for, and captained, the West Indies team.

 

Unbeknown to many sports fans around the World, former England striker Emile Heskey has Antiguan roots, and his parents have a family home on the coast. Emile is in fact Antiguan, but was brought up in England, hence his eligibility for the England national side.

 

Antigua is a recognized center for online gaming companies. Antigua was one of the first nations to legalize, license and regulate online gaming. Some countries, most notably the United States, argue that because the gaming transaction is initiated in their jurisdictions that the act of online wagering is illegal. This argument has been repudiated by the World Trade Organization. However in 2006 the United States Congress voted to approve the Unlawful Internet Gaming Act which criminalizes the operations of offshore gaming operators which take wagers from American-based gamblers.

 

It is worth noting that the United States Congress placed exemptions into the bill to protect American based providers of internet-based gaming services and has only criminalized the activities of internet-gaming companies located outside of its borders.

 

Slysoft, a vendor of CD- and DVD-copying software designed to overcome anti-copy technologies is also domiciled in Antigua.

 

 

 

External Links

 

 



 

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