Antigua and Barbuda

constitutional monarchy with UK-style parliamentIndependence 1 November 1981 (from UK)

Antigua and Barbuda as the 2003 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 113 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalSaint John's

Position17 03 N, 61 48 W

Area443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km

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

2003

Every edition of Antigua and Barbuda

Populationas each edition published it

67,897 people July 2003 est. · 63,726 in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.64% 2003 est. · 0.51% in 1993

Median ageyears

29.1 years 2002 · 34.1 yrs in 2025

Life expectancyyears at birth

71.31 years 2003 est. · 72.83 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.28 children per woman 2003 est. · 1.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

20.9 deaths per 1,000 live births 2003 est. · 23 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$11,000 2002 est. · $6,600 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

3% 2002 est. · 1.4% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak and Carib 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

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

18 fields

Land use(1998 est.)

arable land 18.18%permanent crops 0%other 81.82% (1998 est.)

Area

443sq km

(Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)water: 0 sq kmnote: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq kmland: 443 sq km2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline

153km

land boundaries: 0 kmcontiguous zone: 24 NMterritorial sea: 12 NMexclusive economic zone: 200 NMcontinental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

Highest point

402m

Boggy Peaklowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

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

Climate

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain

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

Natural resources

NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

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:: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor

People

19 fields

Population

67,897

(July 2003 est.)growth rate: 0.64% (2003 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2003 est.)

Birth

18.23Death

5.64Net migration

-6.19

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2003 est.)71.31

68.99 · 73.75Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)20.9

25.14 · 16.44

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1960 est.)89%

90% · 88%Median age years (2002)29.1

28.6 · 29.6

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling

Age structure

0-14 years:: 28.1% (male 9,706; female 9,371)
15-64 years:: 67.4% (male 22,929; female 22,845)
65 years and over:: 4.5% (male 1,218; female 1,828) (2003 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.28 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS - 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

Government

Constitutional monarchy with UK-style parliament; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General James B. CARLISLE (since NA 1993); Prime Minister Lester Bryant BIRD (since 8 March 1994)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

53.2%

ALP 53.2%UPP 45.5%independent 1.3%House of Representatives - last held 9 March 1999 (next to be held prior to March 2004)

Legislature, 17 seatsone dot, one seat

ALP 12UPP 4independent 1

Percent of vote

ALP 53.2%UPP 45.5%independent 1.3%

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;
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
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); Deputy Prime Minister Robin YEARWOOD

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 - ALP 53.2%, UPP 45.5%, independent 1.3%; seats by party - ALP 12, UPP 4, independent 1
elections:: House of Representatives - last held 9 March 1999 (next to be held prior to 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, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador (vacant)
chancery:: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone:: [1] (202) 362-5211
FAX:: [1] (202) 362-5225
consulate(s) general:: Miami

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

36 fields

Real growth rate

(2002 est.)industrial production growth: 6% (1997 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

0.4%

(2000 est.)

Unemployment rate

11%

(2001 est.)

Labor force

30,000

GDP - composition by sector(2002)

agriculture 3.9%industry 19.2%services 76.8% (2002)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

68.5%

France

23.4%

26.4%

Germany

14.2%

13.2%

Poland

9.8%

South Korea

8.3%

Singapore

4.4%

1.2%

Italy

Exports $40 millionImports $357 million (2000 est.)(2002)

Budget

Revenues

$123.7 millionExpenditures

$145.9 million (2000 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

fossil fuel 100%hydro 0% · other 0% · nuclear 0%

Electricity production

105.3 million (2001)Electricity consumption

97.89 million (2001)

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.

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

purchasing power parity - $750 million (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $11,000 (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force - by occupation

commerce and services 82%, agriculture 11%, industry 7% (1983)

Industries

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

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

3,600 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Agriculture - products

cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock

Exports

$40 million

Exports - commodities

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

Imports

$357 million (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities

food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil

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 - 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (1998) (fixed rate since 1976)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

1,300

(1996)

Internet users

(2000)

Fixed lines

28,000

(1996) · country code .ag

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)

Television broadcast stations

2 (1997)

Internet users

5,000 (2001)

Transportation

8 fields

Merchant marine, 816 ships by typeships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,135,866 GRT/6,648,143 DWT

bulk 16cargo 474chemical tanker 8combination bulk 3container 255liquefied gas 10multi-functional large-load carrier 6petroleum tanker 1refrigerated cargo 8roll on/roll off 35note: 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 by runway lengthpaved only

2,438 to 3,047 m

1under 914 m

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m

Networkskm

Highways

250 (1999 est.)Railways

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