Barbuda

Barbuda (; Barbudan Creole: Baabyuuda) is an island and dependency located in the eastern Caribbean forming part of the twin-island state of Antigua and Barbuda as an autonomous entity. Barbuda is located approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of Antigua. The only settlements on the island are Codrington and its surrounding localities. Barbuda is a flat island with the western portion being dominated by Codrington Lagoon, and the eastern portion being dominated by the elevated plateau of the Barbuda Highlands, with salty ponds and scrubland spread throughout the island. The climate is classified as tropical marine. The first inhabitants of Barbuda were canoe-driving hunter-gatherers around 3,000–4,000 years ago. The island was subsequently inhabited by the Arawak and Kalinago. Early settlements by the Spanish were followed by the French and English who formed a colony in 1666. In 1685, Barbuda was leased to brothers John and Christopher Codrington. In 1834, slavery was abolished in Barbuda. Because the entire island had been covered by a single land grant, the Barbudans kept on autonomous cultivation on communal property after slavery's abolition. With a population of 1,634 (as of 2011), and an area of 62 square miles (160 km2), Barbuda is one of the most sparsely populated islands in the Caribbean. Barbuda has a population density significantly lower than Antigua. In September 2017, the Category 5 Hurricane Irma destroyed more than 90 percent of Barbuda's buildings, and the entire population was evacuated to Antigua. By February 2019, most of the residents had returned to the island. The population of Barbuda is now higher than it was before the hurricane, although the island continues to grapple with the effects of a sociopolitical crisis that has resulted in renewed calls for independence. The economy of Barbuda is based mostly around tourism and government, with the central government and the local government being the largest employers on the island. Fisheries accounts for the majority of the island's exports, with the island having a significant lobster catching industry.

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