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Antigua & Barbuda
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Antigua
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St. Johns
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Johnson's Point Deep Bay |
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Antigua and Barbuda is an island nation
located in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the
boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Antigua and
Barbuda (IPA: /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 archipelago of Guadeloupe
to the south, Montserrat to the southwest, Saint
Kitts and Nevis to the west and Saint Barthélemy
and Saint Martin to the northwest.
History
Main article: History of Antigua and Barbuda
Pre-ceramic Amerindians were the first to
inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in
2400 BC. Later Arawak and Carib Amerindian
tribes populated the islands. The island of
Antigua was originally named Wadadli by the
natives. Christopher Columbus landed on his
second voyage in 1493 and gave the island the
name Antigua. Early settlements by the Spanish
and French were succeeded by the English who
formed a colony in 1667 by transporting Irish
Catholic slaves to Antigua. Slavery, established
to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was
abolished in 1834. The islands became an
independent state within the Commonwealth of
Nations in 1981, and Vere Bird became the first
prime minister.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda is a Commonwealth Realm and
the head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who is
represented in Antigua and Barbuda by a governor
general. Executive power is in the hands of the
prime minister, who is also the head of
government. The prime minister is usually the
leader of the winning party of the elections for
the House of Representatives (17 members), held
every five years. The other chamber of the
parliament, the Senate, has 17 members which are
appointed by the governor general. Its current
prime minister is Baldwin Spencer (24 March
2004-).
Main article: Geography of Antigua and Barbuda
The country consists of a number of islands, of
which Antigua is the largest one, and the most
populated. Barbuda, just north of Antigua is the
other main island. The islands have a warm,
tropical climate, with fairly constant
temperatures year round. The un-inhabited island
of Redonda also belongs to the nation of Antigua
and Barbuda.
The islands are mostly low-lying, with the
highest point being Boggy Peak, at 402m. The
small country's main town is the capital Saint
John's on Antigua; Barbuda's largest town is
Codrington.
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Background:
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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. |
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Location:
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Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
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Geographic coordinates:
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17 03
N, 61 48 W
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total: 443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161
sq km)
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km
land: 442 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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2.5
times the size of Washington, DC |
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Climate:
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tropical marine; little seasonal temperature
variation |
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Terrain:
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mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with
some higher volcanic areas |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m |
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Nationality:
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noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan |
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Ethnic groups:
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black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian |
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Religions:
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Christian, (predominantly Anglican with other
Protestant, and some Roman Catholic)
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Languages:
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English (official), local dialects |
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Currency:
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East
Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
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Currency code:
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XCD
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Exchange rates:
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East
Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate
since 1976) |
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Internet country code:
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.ag
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