Located between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic, Antigua, along with its dependencies of Barbuda and Redonda, has long been the site of conquest, habitation and resistance.
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First settled by the Siboney (the Arawak word for “stone-people”), circa 2400 B.C., the shell and stone relics of these people can still be found all over the region. Following the long-departed Siboney, the agriculturally-based society of the Arawak were to inhabit the island from 35-1100 A.D. before being displaced by the far more aggressive Carib tribe. The Caribs would become a steadfast presence and resilient reminder of Antigua’s pre-colonial past.
Sighted in passing by Christopher Columbus, in 1493, the island was named for Santa Maria la Antigua, a saint of Seville. The scarcity of fresh water and the determined resistance of the Caribs proved too harsh for early settlement attempts by the French and Spanish. Over a century after European first contact long-term colonies were finally established by the British in Antigua in 1632 and Barbuda in 1666. However, it wasn’t until the arrival of Sir Christopher Codrington (1684), that Antigua was to embark upon its long colonial history. Granted rights to the substantial wreckage lining Barbuda’s treacherous shores, Codrington (with his brother) was able to establish the first of many large sugar plantations that would come to define colonial Antigua. By the mid-1700s Antigua had witnessed the near decimation of the Carib people and the influx of thousands of African slaves, forced to toil on the island’s more than 150 sugar plantations. For its part, the large Codrington estate on Barbuda maintained the Antiguan plantation system through the provision of food and additional slaves.
Dubbed the “gateway to the Caribbean”, by the end of the eighteenth century, Antigua’s strategically located port offered access to most of the Caribbean’s major sailing routes. Lord Horatio Nelson, initiated the development of British naval facilities at English Harbour and construction of the now famous Nelson’s Dockyard.
Commemorated by the Antiguan Carnival, August 1, 1834 marks Antigua as the first British colony to experience the immediate abolition of slavery. However without the customary four-year transition period granted to other colonies, many former slaves were forced to make the bitter decision between insurmountable poverty or a return to the plantations of an already waning sugar industry. By the 1940s the socially and economically depressed nation was to experience the growth of a strong labour movement accompanied by a rising spirit of national pride and ever-increasing calls for independence. Declared an Associated State of the Commonwealth in 1967, the nation-state of Antigua and Barbuda was finally to achieve full independence in 1981 under Prime Minister V.C. Bird.
Antigua and Barbuda’s tourist-dominated economy is doubtless aided by the numerous physical reminders of its colourful past. From the Codrington estate of Highland House and Martello Castle, of Barbuda (which also hosts the Frigate Bird Sanctuary) the vestiges of Antigua’s pre-colonial past remain transfixed within the fabric of the nation. Restaurants, houses, cafes and shops reside in many of the former cane-processing mills of the plantations. But perhaps it is the character of the population itself that stands as the most potent testimony to Antiguan history. For the nameless many who fell victim to the ravages of an often brutal history continue to exist within the traditions, language and spirit of their descendents.
Antigua has given rise to many scholars, artists and authors of note. Antiguan-Canadian writers Clifton Joseph and Althea Prince are featured in our literature module.
Capital:
Saint John’s
Arawak:
A pastoral and agricultural culture. Estimated to have inhabited Antigua and St. Lucia from 35-1100 A.D., before being displaced by the more aggressive Caribs.
Physical Geography:
Density of low-lying limestone and coral islands that are offset by higher volcanic areas, the highest being Boggy Peak (402m).
Population:
The islands’ population is mainly composed of those of African, British, Portuguese, Lebanese and Syrian descent.
Languages:
English, Local Patois
Governmental Structure:
A Commonwealth country; bicameral Parliament with a Senate and a House of Representatives, both with 17 members; representatives elected for 5-year terms; 6 parishes, and 2 dependencies.
Main Political Parties:
ALP (Antigua Labour Party)
UPP (United Progressive Party)
BPM (Barbudan People's Movement)
Religions:
Predominantly Anglican, Protestant, Roman Catholic
Climate:
Tropical marine with little seasonal variation in temperature. The weather is also characterized by hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) and periodic droughts.
Currency:
East Caribbean Dollar (NCD)
Natural Resources:
The pleasant climate fosters tourism
Exports/Commodities:
Petroleum products, Machinary/Transport Equipment, Food and Livestock
News/Links:
The Daily Observer: http://www.antiguaobserver.com/