Antigua and Barbuda: History
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Christopher Columbus visits the islands, naming the larger one Antigua.
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Antigua is colonized by English Settlers from the nearby island of St. Kitts.
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African slaves are brought to the islands to grow tobacco and sugarcane.
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Antigua and Barbuda are administered together as part of the Leeward Islands federation.
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Antigua and Barbuda becomes a self-governing state within the British Commonwealth. Britain retains control of the island’s defense and foreign affairs.
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The sugar industry closed down, after being the main economic driver in the economy for over 50 years.
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Antigua and Barbuda becomes independent.
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Hurricane Luis devastates the islands, destroying 75% of all homes and setting back development by 10 years.
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Six Russian banks are shut down after accusations of money laundering.
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Allen Stanford, Antigua’s biggest private investor, is charged with massive fraud. This causes the business sector in the country to fall apart, prompting Venezuela to give $50 million in financial aid. A United States court convicted Stanford three years later for running a $7 billion Ponzi scheme through his Antigua based bank.
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Antigua wins World Trade Organization permission to lift restrictions on US intellectual property, in a possible retaliatory response to US restrictions on the island's online gambling industry.
Sources:
BBC NewsBritannica