Antigua and Barbuda Online Business Education. Administration. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Antigua and Barbuda
Online Business Education. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Flag of Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda

Country Profile

Capital City: St. John's (Antigua, pop. 30 000)

Other Cities: Codrington (on Barbuda)

Local Time: UTC -4h

Geography:

Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico.
Area: Antigua--281 sq. km. (108 sq. mi.); Barbuda--161 sq. km. (62 sq. mi.).Terrain: partly volcanic and partly coral, generally low-lying, with highest elevation 405 m. (1,330 ft.).

Climate: Year-round tropical maritime, cooled by steady trade winds.

Government:
Type: Constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style Parliament.
Head of State: Queen ELIZABETH II
Independence: 1 November 1981 (from the UK).
Constitution: 1981.

People:
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s).
Population (2001 Antiguan census): 75,401.
Annual population growth rate (1999): 1.1%.
Ethnic groups: Almost entirely of African origin; some of British, Portuguese, and Levantine Arab origin.
Religions: Principally Anglican, with evangelical Protestant and Roman Catholic minorities.
Languages: English.
Literacy: 90%

Business

Currency: East Caribbean Dollar (XCD)

Natural resources: tourism

Agriculture products: Cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock.

Industries: Tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)

Exports partners: Germany 49.5%, UK 29.7%, France 3.5% (2004)

Imports partners: USA 21.8%, Singapore 18.8%, China 10.7%, Poland 6.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.6%, UK 4.4% (2004)

Introduction

Antigua and Barbuda

Background: The islands of Antigua and Barbuda became an independent
state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. Some 3,000
refugees fleeing a volcanic eruption on nearby Montserrat have settled
in Antigua and Barbuda since 1995.

Geography Antigua and Barbuda

Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates: 17 03 N, 61 48 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area: total: 443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km) water:
0 sq km note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km land: 442 sq km

Area - comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 153 km

Maritime claims: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: Climate: tropical
marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher
volcanic areas

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point:
Boggy Peak 402 m

Natural resources: NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Land use: arable land: 18% permanent crops: 0% other: 82% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October);
periodic droughts

Environment - current issues: water management - a major concern because
of limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the
clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run
off quickly

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Whaling signed, but not ratified: Geography - note: Antigua has a deeply
indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has
a very large western harbor

People Antigua and Barbuda

Population: 67,448 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 28% (male 9,618; female 9,293) 15-64 years:
67.3% (male 22,695; female 22,682) 65 years and over: 4.7% (male 1,289;
female 1,871) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.69% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 18.84 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 5.75 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69
male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 21.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 73.45 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 2.29 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s) adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan

Ethnic groups: black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian

Religions: Anglican (predominant), other Protestant, some Roman Catholic

Languages: English (official), local dialects

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years
of schooling total population: 89% male: 90% female: 88% (1960 est.)

Government Antigua and Barbuda

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form:
Antigua and Barbuda

Government type: constitutional monarchy with UK-style parliament

Capital: Saint John's

Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*,
Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter,
Saint Philip

Independence: 1 November 1981 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981)

Constitution: 1 November 1981

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Governor General James B. CARLISLE (since NA 1993)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen by
the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; prime minister appointed
by the governor general cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
governor general on the advice of the prime minister head of government:
Prime Minister Lester Bryant BIRD (since 8 March 1994)

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate
(17-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House
of Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional
representation to serve five-year terms) election results: percent of vote
by party - NA%; seats by party - ALP 12, UPP 4, independent 1 elections:
House of Representatives - last held 9 March 1999 (next to be held NA
March 2004)

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia;
one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides
over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction)

Political parties and leaders: Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester
Bryant BIRD]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK];
United Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three
opposition parties - United National Democratic Party or UNDP, Antigua
Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM, and Progressive Labor Movement
or PLM)

Political pressure groups and leaders: Antigua Trades and Labor Union
or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh
MARSHALL]

International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lionel
Alexander HURST chancery: 3216 New
[1] (202) 362-5211 FAX:
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy
in Antigua and Barbuda (embassy closed 30 June 1994); the US Ambassador
to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda

Flag description: red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on
the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands
of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the
black band

Economy Antigua and Barbuda

Economy - overview: Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting
for more than half of GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers since early
2000 have slowed the economy, however, and pressed the government into a
tight fiscal corner. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is
focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water supply
and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages in tourism
and construction work. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for
export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic
components. 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 about one-third of all tourist arrivals.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $674 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3.5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.9% industry: 19.1% services:
77% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.4% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 30,000

Labor force - by occupation: commerce and services 82%, agriculture 11%,
industry 7% (1983)

Unemployment rate: 7% (2000 est.)

Budget: revenues: $123.7 million expenditures: $145.9 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Industries: tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing,
alcohol, household appliances)

Industrial production growth rate: 6% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production: 100 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0%
(2000) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 93 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products: cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts,
cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock

Exports: $40 million (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%,
machinery and transport equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8%

Exports - partners: OECS 26%, Barbados 15%, Guyana 4%, Trinidad and
Tobago 2%, US 0.3%

Imports: $357 million (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: food and live animals, machinery and transport
equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil

Imports - partners: US 27%, UK 16%, Canada 4%, OECS 3%

Debt - external: $231 million (1999)

Economic aid - recipient: $2.3 million (1995)

Currency: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code: XCD

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed
rate since 1976)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications Antigua and Barbuda

Telephones - main lines in use: 28,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,300 (1996)

Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: good automatic
telephone system international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Saba
(Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe

Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 36,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)

Televisions: 31,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .ag

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 16 (2000)

Internet users: 5,000 (2001)

Transportation Antigua and Barbuda

Railways: total: 77 km narrow gauge: 64 km 0.760-m gauge; 13 km 0.610-m
gauge (used almost exclusively for handling sugarcane) (2001 est.)

Highways: total: 1,165 km paved: 384 km unpaved: 781 km note: it is
assumed that the main roads are paved; the secondary roads are assumed
to be unpaved (1995)
Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: Saint John's

Merchant marine: total: 762 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,541,940
GRT/5,894,553 DWT ships by type: bulk 20, cargo 469, chemical tanker 9,
combination bulk 4, container 202, liquefied gas 7, multi-functional
large-load carrier 6, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 9, roll
on/roll off 35 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as
a flag of convenience: Australia 1, Bangladesh 2, Belgium 3, Colombia 1,
Cuba 1, Estonia 1, Germany 747, Greece 1, Iceland 8, Latvia 1, Lebanon
2, Lithuania 1, Netherlands 22, New Zealand 2, Portugal 1, Slovenia 6,
South Africa 1, Sweden 2, United Kingdom 1, United States 7 (2002 est.)

Airports: 3 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m:
1 (2001)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2001)

Military Antigua and Barbuda

Military branches: Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, Royal
Antigua and Barbuda Police Force (including the Coast Guard)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Transnational Issues Antigua and Barbuda

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound
for the US and Europe; more significant as a drug-money-laundering center

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002