Map of Antigua and Barbuda | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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


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

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total area total: 440 km²
Land: 440 km²
Comparative: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Note: includes Redonda

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 153 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

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

Elevation

Natural resources: negligible; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Land use
Arable land: 18%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 7%
Forest and woodland: 16%
Other: 59%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 65,176 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 0.68% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
Adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan

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

Languages: English (official), local dialects

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 25% (female 8,062; male 8,390)
15-64 years: 69% (female 22,342; male 22,334)
65 years and over: 6% (female 2,231; male 1,817) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.68% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 17.08 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 5.35 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.91 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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
Current issues natural hazards: hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts
Current issues international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 17.8 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.4 years
Male: 71.32 years
Female: 75.57 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.68 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling (1960)
Total population: 89%
Male: 90%
Female: 88%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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

Government type: parliamentary democracy

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 November 1981 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 November (1981)

Constitution: 1 November 1981

Legal system: based on English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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)
Head of government: Prime Minister Lester Bryant BIRD (since 8 March 1994)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
Senate: 17 member body appointed by the governor general
House of Representatives: elections last held 8 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (17 total) ALP 11, UPP 5, independent 1

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Patrick Albert LEWIS
In the us chancery: 3,216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,016
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 362-5,211, 5,166, 5,122
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 362-5,225
In the us consulates general: Miami
From the us: the post was 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy is primarily service oriented, with tourism the most important determinant of economic performance. In 1993, tourism made a direct contribution to GDP of about 17%, and also spurred growth in other sectors such as construction and transport. While only accounting for roughly 5% of GDP in 1993, agricultural production increased by 4%. Tourist arrivals remained strong in 1994.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3.4% (1993)

Real gdp per capita: $6,000 (1993 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 5% of GDP; expanding output of cotton, fruits, vegetables, and livestock; other crops - bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; not self-sufficient in food

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

Industrial production growth rate: -4.9% (1993 est.), accounts for 6.5% of GDP

Labor force: 30,000
By occupation commerceand services: 82%
By occupation agriculture: 11%
By occupation industry: 7% (1983)

Unemployment rate: 6% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $105 million
Expenditures: $161 million, including capital expenditures of $56 million (1992)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $54.7 million (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodoties: petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, food and live animals 4%, machinery and transport equipment 17%
Partners: OECS 26%, Barbados 15%, Guyana 4%, Trinidad and Tobago 2%, US 0.3%

Imports: $260.9 million (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodoties: food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil
Partners: US 27%, UK 16%, Canada 4%, OECS 3%, other 50%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $250 million (1990 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)


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Electricity
Capacity: 52,100 kW
Production: 95 million kWh
Production consumption per capita: 1,242 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 6,700 telephones; good automatic telephone system
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; tropospheric scatter links with Saba and Guadeloupe

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.4 million, 1% of GDP (FY90/91)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 2

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 304 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,188,113 GRT/1,651,190 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 216, chemical tanker 8, container 48, liquefied gas tanker 3, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 10, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11
Note: a flag of convenience registry

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: a long-time but relatively minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe and recent transshipment point for heroin from Europe to the US; more significant as a drug money laundering center