Antigua and Barbuda
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Each Endeavouring, All Achieving
Anthem: Fair Antigua and Barbuda Royal anthem: God Save the Queen 1
Capital (and largest city)		Saint John's 17°7′N, 61°51′W
Official languages		English
Demonym		Antiguan, Barbudan
Government		Parliamentary democracy and 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
-	2005 estimate	82,786 (197th)
-	Density	184/km² (57) 394/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2005 estimate
-	Total	US$875. The national flag of Antigua and Barbuda was adopted on February 27, 1967, and was designed by a school teacher named Reginald Samuels The Coat of arms of Antigua and Barbuda was designed in 1966 by Gordon Christopher A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's "Fair Antigua We Salute Thee" is the National anthem of Antigua and Barbuda. A royal anthem is a patriotic song much like a National anthem but specifically praising or praying for a Monarch or royal dynasty "God Save the Queen", or "God Save the King", is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms It is the National Demographic data from the CIA World Factbook Population 69108 (July 2006 est St John's is the Capital and largest city of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda, a country located in the West Indies in the An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which A federal monarchy is a federation of states with a single monarch as over-all head of the federation but retaining different monarchs or a non-monarchical system of government in the TalkCommonewalth realm.--> Antigua For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II This is a list of governors-general of Antigua and Barbuda. For a list of viceroys in Antigua and Barbuda before independence see List of Governors of Antigua. Louise Agnetha Lake-Tack GCMG (born July 26, 1944) is the current Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda. This page contains a list of Prime Ministers of Antigua and Barbuda. For the anthropologist see W Baldwin Spencer Winston Baldwin Spencer (born October 8, 1948) is the prime minister Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare different Orders of magnitude and geographical regions we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 8 million (170th)
-	Per capita	US$12,586 (59th)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 815 (high) (57th)
Currency		East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Time zone		AST (UTC-4)
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. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The East Caribbean dollar ( Currency code XCD) is the Currency of eight of the nine members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E

Antigua and Barbuda (Spanish for Ancient and Bearded) is an island nation located in the eastern Caribbean Sea, on the sea's boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. An island country is a Country that is wholly confined to an Island, several islands an Island group or several island groups and has no territory on For the region see Caribbean. The Caribbean Sea (kəˈrɪbiən or /ˌkærɨˈbiːən/ is a tropical Sea in the Western Hemisphere There are two major islands - Antigua (IPA: /ænˈtiːgə/) and Barbuda (/bɑrˈbjuːdə/), which are close neighbors within the middle of the Leeward Islands, roughly 17 degrees north of the equator. Antigua (ænˈtiːgə an-TEE-gah) is an Island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region the main Barbuda is an Island in the Eastern Caribbean, and forms part of the state of Antigua and Barbuda. The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands part of the West Indies.

The islands of Antigua and Barbuda are part of the Lesser Antilles archipelago. The Lesser Antilles, also known as the Caribbees, are part of the Antilles, which together with the Bahamas and Greater Antilles form the An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian To the south of Antigua and Barbuda lie the islands of Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago. Guadeloupe is an island group or Archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at, with a land area of 1628 square kilometres (629  sq The Commonwealth of Dominica, commonly known as Dominica, is an Island nation in the Caribbean Sea. Martinique is an Island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1128 km² Saint Lucia (ˌseɪnt ˈluːʃɪə is an Island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles chain of the Caribbean Sea. Barbados ( Portuguese word for bearded-ones, bɑrˈbeɪdoʊz -dɒs situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent Island nation Grenada (grɪˈneɪdə is an Island nation that includes the southern Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American Montserrat lies to the southwest; Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Eustatius are to the west, and Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin and Anguilla are to the northwest. Montserrat (ˌmɒntsəˈræt is British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis) located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island Sint Eustatius, also known as Statia, or Saint Eustace, is one of the islands which make up the Netherlands Antilles; it is in the northern Leeward Saint Barthélemy (Saint-Barthélemy officially the Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy (French Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy) is an Overseas collectivity Saint Martin is a tropical Island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately 300 km (186 miles east of Puerto Rico. Anguilla (English pronunciation ang-GWILL-ah, æŋˈɡwɪlə is a British overseas territory in the Caribbean, one of the most northerly of the Leeward

Contents 1 History 2 Politics 3 Military 4 Parishes and dependencies 5 Geography 6 Economy 7 Demographics 8 Language 9 Culture 10 Media 11 Sport 12 Education 13 Foreign relations 14 See also 15 References 16 External links 16.1 Government 16.2 Country Data 16.3 Other

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. The History of Antigua and Barbuda can be separated into three distinct eras For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. Later Arawak and Carib Amerindian tribes populated the islands. The term Arawak (from aru, the Lokono word for Cassava flour was used to designate the Amerindians encountered by the Spanish in Cariban languages Carib, Island Carib or Kalinago people after whom the Caribbean Sea was named live in the Lesser Antilles islands The island of Antigua was named Wadadli by these natives and is today called Land of Wadadli by locals. Christopher Columbus landed on his second trip in 1493 and named the island Santa Maria de la Antigua after a church in Seville, Spain. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer Seville ( Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic cultural and financial capital of southern Spain. Early settlement by the Spanish was replaced by English rule from 1632 (British rule from 1707 Acts of Union), with a French interlude in 1666. The Acts of Union were a pair of Parliamentary Acts passed during 1706 and 1707 by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland to put into This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose.

The islands became an independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations on November 1 1981, with Elizabeth II as the first Queen of Antigua and Barbuda and the Right Honourable Vere Cornwall Bird became the first prime minister. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II TalkCommonewalth realm.--> Antigua Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Sr ( December 7, 1910, St John's &ndash June 28, 1999, St This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Antigua and Barbuda

The politics of Antigua and Barbuda takes place in a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic monarchy, whereby the Head of State is the monarch, who appoints the Governor-General as vice-regal representative. The politics of Antigua and Barbuda takes place in a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic Monarchy, wherein the A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal" A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state The term governor general or governor-general refers to a vice-regal representative of a Monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription In 2007 Louise Lake-Tack became the first female to hold the position of Governor-General in the history of Antigua and Barbuda. Louise Agnetha Lake-Tack GCMG (born July 26, 1944) is the current Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda. A Council of Ministers is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister, currently Baldwin Spencer. This page contains a list of Prime Ministers of Antigua and Barbuda. The Prime Minister is the head of the government. Vere Cornwall Bird, Antigua and Barbuda's first Prime Minister, is credited with having brought Antigua and Barbuda and the Caribbean into a new era of independence. Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Sr ( December 7, 1910, St John's &ndash June 28, 1999, St

Executive power is exercised by the government. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of the Parliament. A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. The Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda consists of two chambers The Senate ( Upper Chamber) The House of The bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (seventeen-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (seventeen seats; members are elected by first past the post to serve five-year terms). In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral The plurality voting system is a Single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member The last elections held were on 23 March 2004, while the next are due in 2009. Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " At the last elections, the Antigua Labour Party won four seats, while the United Progressive Party won thirteen. The Antigua Labour Party is the former ruling political party in Antigua and Barbuda. The United Progressive Party is the main governing Political party in Antigua and Barbuda.

Since 1949, the party system had been dominated by the personalist Antigua Labour Party. Personalism is the school of thought that consists of three main principles and which can broadly be qualified as species of Humanism: Only persons are real (in However, the Antigua and Barbuda legislative election, 2004, saw the defeat of the longest-serving elected government in the Caribbean. General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on March 23 2004. The Prime Minister, Lester Bryant Bird and deputy Robin Yearwood had been in office since 1994, when he succeeded his father, Vere Bird. The elder Bird had been Prime Minister from independence in 1981 and, before independence, had been Chief Minister of Antigua from 1960, except for the period 1971-76 when the Progressive Labour Movement (PLM) defeated them in those elections.

The Judicial Branch is the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction). The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC is a Superior Court of record for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS, including six independent states Antigua The Court of Summary Jurisdiction is a court in the Northern Territory, a territory of Australia. Antigua is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice. The Caribbean Court of Justice ( Dutch: Caribisch Hof van Justitie, French: Cour Caribéenne de Justice often abbreviated CCJ) is an The Supreme Court of Appeal was the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council up until 2001, when the nations of the Caribbean Community voted to abolish the right of appeal to the Privy Council in favour of a Caribbean Court of Justice. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom, established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833 Some debate between member countries had repeatedly delayed the court's date of inauguration. As of March, 2005, only Barbados was set to replace appeals to the Privy Council with appeals the Caribbean Court of Justice, which then had come into operation.

Military

The Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force is the country's military. The Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force is the Armed force of Antigua and Barbuda. It has 185 members.

Parishes and dependencies

Main article: Parishes and dependencies of Antigua and Barbuda

The island of Antigua is divided into six parishes:

Name Population 1. Antigua and Barbuda is an island nation made up of Antigua, which along with its satellite islets and rocks is divided into six parishes; and two A parish is a Local church; it is an administrative unit typically found in episcopal or presbyterian churches St. George &0000000000004473. Saint George is a Parish of Antigua and Barbuda on the island of Antigua 0000004,473 2. St. John &0000000000014121. Saint John is a Parish of Antigua and Barbuda on the island of Antigua 00000014,121 3. St. Mary &0000000000005303. Saint Mary is a Parish of Antigua and Barbuda on the island of Antigua 0000005,303 4. St. Paul &0000000000006117. Saint Paul is a Parish of Antigua and Barbuda on the island of Antigua 0000006,117 5. St. Peter &0000000000003622. Saint Peter is a Parish of Antigua and Barbuda on the island of Antigua 0000003,622 6. St. Philip &0000000000002964. Saint Philip is a Parish of Antigua and Barbuda on the island of Antigua 0000002,964

The island of Barbuda (1,241) and the uninhabited island of Redonda each enjoy dependency status. Redonda is a very small uninhabited Caribbean Island or Islet which is politically a part of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda, in the

The capital is the city of St. John's (population 21,514). St John's is the Capital and largest city of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda, a country located in the West Indies in the

Geography

Main article: Geography of Antigua and Barbuda

The country consists of a number of islands, of which Antigua is the largest and most populous. Antigua and Barbuda lie in the eastern arc of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Caribbean Sea Barbuda, just north of Antigua, is the other main island. The islands have a warm, tropical climate, with nearly constant temperatures throughout the year. Redonda, another nearby island, which was annexed in the 1860s when its phosphate resources were discovered, 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). Boggy Peak is the highest point on the island of Antigua. It lies in the far southwest of the island at, and rises to a height of 395 m (1319 ft The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The small country's main town is the capital, Saint John's, on Antigua; Barbuda's largest town is Codrington. Codrington is a town located on the island of Barbuda, which is part of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua & Barbuda combined have 365 beaches.

The Antiguan Racer is the rarest snake in the world with approximately only two hundred remaining in the wild. The Antiguan Racer ( Alsophis antiguae) is a non-poisonous grey-brown snake found only in Antigua, a small Caribbean island thus nicknamed "Antigua Racer It is found on Bird Island, an island off the coast of Antigua. Great Bird Island is a tiny islet lying almost three kilometres north-east of Antigua.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Antigua and Barbuda

Tourism dominates the economy, accounting for more than half of the GDP. Antigua and Barbuda's economy is service-based with Tourism and government services representing the key sources of employment and income Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel 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. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Water supply is the process of self-provision or provision by third parties of water of various qualities to different users

Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components. Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, "making by hand" is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale 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. Economic growth is the increase in the amount of the goods and services produced by an economy over time The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Antigua and Barbuda

The ethnic distribution consist of 91% Black or Mulatto, 4. Demographic data from the CIA World Factbook Population 69108 (July 2006 est 4% Other Mixed Race, 1. 7% White, 2. 7% Other. Throughout the population, there are people of Portuguese and mixed Portuguese-African ancestry, due to Portuguese indentured servants brought to the West Indies after the abolition of slavery. The majority of the white population is ethnically Irish and British, while there are also a Christian Levantine Arabs (primarily of Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian descent). The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate There is a small population of Sephardic Jews.

An increasingly large percent of the population live abroad, most notably in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A minority of the Antiguan residents are immigrants from other countries, particularly Dominica, Lankawia, Guyana and Jamaica with an increasing number of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Nigeria. The Commonwealth of Dominica, commonly known as Dominica, is an Island nation in the Caribbean Sea. Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles chain of the Caribbean Sea. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal There is also a significant population of American citizens estimated at 4500 people which would make it one of the largest American citizen populations in the English speaking Eastern Caribbean. ^[1]

Almost all Antiguans are Christians (74%^[2]), with the Anglican Church (about 44%) being the largest denomination. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Catholicism is the other significant denomination, with the remainder being other Protestants: including Methodists, Moravians, Pentecostals and Seventh-Day Adventists. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. There are also Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination Non-Christian religions practiced on the islands include Rastafari, Islam, Judaism, and Baha'i. The Rastafari movement (also known as Rastafari, Rastafarianism or simply Rasta) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, New Testament For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind

Language

The official language of Antigua and Barbuda is English, but many of the locals speak Antiguan Creole. Antiguan Creole is a Creole language spoken in Antigua and Barbuda. The Barbudan accent is slightly different from the Antiguan one. Barbuda is an Island in the Eastern Caribbean, and forms part of the state of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua (ænˈtiːgə an-TEE-gah) is an Island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region the main Spanish is also widely spoken in certain communities in Antigua where immigrants from the Dominican Republic make up large numbers. ^[3]

In the years before Antigua and Barbuda's independence, Standard English was widely spoken in preference to Antiguan Creole, but afterwards Antiguans began treating Antiguan Creole as a respectable aspect of their culture. Generally, the upper and middle classes shun Antiguan Creole. The educational system dissuades use of Antiguan Creole and instruction is done in Standard (British) English. The higher up one goes on the socio economic ladder, the less prevalent Antiguan Creole becomes, to the extent that some Antiguans will even deny that they speak or understand Antiguan Creole

Many of the words used in the Antiguan dialect are derived from British and also African origins. Antiguan Creole is a Creole language spoken in Antigua and Barbuda. British English or UK English ( BrE, BE, en-GB) is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the The dialect was formed when enslaved Africans owned by British planters imitated the 18th century English spoken by their masters; utilizing traditional African language structures they created an African-English hybrid or pidgin. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another A pidgin is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common in situations such as Trade This can be easily seen in some phrases like: "Me nah go" meaning "I am not going". Another example is: "Ent it?" meaning "Ain't it?" which is in itself dialect and means "Isn't it?". Common island proverbs often can be traced to Africa.

Culture

The culture of Antigua and Barbuda is predominantly British which is evident throughout many aspects of the society. American popular culture also has a heavy influence. Family and religion play an important role in the lives of Antiguans. There is a national Carnival celebration held during August each year. Historically, Carnival commemorates the abolition of slavery in the British West Indies. The term British West Indies refers to territories in and around the Caribbean which were at one time colonised by the United Kingdom. The annual Carnival includes pageants, shows, contests and festive activities and is a notable tourist attraction.

Calypso and soca music are important in Antigua and Barbuda and Burning Flames is a popular band. Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean Music which originated in Trinidad and Tobago at about the start of the 20th century Soca is a form of Dance music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from Calypso music. From Antigua and Barbuda, this band represents the epitome of the high-energy multiple-influenced synthesizer-driven soca.

See also: Cuisine of Antigua and Barbuda

Media

There are two daily newspapers: Daily Observer, and Antigua Sun which also publishes newspapers on other Caribbean islands. The national dish of Antigua and Barbuda is fungie (pronounced "foon-jee" and pepper pot Most American television networks are available in addition to the local face television ABS TV 10 which is the only stations that show 100% local shows. There are several local and regional radio stations.

Sport

Like in many commonwealth countries, cricket is a very popular sport. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries The 2007 Cricket World Cup was hosted in the West Indies from 11 March to 28 April 2007. The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was a Men 's Cricket Tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007 using the sport's Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Antigua hosted eight matches at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, which was completed on 11 February 2007 and can hold up to 20 000 people at full capacity. Sir Vivian Richards Stadium is a multi-use world class ultra-modern Stadium in North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda. Events 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. Antigua is also a Host of twenty20 Cricket, a game created by Allen Stanford in 2006 as a regional cricket game with almost all Caribbean islands taking part. Twenty20 is a form of Cricket, originally introduced in the United Kingdom for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board

Association football is also a very popular sport. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Antigua has a national football team albeit inexperienced.

Athletics is also popular. Talented athletes are trained from a young age and Antigua and Barbuda have produced a few fairly adept athletes. Janill Williams, a young athlete with much promise comes from Gray's Farm, Antigua. Also, Sonia Williams and Heather Samuel have represented Antigua and Barbuda at the Olympic Games. Heather Barbara Samuel (born 6 July 1970) is a retired sprinter from Antigua and Barbuda who specialized in the 100 and 200 metres The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Others prominent rising stars include Brendan Christian (100 m, 200 m), Daniel Bailey (100 m, 200 m) and James Grayman (High Jump). Brendan Kyle Akeem Christian (born December 11, 1983) is a sprinter from Antigua and Barbuda who specializes in the 200 metres Daniel Everton Bailey (born September 9, 1986) is a sprinter from Antigua and Barbuda. James Grayman (born 11 October 1985) is a High jumper from Antigua and Barbuda.

Education

The people of Antigua & Barbuda have a high level of literacy at well over 90%. In 1998, Antigua and Barbuda adopted a national mandate to become the preeminent provider of medical services in the Caribbean. As part of this mission, Antigua and Barbuda is building the most technologically advanced hospital in the Caribbean, the Mt. St. John Medical Centre. The island of Antigua currently has two medical schools, the American University of Antigua (AUA),^[4] founded in 2004 and The University of Health Sciences Antigua (UHSA),^[5] founded in 1982. The American University of Antigua is a Medical school located at Friar Hill road at the capital city St The University of Health Sciences Antigua, also known as UHSA, is a private university in Antigua, West Indies

There is also a government owned state college in Antigua as well as the Antigua and Barbuda Institute of Information Technology (ABIIT). Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support The University of the West Indies has a branch in Antigua for locals to continue University studies. The University of the West Indies, also known as UWI, is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 16 English-speaking Countries and territories

With the onset of the Internet more Antiguans are completing online degrees.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, Caribbean Community, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Organization of American States, World Trade Organization and the Eastern Caribbean's Regional Security System. Antigua and Barbuda maintains diplomatic relations with the United States, Canada the United Kingdom, and the People's Republic of China, as The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The Caribbean Community ( CARICOM) is an organization of Caribbean nations and dependencies The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States ( OECS) created in 1981 is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration protection of The Organization of American States ( OAS, or as it is known in the three other official languages OEA) is an International organization, headquartered

Antigua and Barbuda is also a member of the International Criminal Court (with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the US-military as covered under Article 98). The International Criminal Court ( ICC or ICCt) was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for Genocide, crimes against The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (often referred to as the International Criminal Court Statute or the Rome Statute) is the Treaty

See also

Antigua Antigua Carnival Antigua ground lizard Antiguan Racer Antiguan Creole Caribbean Community Chickenhawk (bird) Great Bird Island, Antigua

Commonwealth of Nations Communications in Antigua and Barbuda Hawksbill turtle Lesser Antilles Military of Antigua and Barbuda Music of Antigua and Barbuda St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda

Sir Vivian Richards Stadium Scouting in Antigua and Barbuda Transport in Antigua and Barbuda VC Bird International Airport West Indian Whistling Duck 2007 Cricket World Cup Cricket carnival Antigua Recreation Ground List of Antiguans and Barbudans States headed by Elizabeth II

References

Liberta Village, Antigua

External links

Government

• The Official Website of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda
• Antigua & Barbuda, its Department of Tourism website
• Antigua and Barbuda, United States Library of Congress Portals on the World
• Governments on the WWW: Antigua and Barbuda

Country Data

• Antigua and Barbuda entry at The World Factbook
• World Bank's country data profile for Antigua and Barbuda
• Worldwide Governance Indicators
• World Intellectual Property Handbook: Antigua and Barbuda

Other

• The High Commission of Antigua and Barbuda. Liberta is the third-largest town in Antigua. It is located in the south of the island inland from Falmouth Harbour and the port of Falmouth, to which Tourism, business, history and culture, politics - an up to date website.
• Antigua Carnival - with photo galleries.
• American University of Antigua - a hospital integrated medical school in Caribbean.
• Health Sciences library - Library of American University of Antigua
• Recipes to many Antiguan dishes
• Video of Antigua and Barbuda

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org