Antigua-Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is an island country located in the Eastern Caribbean Sea . These two islands are close neighbors with the Leeward Islands and are part of the Lesser Antilles archipelago.

Some of the nine islands to the South are Barbados , Grenada , and Trinidad and Tobago . Montserrat is to the South-West, while Saint Kitts and Nells lies to the West and Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin and Anguilla sit to the North-West.

Geography:

The country consists of several islands – Antigua and Barbuda being the main. The islands enjoy a warm, tropical climate and experience nearly the same temperatures throughout the entire year.

Antigua and Barbuda's main town is the capital Saint John's and is located on Antigua itself. Altogether, Antigua and Barbuda have 365 beaches.

Government:

The country is run under a federal parliamentary representative democratic monarchy where the Head of State is the Monarch. He or she appoints a Governor-General to act as a representative and advisor. The Head of the Government is the Prime Minister and he or she advises the Governor-General who to appoint in the Council of Oministers.

Executive power is exercised by the government, whereas legislative power is vested in both the government and the bicameral Parliament. Antigua and Barbuda's Parliament consists of the Senate, which is made up of 17 members appointed by the Governor-General, and the House of Representatives, which is also made up of 17 members whom are elected to serve five year terms.

Antigua and Barbuda is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice, the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Caribbean Community Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, the Organization of American States, the World Trade Organization and the Eastern Caribbean's Regional Security System.

Did You Know?

• The official language of Antigua and Barbuda is English, although many of the locals speak Antiguan Creole. Spanish is also spoken in some areas of the country.
• The Antiguan and Barbudan accents are slightly different from one another.
• The Antiguan Racer, the rarest snake in the world, can be found on Bird Island just off the coast of Antigua.
• Pre-ceramic Amerindians, Arawak, and Carib Amerindian tribes populated the island of Antigua. These tribes called the island Wadadli and is as a result still known as this by locals.

© Written by E.J.Clarke.