from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Antigua and Barbuda
Introduction
Background: 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.
Geography
Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Geographic 17 03 N, 61 48 W
coordinates:
Map Central America and the Caribbean
references:
Area: total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq
km)
land: 442.6 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km
Area - 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 153 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the
continental margin
Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature
variation
Terrain: mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some
higher volcanic areas
Elevation lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m
Natural NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism
resources:
Land use: arable land: 18.18%
permanent crops: 4.55%
other: 77.27% (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October);
hazards: periodic droughts
Environment - water management - a major concern because of limited
current natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by
issues: the clearing of trees to increase crop production,
causing rainfall to run off quickly
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many
note: natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large
western harbor
People
Population: 69,108 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.6% (male 9,716/female 9,375)
15-64 years: 68.5% (male 23,801/female 23,524)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 1,020/female 1,672) (2006
est.)
Median age: total: 30 years
male: 29.5 years
female: 30.5 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.55% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 16.93 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 5.37 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -6.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 18.86 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 22.71 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 14.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 72.16 years
expectancy at male: 69.78 years
birth: female: 74.66 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.24 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan
Ethnic groups: black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian
Religions: Christian (predominantly Anglican with other
Protestant, and some Roman Catholic)
Languages: English (official), local dialects
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more
years of schooling
total population: 85.8%
male: NA%
female: NA% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda
Government constitutional parliamentary democracy
type:
Capital: name: Saint John's
geographic coordinates: 17 06 N, 61 51 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative 6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*,
divisions: Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint
Peter, Saint Philip
Independence: 1 November 1981 (from UK)
National Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981)
holiday:
Constitution: 1 November 1981
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
branch: 1952), represented by Governor General Sir James B.
CARLISLE (since 10 June 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Winston Baldwin
SPENCER (since 24 March 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor
general on the advice of the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor
general chosen by the monarch on the advice of the
prime minister; following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or the leader of the
majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister
by the governor general
Legislative bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member
branch: body appointed by the governor general) and the House
of Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by
proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 23
March 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats
by party - ALP 4, UPP 13
Judicial Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia;
branch: one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the
islands and presides over the Court of Summary
Jurisdiction); member Caribbean Court of Justice
Political Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD];
parties and Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK];
leaders: National Democratic Congress [Tillman THOMAS]; United
Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition
of three opposition parties - Antigua Caribbean
Liberation Movement or ACLM, Progressive Labor Movement
or PLM, United National Democratic Party or UNDP)
Political Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William
pressure ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh
groups and MARSHALL]
leaders:
International ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
organization ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
participation: IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS,
OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Deborah Mae LOVELL
representation chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122
FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225
consulate(s) general: Miami
Diplomatic the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda
representation (embassy closed 30 June 1994); the US Ambassador to
from the US: Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda
Flag red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the
description: 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
Economy - Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting
overview: 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.
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 slightly more than
one-third of tourist arrivals.
GDP $750 million (2002 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $905 million
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 3.8% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $10,900 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 3.8%
composition by industry: 22%
sector: services: 74.3% (2002)
Labor force: 30,000
Labor force - agriculture: 7%
by occupation: industry: 11%
services: 82% (1983)
Unemployment 11% (2001 est.)
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 0.9% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $123.7 million
expenditures: $145.9 million; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Agriculture - cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts,
products: cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock
Industries: tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing,
alcohol, household appliances)
Industrial 6% (1997 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 100 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 93 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003)
production:
Oil - 3,600 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Current $-83.4 million
account
balance:
Exports: $46.81 million (2004 est.)
Exports - petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and
commodities: transport equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%,
other 8%
Exports - Spain 34%, Germany 20.7%, Italy 7.7%, Singapore 5.8%,
partners: UK 4.9% (2005)
Imports: $378 million (2004 est.)
Imports - food and live animals, machinery and transport
commodities: equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil
Imports - US 21.1%, China 16.4%, Germany 13.3%, Singapore 12.7%,
partners: Spain 6.5% (2005)
Debt - $427.3 million; note - data are for public external
external: debt, not total external debt (2000)
Economic aid - $1.65 million (2004)
recipient:
Currency East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
(code):
Currency code: XCD
Exchange East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7
rates: (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)
note: fixed rate since 1976
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications
Telephones - 38,000 (2004)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 54,000 (2004)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: NA
system: domestic: good automatic telephone system
international: country code - 1-268; 1 coaxial
submarine cable; satellite earth station - 2;
tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and
Guadeloupe
Radio AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 36,000 (1997)
Television 2 (1997)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 31,000 (1997)
Internet .ag
country code:
Internet 2,231 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 16 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 20,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 3 (2006)
Airports - total: 2
with paved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
runways: under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - total: 1
with unpaved under 914 m: 1 (2006)
runways:
Roadways: total: 1,165 km
paved: 384 km
unpaved: 781 km (2002)
Merchant total: 1,011 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,452,503 GRT/
marine: 9,783,309 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 40, cargo 596, chemical tanker 7,
container 321, liquefied gas 11, passenger/cargo 2,
petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll
off 21
foreign-owned: 984 (Australia 1, Bangladesh 4, Belgium
4, Colombia 2, Denmark 14, Estonia 12, France 1,
Germany 858, Iceland 8, Isle of Man 2, Latvia 5,
Lebanon 1, Lithuania 3, Netherlands 14, Norway 11, NZ
1, Poland 3, Russia 6, Singapore 1, Slovenia 6,
Switzerland 4, Turkey 8, UK 7, US 7, Vietnam 1) (2006)
Ports and Saint John's
terminals:
Military
Military Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (2006)
branches:
Military 18 years of age (est.); no conscript military service
service age (2001)
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 18,952
available for females age 18-49: 18,360 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 14,859
for military females age 18-49: 14,947 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 507
reaching females age 18-49: 494 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military NA
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military NA
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - none
international:
Illicit drugs: considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics
bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an
offshore financial center