Former British Caribbean islands.

Member East Caribbean Currency Union and Caribbean Common Market

(CARICOM)

Visited by Columbus in 1493. Colonized by the English in 1632. A base for Horatio Nelson's British fleet during the Napoleonic wars. Independence came in 1981.

Birthplace of Viv Richards the former West Indies Cricket captain.

English

Creole

A good example of a small political entity ruled by a dominant party: the Antigua Labour Party. On independence the leading trade unionist, V.C. Bird, became prime minister and remained in office, except for a five year gap, until 1994. At the March 1994 elections his son was due to take over. The country is in fact a dynasty of the Bird family. The government had 15 out of 17 seats in the parliament.

Some writers suggest that democracy works best in small societies. Antigua may refute this, as the actual experience is spectacular corruption and what is known there as "dirty politics" , though the political violence typical of Jamaica is not reported. Perhaps a population of 70,000 is too small to maintain a sovereign democracy without a supervising federation .

Main source of income is tourism, rather safer than some other islands. Formerly sugar was the main industry.

Member CARICOM

OK if you don't annoy the ruling family.