Guiana Island (or Guana Island) is an island off the northeast coast of

Antigua Antigua ( ; ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the local population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the most populous island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua ...

, between the Parham Peninsula and

Crump Island Crump Island is an island off the northeast coast of Antigua. It is located to the southeast of Guana Island in Belfast Bay, close to the town of Seaton's. Landscape The island is a medium-sized of Antigua that lies in the northeastern ree ...

. It forms the southern coast of the North Sound, and is the fourth largest island of

Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda is a Sovereign state, sovereign archipelagic country composed of Antigua, Barbuda, and List of islands of Antigua and Barbuda, numerous other small islands. Antigua and Barbuda has a total area of 440 km2 (170 sq mi), ...

Flora and Fauna

Guiana is a refuge for the

Fallow Deer Fallow deer is the common name for species of deer in the genus ''Dama'' of subfamily Cervinae. There are two living species, the European fallow deer (''Dama dama''), native to Europe and Anatolia, and the Persian fallow deer (''Dama mesopotamic ...

, Antigua's national animal. The island forms part of Antigua’s Offshore Islands

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

(IBA), designated as such by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...

because it supports significant populations of various bird species, including West Indian whistling-ducks, brown pelicans,

laughing gull The laughing seagull (''Leucophaeus atricilla'') is a medium-sized gull of North America, North and South America. Named for its laugh-like call, it is an opportunistic omnivore and scavenger. It breeds in large colonies mostly along the Atlantic ...

s, and least and royal terns.

History and development

The island used to be owned by

Allen Stanford Robert Allen Stanford (born March 24, 1950) is an American-Antiguan convicted financial fraudster, former financier, and sponsor of professional sports. He was convicted of fraud in 2012, having operated an eight billion dollar Ponzi scheme, and ...

, who was convicted of fraud in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The Antiguan government has now sold the island and abutting mainland sites in a multimillion-dollar investment to Chinese developers termed the YIDA Project as a semi-autonomous Special Economic Zone.The Guardian - Antigua moves to seize back Stanford's idyllic island
/ref>

References

Private islands of Antigua and Barbuda Important Bird Areas of Antigua and Barbuda Saint Peter, Antigua and Barbuda {{Antigua-geo-stub