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Introduction
Old and bearded (in English, Antigua and Barbuda) is an independent State located in the Lesser Antilles, east of the Caribbean Sea. Composed of three islands (Ancient, Barbuda and the little one Round), this nation ranks between Saint Kitts and Nevis (West), Montserrat (southwest) and Guadeloupe (south).
Understand
| Capital | St. John's |
| Currency | East Caribbean Dollar (XCD) |
| Population | 100 900 (2016) |
| Electricity | 230 volts / 60 hertz (NEMA 1-15, NEMA 5-15) |
| Phone Code | 1268 |
| Time zone | UTC − 04: 00 |
| Emergencies | 999 (emergency medical services, fire, police), 911 (emergency medical services, fire, police) |
| Driving Side | left |
A British colony in the past, Antigua and Barbuda is the Caribbean stereotype: small islands, big beaches, and countless resorts. With few natural resources, the Antiguans have devoted themselves entirely to tourism, although there are a significant number of banks that take advantage of the fiscal facilities of the small state.
Antigua is perhaps the island that most typifies the modern view of a small Caribbean destination. With few other natural resources, tourism dominates the local economy of both islands. Stunning white sand beaches abound, and Antigua is not short of high-end resorts. Barbuda still has the beaches but little infrastructure based on tourism.
Investment banking and financial services also make up an important part of the economy, as many major foreign banks take advantage of the nation's liberal banking laws. However, all of that may change after the 2009 arrest of Antigua-based Texas billionaire Allen Stanford on charges of perpetrating a massive fraud that may have swindled investors out of about $ 8 billion.
Cricket is a great sport here and this small nation has produced several genuine World Cup greats. Cricket fans certainly won't be short of locals to chat with.
Antigua and Barbuda are nicknamed "Land of 365 Beaches" because of the beaches that surround the two islands.
History
The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 BC. C., but the Arawak and Carib Indians populated the islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. The first settlements of the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to administer the plantations of Sugar in Antigua was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.
Weather
The climate is tropical marine with little seasonal variation in temperature. The islands experience hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) and periodic droughts.
Electricity
Officially 230V 60Hz. Most outlets are of the standard British type. Generally speaking, American and Canadian travelers should pack adapters for these plugs if they plan to use North American electrical equipment in Antigua and Barbuda. Contact your hotel and ask to be sure. Many venues are now built to North American standards.
Ungrounded North American plugs are also used. These require an adapter to work with plugs that have the third grounding plug. Older North American plugs may not be polarized (with one slot wider than the other). Adapters are available that will accept a polarized plug and adapt it for use with a non-polarized outlet. See the electrical systems article for more information.
Regions
| Ancient the main island and a major tourist destination in the Caribbean |
| Barbuda few people, even fewer facilities, magnificent beaches |
| Rodonda small uninhabited island |
To get
All EU citizens can enter without a visa.
Citizens of the following countries can also enter without a visa: Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Cuba, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Georgia, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Macao, Malaysia, Malawi, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Namibia, New Zealand, Nauru, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago , Tuvalu, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and citizens of British Overseas Territories.
If you need a visa, you must have a passport valid at least 6 months after the visit, a completed application form, and 1 passport-size photo. A single entry visa costs 30GBP and multiple entry costs 40GBP.
If you are of a nationality that normally requires a visa and you are entering Antigua and Barbuda as a port for a cruise, you do not need a visa as long as the ship departs on the day of your arrival.
By plane
V.C. Bird International, (ANU IATA) located in the northeast of Antigua, on the outskirts of St John's, is the country's main international airport. The airport offers flights to the United States, Canada, Europe and other Caribbean islands.
LIAT (Leeward Islands Air Transport Services), [1] based in Antigua, operates flights to various destinations in the Eastern Caribbean.
The following international airlines serve the airport:
To the USA: American Airlines / American Eagle (Charlotte, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico), Delta Air Lines (Atlanta, GA and New York JFK), United Airlines (Newark, NJ)
TO Canada: Air Canada (Toronto, Ontario)
TO Europe: British Airways (London-Gatwick), Cóndor (Frankfurt, Germany), Livingstone (Milan, Italy), Virgin Atlantic (London-Gatwick)
To the Caribbean: American Airlines / American Eagle (San Juan, Puerto Rico), Caribbean Airlines (Barbados, Trinidad and Kingston, Jamaica)
Boat
Many hikers arrive on cruise ships and enjoy their day in Antigua. Many cruise lines travel to Antigua.
Yacht charters offer another alternative in and around the islands.
Travel
Tourists travel mainly by taxi or tour operators. However, for the budget conscious tourist, the bus service is acceptable, but slow. Unfortunately, you can only get to the most beautiful places with your own transport. But if you stay a week or more, the car rental rates become quite reasonable (see below).
By ferry
Barbuda Express operates ferries between Barbuda and Antigua.
Car rentals
There are several car rental agencies, so it is unlikely that they will be difficult to find.
See also
Wikipedia has an article on Old and bearded.w: Antigua and Barbuda
Wikimedia Commons houses multimedia content about Old and bearded. Commons
