[4][5] 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.

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.

[12][16] Artifacts from the Archaic period include cutting blades made from gastropods, along with hoes, picks, and water containers constructed from conch, trumpet, and whelk shells.

[3][12] Archeological sites have been discovered on the southwest coast of Barbuda, from Coco Point up to River, and the southeast corner of the Lagoon.

[12] Additional habitat locations have been found in Codrington, River, Sucking Hole, Factory, and Goat Pen along the coast.

[17][12][18] At Boiling Rocks, close to Spanish Point, more recent human remains that were carbon-dated as being 3,100 years old were discovered.

[12][21] The Arawaks grew sweet potatoes, corn, peanuts, cotton, tobacco, as well as a variety of other fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants.

[12][22] The pottery has been found at Indian Town Trail, close to Two Foot Bay, as well as Sufferers in the Spanish Point region.

[12] The Kalinago preferred the mountainous and well-watered islands of Saint Kitts and Dominica, and visited Barbuda only sometimes to harvest seafood and whatever crops and land animals they could find.

[25] Under a Letters Patent granted to the Earl of Carlisle in 1625, Captain Smith and John Littleton attempted to colonize Barbuda from St.

[25] Due to ferocious Kalinago resistance, this attempt at colonization was unsuccessful; however, subsequent early settlers called Barbuda "Dulcina",[26] and by 1666 the village of Codrington had become the primary residential area.

[30] In 1774,[30] another island manager, named McNish, was killed with seized arms[31] after the mutilation of slaves as a punishment for stealing sheep and cattle.

[32] To put down the rebellion, soldiers were brought from Antigua, and two slaves (known as "afro heroes")[33] were burned alive in front of the castle at the main gate.

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.

The right for Barbudans to use the island's lands in common was enshrined in the law in 2007 by the Baldwin Spencer-led United Progressive Party government.

[43] The Barbuda Council has many duties, including administering public utilities and other ministries and departments; managing roadwork; and improving building and marine facilities.

After Hurricane Irma, NASA satellite images showed "browning" of Barbuda and other Caribbean islands that had been hit by the storm.

[47] NASA provided several possible reasons for the browning, including green vegetation being ripped away by hurricane winds, as well as salt spray from the storm coating and desiccating tree leaves.

[53][54][55] Previously, Barbuda was host to the Barbudan muskrat (Megalomys audreyae), an extinct rodent formerly endemic to the island.

[56][57] The Magnificent Frigate Bird Sanctuary, located in Codrington Lagoon, is one of the primary tourist destinations on Barbuda.

As evidenced by artifacts discovered nearby, the cave's tiny entrance opens into a large cavern with pools of water.

[63][64] When looking at specific ethnic backgrounds based on the countries of birth, the data showed that a significant majority of people born in Antigua and Barbuda were of African descent (97.12%).

[104][105] Additional popular attractions include the Frigate Bird Sanctuary in the Codrington Lagoon, Martello Tower, a 19th-century fort and the Indian Cave with its two rock-carved petroglyphs.

Other points of interest include the beautiful Pink Sands Beach, Darby's Cave, a sinkhole with a tropical rain forest inside and Highland House (called Willybob locally), the ruins of the 18th-century Codrington family home, and the Dividing Wall that separated the wealthy family from its slaves.

Athletics, cricket, and horse racing are quite popular, and there are year-round fishing competitions, a triathlon, and other sport activities.

[111] Barbuda is home to an abundance of lobster, conchs, and other seafood that is responsibly harvested by low impact fishing techniques that have been developed over many generations there.

[112] Since the French, Spanish, and British fought each other for dominance of the Caribbean, there are hundreds of shipwrecks off the shore of Barbuda, dating from various periods in the island's history.

Barbudans have experienced great success playing basketball internationally and have been signed by numerous institutions in the US and other nations.

Deer meat, land turtle, seafood (lobster, crab, conch), locally raised beef, lamb, or goat are some of the regional specialties.

Fresh fish and lobster are frequently served on the street in cold boxes or at the fisheries pier as the boats dock most days between 2 and 4 pm local time.