Antigua and Barbuda

This article is about the sovereign country in West Indies. For the islands of the sovereign state, see Antigua and Barbuda. For other uses, see Antigua (disambiguation) and Barbuda (disambiguation).

Antigua and Barbuda
Motto: "Each Endeavouring, All Achieving"
Anthem: "Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee"
Royal anthem: "God Save the King"[1]
Location of Antigua and Barbuda
Capital
and largest city
St. John's
17°7′N 61°51′W / 17.117°N 61.850°W / 17.117; -61.850
Vernacular languageAntiguan and Barbudan Creole
Working languageEnglish[2]
Ethnic groups
(2020[3])
Religion
(2020[4])
  • 3.6% Rastafari
  • 1.9% no religion
  • 1.1% Baháʼí Faith
  • 0.7% other
Demonym(s)Antiguan and Barbudan
GovernmentUnitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
• Monarch
Charles III
Sir Rodney Williams
Gaston Browne
LegislatureParliament
• Upper house
Senate
• Lower house
House of Representatives
Formation
• Barbuda (Extension of Laws of Antigua) Act
23 September 1859[5]
• Annexation of Redonda
26 March 1872
• Parish Boundaries Act
17 December 1873[6]
27 February 1967
• Independence from the United Kingdom
1 November 1981
Area
• Total
440 km2 (170 sq mi) (182nd)
• Water (%)
negligible
Population
• 2022 estimate
Neutral increase 100,772[7] (182nd)
• 2011 census
Neutral increase 84,816
• Density
186/km2 (481.7/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)2023 estimate
• Total
Increase $2.6 billion (196th)
• Per capita
Increase $25,449[8] (59th)
GDP (nominal)2023 estimate
• Total
Increase $1.95 billion (193rd)
• Per capita
Increase $19,068[8] (49th)
HDI (2022)Increase 0.826[9]
very high (54th)
CurrencyEast Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)
Drives onleft
Calling code+1-268
ISO 3166 codeAG
Internet TLD.ag
Website
ab.gov.ag
  1. The English language is the only one used in legislation, decrees, resolutions, official documents, and public acts; although not declared official de jure, this makes it the country's sole "working language" in accordance with the constitution.[10]

Antigua and Barbuda (UK: /ænˈtiːɡə ... bɑːrˈbuːdə/, US: /ænˈtiːɡwə ... bɑːrˈbjuːdə/) is a sovereign archipelagic country in the Caribbean. It lies at the conjuncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles.

The country consists of two major islands, Antigua and Barbuda, which are approximately 40 km (25 mi) apart, and several smaller islands, including Great Bird, Green, Guiana, Long, Maiden, Prickly Pear, York, and Redonda. The permanent population is approximately 97,120 (2019 estimates), with 97% residing in Antigua.[13] St. John's, Antigua, is the country's capital, major city, and largest port. Codrington is Barbuda's largest town.

In 1493, Christopher Columbus surveyed the island of Antigua, which he named for the Church of Santa María La Antigua.[14] Great Britain colonized Antigua in 1632 and Barbuda in 1678.[14] A part of the Federal Colony of the Leeward Islands from 1871, Antigua and Barbuda joined the West Indies Federation in 1958.[15] With the breakup of the federation in 1962, it became one of the West Indies Associated States in 1967.[16] Following a period of internal self-governance, it gained full independence from the United Kingdom on 1 November 1981. Antigua and Barbuda is a member of the Commonwealth and a Commonwealth realm; it is a constitutional monarchy with Charles III as its head of state.[17]

The economy of Antigua and Barbuda is largely dependent on tourism, which accounts for 80% of its GDP. Like other island nations, Antigua and Barbuda is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such as sea level rise, and increased intensity of extreme weather like hurricanes. These cause coastal erosion, water scarcity, and other challenges.[18]

Antigua and Barbuda offers a citizenship by investment program.[19] The country levies no personal income tax.[20]

  1. ^ "National anthem". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Government of Antigua and Barbuda". Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  3. ^ "ECLAC/CELADE Redatam+SP 03/21/2022" (PDF). redatam.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  4. ^ "National Profiles".
  5. ^ "CHAPTER 43 : THE BARBUDA (EXTENSION OF LAWS OF ANTIGUA) ACT" (PDF). Laws.gov.ag. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Chapter 304: The Parish Boundaries Act". Laws of Antigua and Barbuda (PDF). laws.gov.ag. 17 December 1873. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Population projections by age group, annual 1991 to 2026". Statistics Division, Ministry of Finance and Corporate Governance of Antigua and Barbuda. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022.
  8. ^ a b "World Economic Outlook October 2023 (Antigua and Barbuda)". International Monetary Fund. October 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Human Development Report 2023/24" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. pp. 274–277. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Government of Antigua and Barbuda". Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  11. ^ Horsford, Ian. "An Assessment of Income Inequality and Poverty in Antigua and Barbuda in 2007". Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Comparison of Poverty measurement indicators" (PDF). Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA). 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Antigua and Barbuda". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 24 January 2021. (Archived 2021 edition.)
  14. ^ a b Crocker, John. "Barbuda Eyes Statehood and Tourists". The Washington Post. 28 January 1968. p. E11.
  15. ^ Fleck, Bryan. "Discover Unspoiled: Barbuda". Everybody's Brooklyn. 31 October 2004. p. 60.
  16. ^ Sheridan, Richard B. (1974). Sugar and Slavery: An Economic History of the British West Indies, 1623–1775. Canoe Press. p. 185. ISBN 978-976-8125-13-2. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  17. ^ "Antigua and Barbuda – Countries – Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Archived from the original on 7 June 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  18. ^ "World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal:Antique and Barbuda". World Bank. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Passport of Antigua and Barbuda | Rank = 23 | Passport Index 2022 | How powerful is yours?". Passport Index – Global Mobility Intelligence. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  20. ^ "Individual Income Tax Rates Table – KPMG Global". KPMG. 11 November 2020. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.