The most important settlers on Antigua and Barbuda were the Arawak Indians, who arrived in the first century AD. Many prehistoric sites have been identified and excavated. Europeans had no knowledge of the island’s existence until Christopher Columbus’ second voyage to the West Indies in 1493. Without landing, Columbus named the island Santa Maria de la Antigua. Barbuda, whose association with Antigua dates back to the time of Codrington (the first settler on Antigua, who arrived in 1684), was annexed to the territory in 1860. The small island of Redonda became part of Antigua in 1872.
During the 20th
century, economic problems contributed to the growth of an independence movement and internal autonomy was achieved in February 1967, when Antigua, Barbuda and Redonda became an Associated State. In 1981, the country became fully independent as Antigua and Barbuda. Vere C Bird and his Antiguan Labor Party (ALP) have long dominated Antiguan politics. Except for a brief spell in opposition during the 1970s, Bird held power continuously from 1946 – first as Chief Minister, later as Prime Minister – until 1994. He was then replaced by his son, Lester, after the ALP won the March 1994 poll (albeit with a sharply reduced majority). Lester Bird retained the post at the most recent poll, held in March 1999, at which the ALP recovered some of the ground lost five years previously and now holds 12 of the House of Representatives’ 17 seats.
The ALP leadership has been dogged for some years by allegations of associations with Latin American drug-traffickers and allowing the country’s newly developed financial services industry to take in illicit funds (Vere C Bird’s other son, Vere Bird Jr, was declared unfit for office by a 1990 judicial inquiry). Although the issue has become less important in recent years, as the debate over future economic development of the islands has assumed greater prominence, it continues to dog the government. Abroad, the government enjoys close relations with the USA and with most of its neighbors, through membership of the Organization of East Caribbean States (OECS) and CARICOM.
GovernmentAntigua and Barbuda is a constitutional monarchy, with the British Sovereign as Head of State. The Prime Minister advises on the appointment of the Governor General, who represents the Sovereign. Parliament has supreme legislative power and comprises the Senate, with 17 appointed members, and the House of Representatives, with 17 members directly elected from single-member constituencies. The judiciary is fully autonomous and Antigua and Barbuda shares it with five other Eastern Caribbean states. Barbuda has its own local council with wide-ranging powers.
EconomyAntigua was one of the first Caribbean islands to actively encourage tourism. Tourism and financial services are now the main components of the service sector, which accounts for over three-quarters of the Antiguan economy. Both have suffered problems in recent years – tourism because of repeated hurricanes, finance because of questionable associations with money-laundering operations.
Fears of an over-reliance on tourism and finance have led the government to try and diversify the economy into manufacturing, agriculture and fisheries. Internet gaming is playing an important role in the diversification and expansion of the services sector. A final source of revenue for the government is the rent on two US military bases.
Despite these measures, national debts are high. The 2005 budget included cuts to the public service salary and the reintroduction of income tax. Antigua & Barbuda has large trade and balance of payments deficits and relies heavily on foreign aid.
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