Newgate Street.

Cinnamon Bay Sunset Photograph © by Tim Jansa

Jabberwock Beach Photograph © by Tim Jansa

Antigua and Barbuda were first inhabited by the Siboney in 2400 B.C., although by the time Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493 the islands were inhabited by Arawak Indians.

Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who establiished a colony in 1667. Slavery, initially established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834.

In 1981 Antigua and Barbuda became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations.

Temperaturesrange from the mid-seventies during the winter to the mid-eighties during the summer. Annual rainfall averages 45 inches, making Antigua and Barbuda the sunniest of the Eastern Caribbean Islands. Low humidity is experinced throughout the year and the northeast trade winds are almost constant .