Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda - Is officially known as Antigua and Barbuda a federal parliamentary representative democratic monarchy. Antigua and Barbuda is a North American island nation located in the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean and consists of two major islands. The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak Indians populated the islands when COLUMBUS landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. Antigua has a relatively high Gross Domestic Product per capita in comparison to most other Caribbean nations. It has experienced solid growth since 2003, driven by a construction boom in hotels and housing that which should wind down in 2008. Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than half of Gross Domestic Product. Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals.