|
| |
Antigua & Barbuda Cities with Hotels
Antigua and Barbuda, independent island
state, West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It consists of three of the
Leeward Islands-Antigua and two smaller islands, Barbuda to the north and
Redonda, an uninhabited rocky islet, to the southwest. The total area is 443 sq
km (171 sq mi), and the country had a population of 62,922 (1991 census).
Antigua is a generally low-lying island but rises to 405 m (1330 ft) atop Boggy
Peak. Barbuda is a flat coral island with fine beaches.
Some of the hotels, motels and resorts available for
booking in our reservation network include, Ramada Inn, Marriott Hotels, Super 8
Motels, Econo Lodge, Holiday Inn & Holiday Inn Express, Travelodge, Hampton Inn,
Sheraton, Hilton, Best Western, Hyatt and Hyatt Regency, Wyndham Inn, Ritz and
Ritz Carlton, Days Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, La Quinta Inns, Comfort Inn and
Comfort Suite, Embassy Suites, Quality Inn, Radisson Inn, Sleep Inn, Numerous
Resorts and Resort Villas throughout the globe, along with Plaza and Plaza
Suites and and array of private and Golf Clubs and Golf Resorts.
Select a city or country from the list below.
All Countries
>
Antigua And Barbuda
The climate is tropical, but the islands
are subject to drought. The country's economy is largely dependent on tourism;
also important are the raising of cotton, fruits, and sugarcane. Antigua and
Barbuda's gross domestic product (GDP) was $457 million in 1993. Fishing is
important in Barbuda. Manufactures include refined petroleum, rum, clothing,
furniture, and electrical equipment. The unit of currency is the East Caribbean
dollar of 100 cents (2.7 East Caribbean dollars equal U.S.$1, fixed rate since
1976). Saint John's (population, 1986 estimate, 36,000), the capital and
principal port, is located on the northwestern coast of Antigua. The country's
people are mostly of African descent.
Christopher Columbus was the first European to land on the
island he named Antigua in 1493. Inhabited by the Carib tribe, the island was
not successfully colonized until 1632, when the British established a
settlement. Barbuda was colonized by settlers from Antigua in 1661. From 1958 to
1962 Antigua (which included the dependencies of Barbuda and Redonda) was a
member of the Federation of the West Indies. In 1967 it became an internally
self-governing state in association with Great Britain. On November 1, 1981, it
became the independent state of Antigua and Barbuda. Executive power is
nominally invested in a governor-general, who represents the British crown.
Actual executive power belongs to a prime minister, who is a member of the
parliament.
In September 1995 Hurricane Luis tore through the eastern
Caribbean, inflicting great destruction upon Antigua and Barbuda. The tropical
storm damaged or destroyed more than 75 percent of the island nation's
buildings, causing an estimated $300 million in property damage. The government
declared a national emergency and asked the United Nations for financial and
technical assistance. According to officials of the United Nations Development
Program, development in Antigua and Barbuda was set back by at least 10 years.
"Antigua and Barbuda," Microsoft® Encarta® 97 Encyclopedia.
© 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

|

Anguilla • Antigua/Barbuda • Aruba • Bahamas • Barbados • Bermuda • British West Indies • British Virgin Isles • Cayman Islands • Dominica • Dominican Republic • Grenada • Guadeloupe • Haiti • Jamaica • Martinique • Puerto Rico • St Kitts & Nevis • St Lucia • St Vincent/Grenadines • Turks/Caicos Isles • Trinidad & Tobago • US Virgin Islands
Last Revised: May 18, 2007 07:59 PM, |