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.

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

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

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

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

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:

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

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:

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)

Fiscal year: 1 April_31 March

Exports:
Commodities:
Partners:

Debt external:

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1_2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)

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

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

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

Airports: 3
2438 to 3047 m: 1
Under 914 m: 2

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.)

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