Antigua and Barbuda is a small twin-island democracy located within the heart of the Eastern Caribbean archipelago. Antigua"s history can be dated to 1775 B.C. when its first inhabitants, the Siboney or stone people lived there. About the time of Christ or, the beginning of the common era, the Arawaks reputedly paddled across from South America and introduced agriculture to the islands of Antigua and Barbuda.
The Arawaks indians were mostly farmers who brought with them a host of goods ranging from pineapples, tobacco and cotton. Most of the Arawaks left around 1100 A.D. Those who chosed to stay were raided by the Caribs, an amerindian tribe based in Dominica.
The earliest recorded European contact with Antigua was made when Christopher Columbus, on his second voyage of discovery in 1493, discovered Antigua and named it Santa Maria de la Antigua. Columbus named the island after Santa Maria la Antigua, the miracle-working saint of the Spanish city of Seville.
Antigua was a key port for the British colonies by the end of the 18th century. It was in a strategic location that offered control over the major sailing routes between the island colonies. As the sugar industry grew, an increasing number of slaves were brought from Africa to the island under harsh and inhumane conditions. In 1725 a slave revolt was, but the plot was discovered by the slave masters and put down before any action was taken.
In 1834, Britain abolished slavery in the Caribbean. However, Antigua was the first of the colonies to emancipate its slaves, forgoing the four-year waiting period some colonies instituted. Today, Antigua celebrates the emancipation of slaves during the Carnival festivities, which commemorate the end of slavery in the British Caribbean.
Except for a brief period of occupancy by the French in 1652, the island, with an area of 108 square miles, remained British until its independence. Names such as Sir Christopher Codrington who arrived in Antigua in 1684 and Horatio Nelson who arrived in 1784 are inextricably linked to the history and lore of Antigua and Barbuda.
Lying 28 miles to the north of Antigua is the sister-island of Barbuda, with an area of 75 square miles. From 1958 until 1962 it was a member of the Federation of the West Indies. In 1967, Antigua and Barbuda became a semi-dependent associated state. In 1981, it achieved full independence, but remains a member of the British Commonwealth.
Antigua is a member of the Caribbean Community and Common Market CARICOM an economic organization of Caribbean States. It is also a member of the British Commonwealth, Organization of American States OAS, the Association of American States ACS, and the ACP grouping signatories of the Lome Convention.
According to the last official census in May 1991, Antigua and Barbuda has a total population of 63,896. Of a labour force of 26,753 the tourist sector employs some 35 percent of the labor force and contributes approximately 65 percent to the GDP. Current estimates suggest that the total population has passed the 75,000 mark and counting.
Antigua was one of the pioneers of Caribbean tourism from the late 1960ties, having the important components of popular tourism: a hot pleasant climate average annual rainfall is 45 inches, good travel links, skilled and friendly tourism staff, attractive beaches it has some 365 beaches of coral-sand giving on to clear turquoise-colored sea, and a range of hotels. Additionally, agriculture, which contributed approximately 40 percent to GDP during the early 1960s, was, during 1995 contributing 3.8 percent of GDP.
Antigua has a history of political stability with a parliamentary democracy fashioned from the British Parliamentary System. The recently elected government led by the Honourable Baldwin Spencer of the United Progressive Party strongly supports transparent governance and government in the sunshine principles. While English is the official language, AIT Management Services can arrange for Italian, Spanish and French speaking clients to communicate in their mother tongues.
Antigua possesses perhaps the most thriving tourist industry in the Eastern Caribbean and with its modern, multinational and multi-ethnic community, enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean. Indeed, the 1998 Human Development Report produced by the United Nations Development Program rated Antigua at number 29 from a total of 208 countries who are members of the United Nations.
This is interesting since the Human Development Index HDI is a combination of GDP per capita, life expectancy and literacy rate. This rating has placed Antigua and Barbuda at a higher level than countries such as Argentina, the Bahamas, Mexico, Brazil and Malaysia to name a few.
Its international financial industry and commercial activities have grown tremendously since its Independence and there has been the collateral development of a unique infrastructure to support its commercial and financial activities. Communication systems in Antigua are state of the art, very modern and excellent. Worldwide direct dialing systems of telephone, telex and facsimile is supported by daily air links to the major cities of the USA, Canada and Europe and to the worlds major capital markets.
The combination of excellent service, modern corporate and fiscal legislation affords an extremely attractive environment for the establishment of International Business Corporations and its international banks, local banks, law firms, tax advisors, accounting firms and trust companies provide a high level of support service suitable to the needs of the international financial industry.
