The first inhabitants of Antigua and Barbuda were the Siboney people in 2400 B.C. However, when Christopher Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493, the islands were populated by Arawak Indians. Early Spanish and French settlements were later succeeded by an English colony in 1667. Slavery was abolished in 1834, which was used to provide labor on the sugar plantations on Antigua. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. On September 6, 2017, Hurricane Irma passed over the island of Barbuda, devastating the island and forcing the evacuation of the population to Antigua. Almost all of the structures on Barbuda were destroyed and the vegetation stripped, but Antigua was spared the worst.
Economy
Antigua and Barbuda’s economy is driven by tourism and construction, with the emerging “blue economy” also playing a role. However, limited water supply and susceptibility to hurricanes limit activity. The country is improving its road infrastructure and is friendly to foreign direct investment. It is also exploring financial innovation in cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies.
Population
Antigua and Barbuda has a population of 93,219. The majority of the population is of West African, British, and Portuguese descent. The ethnic distribution consists of 91% Black, 4.4% mixed race, 1.7% White, and 2.9% other (primarily East Indian). Most Whites are of British descent. Christian Levantine Arabs and a small number of East Asians and Sephardic Jews make up the remainder of the population.
An increasingly large percentage of the population lives abroad, most notably in the United Kingdom (Antiguan Britons), the United States, and Canada. A minority of Antiguan residents are immigrants from other countries, particularly from Dominica, Guyana, and Jamaica, and, increasingly, from the Dominican Republic, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Nigeria. An estimated 4,500 American citizens also make their home in Antigua and Barbuda, making their numbers one of the largest American populations in the English-speaking Eastern Caribbean 68.47% of the population was born in Antigua and Barbuda.
English is the most commonly used language in business in Antigua and Barbuda. There is a noticeable distinction between the Antiguan accent and the Barbudan one. In the years leading up to Antigua and Barbuda’s attainment of independence, Standard English was the language of choice when compared to Antiguan Creole. The Antiguan Creole language is looked down upon by the upper and middle classes in general and is discouraged from use in the educational system. Instruction is carried out in Standard (British) English instead.
A significant number of the words utilized in the Antiguan dialect are derived from both British and African languages. This is readily apparent in phrases such as “Innit?” which literally translates to “Isn’t it?” Many common island proverbs can be traced back to Africa, such as the pidgin language. Approximately 10,000 people are able to speak Spanish.
Tourism dominates the economy, accounting for more than half of the gross domestic product (GDP). As a destination for the most affluent travelers, Antigua is well known for its extensive collection of five-star resorts. However, weaker tourist activity in lower and middle market segments since the beginning of the year 2000 has slowed the economy and put the government into a tight fiscal corner. Antigua and Barbuda has enacted policies to attract high-net-worth citizens and residents, such as enacting a 0% personal income tax rate in 2019.
The provision of investment banking and financial services also constitutes a significant portion of the economy. Major international financial institutions such as the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and Scotiabank both maintain offices in Antigua. PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Pannell Kerr Forster, and KPMG are some of the other companies in the financial services industry that have offices in Antigua. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has leveled allegations against the Antigua-based Stanford International Bank, which is owned by the Texas billionaire Allen Stanford, of orchestrating a massive fraud that may have resulted in the theft of approximately $8 billion from investors.
The nation, which consists of two islands, directs the majority of its agricultural production toward the markets that are found within the nation. This is done despite the fact that the nation has a limited water supply and a shortage of laborers as a result of the higher wages offered in the tourism and construction industries.
Manufacturing comprises 2% of GDP and is made up of enclave-type assembly for export, the 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 industrialized world, especially in the United States, from which about one-third to one-half of all tourists come.
The Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) is the government authority responsible for processing all applications for Agent’s Licenses as well as all applications for Citizenship by Investment made by applicants and their family members. This unit was established by the Prime Minister and is known as the Citizenship by Investment Unit.
According to a BBC News article, most of the enslaved Africans brought to Antigua and Barbuda disembarked from the Bight of Biafra (22,000 Africans) and the Gold Coast (16,000 Africans).
Afro-Antiguans and Afro-Barbudans are Antiguans and Barbudans who have predominantly West African ancestry. According to the 2013 Census, 91% of Antigua and Barbuda’s population is Black and 4.4% is Mulatto
Settlers in Antigua and Barbuda cultivated tobacco, indigo, ginger, and sugarcane as cash crops. Sir Christopher Codrington established the first large sugar estate in Antigua in 1674 and leased Barbuda to raise provisions for his plantations. The sugar industry became so profitable that many farmers replaced other crops with sugar, making it the economic backbone of the islands. Codrington and others brought slaves from Africa’s western coast to work the plantations. Africans started arriving in Antigua and Barbuda in large numbers during the 1670s, and they soon became the largest racial group of Antigua and Barbuda.
In 1834, Antiguan and Barbudan slaves were emancipated along with all others in the British Empire. However, they remained economically dependent upon the plantation owners. Economic opportunities for the new freedmen were limited by a lack of surplus farming land, no access to credit, and an economy built on agriculture rather than manufacturing. Poor labor conditions persisted until 1939, when a member of a royal commission urged the formation of a trade union movement.
In the 20th century, the role of Afro-Antiguans and Barbudans was redefined. The colonial social structure gradually started to be phased out with the introduction of universal education and better economic opportunities.