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 Antigua and Barbuda Country Profile
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 Antigua and Barbuda at a Glance| Location: | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico | | Climate: | tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation | | Terrain: | mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas | | Resources: | NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism | | Hazards: | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts | | Population: | 85,632 (July 2009 est.) |
A Brief Profile of Antigua and BarbudaThe Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak 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.
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