Map of Antigua and Barbuda | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | 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. Countless refugees fleeing a volcanic eruption on nearby Montserrat have settled in Antigua and Barbuda since 1995.


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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

Area
Total: 440 km²
Land: 440 km²
Comparative: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Comparative 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
Extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m

Natural resources:

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

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population:
Growth rate:

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:
15-64 years:
65 years and over:

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

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
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
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: 0.8 male(s)/female
All ages:

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.64 years (1996 est.), 73.4 years (1995 est.)
Male: 71.55 years (1996 est.), 71.32 years (1995 est.)
Female: 75.84 years (1996 est.), 75.57 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

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
Definition: 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 U.K.)

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 (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

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

Diplomatic representation

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: Tourism continues to be by far the dominant activity in the economy but the combined share in GDP of transport and communications, trade, and public utilities has increased markedly in recent years. Tourism's direct contribution to output in 1994 was about 20%. In addition, increased tourist arrivals helped spur growth in the construction and transport sectors. The dual island nation's agricultural production is mainly directed to the domestic market; the sector is constrained by the limited water supply and labor shortages that reflect the pull of higher wages in tourism and construction. Manufacturing_which accounts for 3.5% of GDP_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 half of all tourist arrivals.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

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:

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

Labor force: 30,000
By occupation Commerce and services: 82%
By occupation Agriculture: 11%
By occupation Industry: 7% (1983)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $134 million (1995), $105 million (1992)
Expenditures: $135.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995), $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:
Commodities:
Partners:

Imports
Total value:
Commodities:
Partners:

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:

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
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 (Netherlands Antilles) 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
2438 to 3047 m: 1
Under 914 m: 2

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 367 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,573,063 GRT/2,147,243 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 247, chemical tanker 6, combination bulk 1, container 72, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 14, roll-on/roll-off cargo 16
Note: A flag of convenience registry:Germany owns 12 ships, Slovenia 3, Croatia 2, Cyprus 1, and US 1 (1995 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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