Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is a sovereign island nation in the West Indies in the Americas, located between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two large islands: Antigua and Barbuda, separated by a distance of 63 km (39 miles), and smaller islands (including Great Bird, Green, Guiana, Long, Virgo, Prickly Pear, York Islands, Redonda). The permanent population is about 97,120 people (2019 estimate), of which 97% live in Antigua. The capital, largest port, and city is St. John's in Antigua, and Codrington is the largest city in Barbuda. Adjacent to each other, Antigua and Barbuda is in the center of the Lesser Antilles Leeward Islands, approximately 17 ° north latitude from the equator.

The island of Antigua was explored by Christopher Columbus in 1493 and named after the church of Santa Maria la Antigua. Antigua was colonized by Britain in 1632; The island of Barbuda was first colonized in 1678. Part of the Federal Colony of the Leeward Islands since 1871, Antigua and Barbuda joined the West Indies Federation in 1958. After the collapse of the federation, it became one of the associated states of the West Indies. 1967. Following self-government in internal affairs, on November 1, 1981, the United Kingdom was granted independence. Antigua and Barbuda are a member of the Commonwealth, and Elizabeth II is the country's queen and head of state.

Antigua and Barbuda's economy is particularly dependent on tourism, which accounts for 80% of GDP. Like other island nations, Antigua and Barbuda are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels and increased extreme weather events such as hurricanes, which have a direct impact on the island in the form of coastal erosion, water scarcity, and other problems. ... Since 2019, the individual income tax rate in Antigua and Barbuda is 0%, as in neighboring Saint Kitts and Nevis.