Antigua and Barbuda is a twin island nation located just between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. The name, in Spanish, means ‘ancient’ and ‘bearded’. Although the country is referred to as a ‘twin island’ nation, it actually includes two large islands and a number of smaller islands separated by only a few nautical miles. Antigua and Barbuda have often been referred to as the ‘Land of 365 Beaches’ because of the vast number of beaches found in this nation of islands.

In terms of culture, the country bears much the same history as the other countries in the area. The first peoples to settle there were Amerindians, then the Arawak tribes who are best known for their skills in agriculture. They introduced such crops to the islands as maize, sweet potatoes, chilies, guava, tobacco and cotton. When the Spanish discovered the area and began to colonize, they chose not to settle on Antigua simply because they could not locate a source of fresh water. Some sources say the Spanish conquistadors avoided the island because of the Caribs. However, the Caribs living there at the time were not from the more aggressive tribes that had inflicted much violence on the Spanish in other areas, but they obviously must have made quite an impression.

In 1632 the English settled on the island of Antigua and Sir Codrington took over Barbuda as his own personal sugar plantation. He established a small town (naming it after himself) and owned hundreds of slaves, people formerly living as free aboriginals in the region as well as many brought over from West Africa. In 1834 slavery was abolished, but the workers had no choice but to keep working. They had no means of support or housing of their own, so even when slavery was abolished in principal, it was still going on in practice. Over the next 30 years former slaves slowly began to eke out a living and separate themselves from their former life. Finally, in 1981 Antigua and Barbuda became an independent nation under the Commonwealth Realm with Queen Elizabeth II as its first monarch, and Vere Cornwall Bird was the first Prime Minister.

There are 37 islands in the Antigua Barbuda nation, with Antigua as the largest. Some of the islands are no more than rocks and birds, others are sparsely inhabited. Redonda is one such island that is essentially one big rock. It is located about 35 miles from Antigua, and is the closest mass to the island nation of Montserrat. The rock is an incredible sight from the water, it rises up in tall steep cliffs from beneath the water. Geologists recently discovered Redonda is actually a mass of ancient volcanic core.

The total population of the country sits around about 85,000 and is largely made up of West African, British and Portuguese people. Understandably, the British inhabitants have placed themselves in a position of supremacy, but since independence that has been slowly changing. The cultural components are still strong, such as the popularity of cricket, the prevalence of Anglicanism and some of the cuisine. The Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force is modeled in a decidedly British manner, with just 285 members. Plus, according to Wikipedia, 200 of those members are 12 to 18 years old and part of the Cadet Corps.

Any country with a nickname of ‘Land of 365 Beaches’ should have a booming tourism industry. Antigua Barbuda does claim that tourism is their main source of national economy; however the trade has dropped off in the last ten years. The main reason for the drop is very likely the rising competition from other Caribbean destinations like Mexico and Jamaica. Other industries supporting the economy are agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining and animal husbandry. These are respectable methods of industry, but for a nation with so little land space the resources can only offer so much.

Antigua and Barbuda are not your typical Caribbean islands. Sure there are hundreds of beaches, warm waters, tropical vegetation and friendly people; but just the geographical make up of the nation puts it in a class of its own. A visitor to the country could visit a new island every day, and still be able to come back a year later and make more discoveries. The decline in tourism is unfortunate, but it is great for the traveler looking for a quiet Caribbean destination. Visit the twin island nation and see all 37 islands!