November 1: Independence Day in Antigua and Barbuda
Prayer Idea
Pray for the people and government of Antigua and Barbuda.
Map by Peter Hermes Furian / Shutterstock.com.
History Note
Christopher Columbus visited and named the island of Antigua in 1493. The Carib people visited the island seasonally. The English colonized Antigua in the 1600s, along with the nearby island of Barbuda. Enslaved workers grew tobacco and later sugar.
The British built a Royal Navy dockyard on Antigua in the 1700s that continued to operate until 1889. A dockyard is a facility for building, repairing, and storing ships. Known as Nelson’s Dockyard, it honors Admiral Horatio Nelson, who was stationed there in the 1780s.
In the 20th century, Antigua and Barbuda briefly became part of the West Indies Federation, a union of several islands in the Caribbean. Antigua and Barbuda largely became self-governing in 1967, but a movement for full independence continued. The islands became a country on November 1, 1981.
Antigua and Barbuda has a population of about 100,000. About 90% have African ancestry, and about 75% belong to one of several Christian denominations.
Tourism promoters claim that Antigua and Barbuda has 365 beaches—one for each day of the year. This 2017 photo shows a beach on Rendezvous Bay. Photo by IndustryAndTravel / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
Anguilla and Barbuda adopted “Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee” as an official song in 1967. Novelle Hamilton Richards wrote the lyrics, and Walter Garnet Picart Chambers composed the music. When the country secured independence from the United Kingdom in 1981, the song became the national anthem. This 2023 performance is by the Antigua State College Music Club.
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