Antigua and Barbuda Introduction - 2005

Background:
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.

NOTE: The information regarding Antigua and Barbuda on this page is re-published from the 2005 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Antigua and Barbuda Introduction 2005 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Antigua and Barbuda Introduction 2005 should be addressed to the CIA.