Map of Antigua and Barbuda | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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. Some 3,000 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: 17 03 N, 61 48 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 440 km²
Land: 440 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes Redonda
Comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

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: negligible; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Land use
Arable land: 18%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 9%
Forests and woodland: 11%
Other: 62% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

Geography


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Population: 64,006 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 0.39% (1998 est.)

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

Ethnic groups: black, 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: 26% (male 8,482; female 8,200)
15-64 years: 68% (male 21,695; female 22,042)
65 years and over: 6% (male 1,548; female 2,039) (July 1998 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.39% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 16.72 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.87 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.92 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 21.35 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.19 years
Male: 68.82 years
Female: 73.69 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.74 children born/woman (1998 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
Definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling
Total population: 89%
Male: 90%
Female: 88% (1960 est.)

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 of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General James B. CARLISLE (since NA 1993): ead 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
Elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general chosen by the queen on the advice of the prime minister; prime minister appointed by the governor general

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)
Elections: House of Representatives_last held 8 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999)
Election results: percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_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
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Lionel Alexander HURST
In the us chancery: 3,216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,016
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 362-5,211
In the us fax: [1] (202) 362-5,225
In the us consulates general: Miami
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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Tourism continues to be by far the dominant activity in the economy accounting directly or indirectly to more than half of GDP. Increased tourist arrivals have 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 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: 3.3% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3.8%
Industry: 18.9%
Services: 77.3% (1995)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

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

Unemployment rate: 5%-10% (1995 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $107 million
Expenditures: $132 million, including capital expenditures of $18 million (1995)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April_31 March

Current account balance

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: total value:$45 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
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: total value:$350.8 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
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: $225 million (1996 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1_2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 95 million kWh (1995)

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 1,458 kWh (1995)

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system
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

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.4 million (FY90/91)
Percent of gdp: 1% (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 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 2
2438 to 3047 m: 1
Under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 1
Under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 77 km
Narrow gauge: 64 km 0.760-m gauge; 13 km 0.610-m gauge (used almost exclusively for handling sugarcane)

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 440 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,025,920 GRT/2,690,028 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 12, cargo 295, chemical tanker 6, combination bulk 1, container 89, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 10, roll-on/roll-off cargo 20, vehicle carrier 1
Note: a flag of convenience registry:Germany owns 11 ships, Slovenia 3, Cyprus 2, and US 1 (1997 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: considered 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; potentially more significant as a drug money-laundering center