The twin-island nation of Antigua & Barbuda, the largest and most developed tourist destination in the Leeward Islands chain, has much to offer visitors of many stripes.
» Antigua and Barbuda General Information
Area: 442 sq km (170 sq miles)
Capital: Saint John's
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 1 United States Dollar
Exports: Garments, paint, furniture, bedding
GNI per capita: US $13,620 (World Bank, 2008)
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by the Governor-General
New Year's Day (1 Jan); Good Friday (25 March); Easter Monday (28 March); Labour Day (2 May); Whit Monday (16 May); Caricom Day (4 July); Carnival (1,2,3 August); Anniversary of Independence of the Nation of Antigua & Barbuda (Nov 1), Christmas Day (25 Dec); Boxing Day (26 Dec).
› Visas
Visitors from the USA, Canada and the UK may enter the country for visits of less than six months with either a valid passport or a birth certificate with a raised seal and a photo ID. Most other visitors, including citizens of Australia, New Zealand and western European countries, must have passports but do not need visas. Officially all visitors need a round-trip or onward ticket.
» Antigua and Barbuda History
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 Catholics and African 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 on 1 November 1981, and Vere Bird became the first prime minister.
A sociable club-like ambience prevails throughout, the visiting yachts contributing a dash of glamour. At its heart lie the guest rooms, restaurants and recreational opportunities of The Club, while The Village is an adjacent sanctuary of residential-styl
