Antigua

Antigua (Spanish not spoken for " old ", the " u" is ) is an island of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean and the main island of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda.

• 4.1 Attractions

Geography

The island lies about 80 km east of Nevis, 50 km northeast of Montserrat, 100 km north of Guadeloupe and 40 km south of Barbuda.

The island is 281 km ², the hills rise up to 400 m above sea level. Your 365 beaches are considered very beautiful and delicate.

Economy and population

The currency of Antigua is the Eastern Caribbean dollar ( EC $ ). The landscape is dominated by palm trees, pineapple and cotton fields. A total of 67,000 people live in Antigua.

History

Discovery

Antigua was discovered November 10, 1493 by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage. He named the island after his patron saint, Santa Maria La Antigua. He himself did not enter the island well - on this day " rattled " the Spaniards from several islands to reach Española, and passed Antigua early in the morning - and his reports are likely the island as of savages who had nothing of value, inhabited and without drinking water have described. 1520, a group of Spaniards to colonize the island, but soon gave up again. The native Indians should in this case be extinct, of their culture, there are still numerous artifacts and a few settlement sites.

English colony

The island was colonized until almost 150 years after the discovery, in 1632, by the British. In between the French fleet captured in November 1666 during the Second Anglo - Dutch War the island.

1674 Antigua formed together with Nevis, St. Kitts and Montserrat, a confederation English island colonies with common House of Representatives under Governor William Stapleton. From 1674 sugarcane was produced - that thousands of slaves were brought to the island in subsequent decades. Their number increased from 12,500 (1713 ) to 37,500 (approx. 1775).

The British colonial rule lasted until 1981. The declaration of independence on November 1, 1981, the name of the colony, Antigua was changed to the name of the independent nation of Antigua and Barbuda, is a parliamentary monarchy today. The capital, St. John's, Antigua is on.

Culture

Attractions

In the south of the island is the scene of Port Nelson ' Dockyard, an 18th century fortified by the Royal Navy naval port that belongs by its natural setting of the few tropical storm - safe harbors.

Betty's Hope: From the 17th century comes the first sugar plantation on the island. The owner of Christopher Codrington named the plantation after his daughter Betty. Two windmill towers and the ruins of the distillery remember the former wealth.

Devil's Bridge: On the east side of the island is the natural monument Devil 's Bridge. Crushers of the Atlantic formed a natural arch of limestone.