In 2017, Antigua and Barbuda had a population of approximately 97,929 people, with the majority of the population being of African or mixed descent. The economy of Antigua and Barbuda is largely driven by tourism, which provides over half of the country’s GDP. In terms of foreign relations, Antigua and Barbuda has close ties to the United Kingdom, Caribbean countries such as Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica, as well as to other countries in the Americas. Politically, Antigua and Barbuda is a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. Prime Minister Gaston Browne has been in power since 2014 and his government has made strides in improving human rights and democracy within the country. See militarynous for Antigua and Barbuda military and defense.
Yearbook 2017
Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Barbuda have the stated goal of being one of the Caribbean’s leading renewable energy countries. In March, another important step was taken when new solar power plants were installed on the small private island of Jumby Bay. They were placed both on the ground and on the roofs of various buildings, including a desalination plant in the middle of the island. The project is a collaboration between the country’s government and a British company. See ABBREVIATIONFINDER for frequently used acronyms and abbreviations related to as well as country profile of Antigua and Barbuda.
In April, work was completed to mark the boundaries of nature conservation areas along Barbuda’s coast with buoys and signs at sea and on land. Among the protected areas are coral reefs and the Codrington lagoon where a variety of fish and shellfish reproduce. The now excellent zones were enshrined in a law from 2014. According to Countryaah.com, the rules make a difference in areas where it is forbidden to fish, prohibited to anchor and moor respectively and prohibited from fishing with nets.
In September, Barbuda was hit extremely hard by tropical cyclone Irma. According to estimates, 95% of the island’s population was destroyed or damaged and the aforementioned Codrington lagoon was flooded to great damage for, inter alia, bird life. While Barbuda was one of the islands in the Caribbean most affected by Irma, Antigua did relatively well.