Antigua and Barbuda is a sovereign archipelagic country composed of Antigua, Barbuda, and numerous other small islands. Antigua and Barbuda has a total area of 440 km2, making it one of the smallest countries in the Caribbean. The country is mostly flat, with the highest points on Antigua being in the Shekerley Mountains and on Barbuda the Highlands. The country has a tropical savanna climate, with pockets of tropical monsoon in Antigua's southwest. Its largest city is St. John's.
Caribbean English is a set of dialects of the English language which are spoken in the Caribbean and most countries on the Caribbean coasts of Central America and South America. Caribbean English is influenced by, but is distinct to the English-based creole languages spoken in the region. Though dialects of Caribbean English vary structurally and phonetically across the region, all are primarily derived from British English and West African languages. In some countries with a plurality Indian population, such as Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, Caribbean English has further been influenced by Hindustani and other South Asian languages.
The following is an alphabetical list of topics related to the nation of Antigua and Barbuda.
Saint Mary, officially the Parish of Saint Mary, is a parish of Antigua and Barbuda on the island of Antigua. Saint Mary borders Saint John to the north, and Saint Paul to the east. Saint Mary is dominated by the Shekerley Mountains, and its northern border is largely defined by the mountains, and by Cooks Creek. The largest city in the parish is Bolans, home to the Jolly Harbour neighbourhood, and the parish church is located in Old Road. Saint Mary was permanently established with the other four original parishes in 1692. It had an estimated population of 8,141 in 2018.
Montserrat Creole is a dialect of Antiguan and Barbudan Creole spoken in Montserrat. The number of speakers of Montserrat Creole is below 10,000. Montserrat Creole does not have the status of an official language.
Antiguan and Barbudan Creole is an English-based creole language that emerged from contact between speakers of the Kwa languages and speakers of Antiguan and Barbudan English in the Leeward Islands. Today, it is natively spoken in Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, Montserrat, and some villages in Dominica. Antiguan and Barbudan Creole is the most spoken language in two independent countries, and is one of the most spoken languages in the eastern Caribbean. The language has approximately 150,000 native speakers.
Saint Kitts Creole is a dialect of Antiguan and Barbudan Creole spoken in Saint Kitts and Nevis by around 40,000 people. Saint Kitts Creole does not have the status of an official language.
Virgin Islands Creole, or Virgin Islands Creole English, is an English-based creole consisting of several varieties spoken in the Virgin Islands and the nearby SSS islands of Saba, Saint Martin and Sint Eustatius, where it is known as Saban English, Saint Martin English, and Statian English, respectively.
The languages of North America reflect not only that continent's indigenous peoples, but the European colonization as well. The most widely spoken languages in North America are English, Spanish, and to a lesser extent French, and especially in the Caribbean, creole languages lexified by them.
Antiguan and Barbudan passports are issued to nationals of Antigua and Barbuda for international travel. The passport is a CARICOM passport as Antigua and Barbuda is a member of the Caribbean Community.
The primary language spoken by the population of Antigua and Barbuda is Antiguan and Barbudan Creole. In Antigua and Barbuda, no law establishes an official language. English is the language of academic communication, and due to its widespread usage, it is considered the country's working language. 87.3% of the population speaks Antigua and Barbudan Creole as their primary language, 9.7% speak Antiguan and Barbudan Standard English as their primary language, and the remainder speak various other languages, primarily Spanish. Nearly all people who can speak Antiguan and Barbudan Creole can speak English.
Afro–Antiguans and Barbudans are Antiguans and Barbudans of entirely or predominantly African ancestry.
Grenadian Creole English is a Creole language spoken in Grenada. It is a member of the Southern branch of English-based Eastern Atlantic Creoles, along with Antiguan Creole, Bajan Creole (Barbados), Guyanese Creole (Guyana), Tobagonian Creole, Trinidadian Creole, Vincentian Creole, and Virgin Islands Creole. It is the common vernacular and the native language of nearly all inhabitants of Grenada, or approximately 89,000 native speakers in 2001.
Antigua and Barbuda and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) are related through a long common history spanning from 1632 for Antigua, and 1678 for the smaller sister-isle of Barbuda through until 1981 for the joint-state. Antigua was one of the oldest English settlements in the West Indies, and served as a British hub of regional administration for the surrounding Leeward Islands.
Barbudan Creole is a dialect of Antiguan and Barbudan Creole primarily spoken by Barbudans. The dialect is more distant from the dialects of the language spoken in Antigua than that of Montserrat, and the creole largely developed separately from Antiguan Creole due to the isolation of the island and Barbuda having very few English inhabitants during colonial times. As nearly all Barbudans are of Fante ancestry, the creole also tends to be more influenced by the Fante dialect. The past tense marker min is a distinctive feature of the dialect.
Royal tours of Antigua and Barbuda by its royal family have been taking place since the 20th century. Elizabeth II, Queen of Antigua and Barbuda, visited the country thrice: in 1966, 1977, and 1985.
Antiguan and Barbudan English (ABE) or Antiguan and Barbudan Standard English is a dialect of English used in Antigua and Barbuda. ABE co-exists with Antiguan and Barbudan Creole.
North Antiguan Creole is a dialect of Antiguan and Barbudan Creole spoken primarily in the northern regions of Antigua. It is considered to be the most standard variety of the language, and the dialect has spread throughout the country due to the increasing amount of people who commute to St. John's. Its distinctive pronouns are "hi" and "i" for the third person singular, as well as the absence of the pronoun "om".
South Antiguan Creole is a dialect of Antiguan and Barbudan Creole spoken primarily in the southwestern regions of Antigua. It is only semi-intelligible with the rest of the language, and the dialect is mainly spoken by older generations. Its usage is generally looked down upon by speakers of the more dominant North Antiguan Creole. There is less influence from English and other creoles. Its distinctive pronouns are "om" and "i" for the third person singular, as well as the absence of the pronoun "hi".
