Antigua
All major indicators point to the possibility of increasing poverty in Antigua unless the slowdown in the economy is reversed, and more employment is provided. It has been reported that an estimated 12 percent of the population lived below the poverty line in the 1990s, and the figures are expected to increase, reflecting the recent downsizing of the global economy.
Tourism has been Antigua’s dominant economic mainstay for the past several decades, and with that major sector of the economy steadily decreasing, the population of unemployed people on the island is on the rise.
Water management is a major concern for the nation because of limited natural fresh water resources. Deforestation for the purpose of increasing crop production is hampering all water management efforts as it is causing rainfall to quickly run off.
According to local reports, many on the island believe it is imperative to devote much greater attention to the key development issues of poverty, education and job creation for Antigua.
Food For The Poor in Antigua
Food For The Poor works in Antigua primarily through donations of goods. The organization has sent containers of:
- Food
- Personal care items
- Hurricane supplies
General Information - Antigua
|
|
Antigua Demographics |
|
| By Age: (2009 est.) |
Infant Mortality: (2009 est.) |
|
Median Age: (2009 est.) |
Life Expectancy: (2009 est.) |
Antigua History
The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak Indians populated the islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. The English who formed a colony in 1667 succeeded early settlements by the Spanish and French. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.
