1994 Edition

Administrative divisions

6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip

Agriculture

accounts for 4% of GDP; expanding output of cotton, fruits, vegetables, and livestock; other crops - bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; not self-sufficient in food

Airports

total: 3 usable: 3 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:

Area

total area: 440 sq km land area: 440 sq km comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC note: includes Redonda

Birth rate

17.31 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Branches

Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police Force (including the Coast Guard)

Budget

revenues: $105 million expenditures: $161 million, including capital expenditures of $56 million (1992)

Capital

Saint John's

Climate

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

153 km

Constitution

1 November 1981

Currency

1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Death rate

5.44 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $1.4 million, 1% of GDP (FY90/91)

Digraph

AC

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Patrick Albert LEWIS chancery: Suite 4M, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 362-5211 or 5166, 5122

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments (1985-88), $10 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $50 million

Electricity

capacity: 52,100 kW production: 95 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,482 kWh (1992)

Environment

current issues: insufficient freshwater resources natural hazards: subject to hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

Ethnic divisions

black African, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian

Exchange rates

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

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

Exports

$54.7 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: 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%

External debt

$250 million (1990 est.)

FAX

(202) 362-5225 consulate(s) general: Miami

(809) 462-3516

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Flag

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

Highways

total: 240 km paved: NA unpaved: NA

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

Imports

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

Independence

1 November 1981 (from UK)

Industrial production

growth rate 3% (1989 est.); accounts for 8% of GDP

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

18.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7% (1993)

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Judicial branch

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Labor force

30,000 by occupation: commerce and services 82%, agriculture 11%, industry 7% (1983)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 18% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 7% forest and woodland: 16% other: 59%

Languages

English (official), local dialects

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.11 years male: 71.07 years female: 75.26 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over having completed 5 or more years of schooling (1960) total population: 89% male: 90% female: 88%

Location

Caribbean, in the eastern Caribbean Sea, about 420 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Member of

ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WCL, WHO, WMO

Merchant marine

227 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 849,699 GRT/1,218,492 DWT, bulk 4, cargo 156, chemical tanker 11, container 37, liquified gas 2, oil tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11 note: a flag of convenience registry

Names

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 November (1981)

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $368.5 million (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$5,800 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

NA

Nationality

noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s) adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan

Natural resources

negligible; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Net migration rate

-5.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Other political or pressure groups

United Progressive Party (UPP), headed by Baldwin SPENCER, a coalition of three opposition political parties - the United National Democratic Party (UNDP); the Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement (ACLM); and the Progressive Labor Movement (PLM); Antigua Trades and Labor Union (ATLU), headed by Noel THOMAS

Overview

The economy is primarily service oriented, with tourism the most important determinant of economic performance. During the period 1986-91, real GDP expanded at an annual average rate of about 6%. Tourism makes a direct contribution to GDP of about 13% and also affects growth in other sectors - particularly in construction, communications, and public utilities. In 1992, reduced government capital spending and private sector investment, dampened by recession in the major world economies, slowed economic growth.

Political parties and leaders

Antigua Labor Party (ALP), Lester Bryant BIRD; United Progressive Party (UPP), Baldwin SPENCER

Population

64,762 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

0.59% (1994 est.)

Ports

Saint John's

Railroads

64 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge and 13 km 0.610-meter gauge used almost exclusively for handling sugarcane

Religions

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

Senate

17 member body appointed by the governor general

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telecommunications

good automatic telephone system; 6,700 telephones; tropospheric scatter links with Saba and Guadeloupe; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV, 2 shortwave; 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

1.67 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Type

parliamentary democracy

Unemployment rate

5% (1988 est.)

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, and, in his absence, the Embassy is headed by Charge d'Affaires Bryant J. SALTER embassy: Queen Elizabeth Highway, Saint John's mailing address: FPO AA 34054-0001 telephone: (809) 462-3505 or 3506