The islands of Antigua and Barbuda became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. It consists of three of the Leeward Islands—Antigua and two smaller islands, Barbuda to the north and Redonda, an uninhabited rocky islet, to the southwest. The islands are situated between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. The capital city is St John's.
The official languages are English and English-based patois. The local currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$). The islands have a total land area of 442 sq km (Antigua 281 sq km and Barbuda 161 sq km). The islands have a population of 66,970 (July 2001 est.).
Tourism accounts for more than half of the islands GDP and is the predominant economic sector. The offshore financial sector has been affected by financial sanctions imposed by the US and UK as a result of the loosening of its money-laundering controls, whereby the government has made efforts to comply with international demands in order to have the sanctions lifted.
The manufacturing industry is also an important one and products manufactured for export include bedding, handicrafts and electronic components.
Fishing has nearly doubled since 1980, and the coral reefs surrounding the islands have suffered some disturbance and so around 15% of the area is protected by law. Because natural freshwater resources are limited, water management is another major area of concern for the country.
The international time zone is GMT – 4. The international dialing code is + 1 + 268. Visitors from the USA, Canada and the UK may enter the country for stays of less than six months with either a valid passport or a birth certificate with a raised seal and a photo ID. Most other visitors, including citizens of Australia, New Zealand and Western European countries, must have passports but do not need visas. Officially all visitors need a round-trip or onward ticket.
