1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 440 sq km land: 440 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Redonda
Area--comparative
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline
153 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m
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
Environment--international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
17 03 N, 61 48 W
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 18% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 9% forests and woodland: 11% other: 62% (1993 est.)
Location
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
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
Natural hazards
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts
Natural resources
NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism
Terrain
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 26% (male 8,414; female 8,137) 15-64 years: 69% (male 21,936; female 22,227) 65 years and over: 5% (male 1,504; female 2,028) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
16.22 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
5.76 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian
Infant mortality rate
20.69 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
English (official), local dialects
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 71.46 years male: 69.06 years female: 73.98 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling total population: 89% male: 90% female: 88% (1960 est.)
Nationality
noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s) adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan
Net migration rate
-6.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
64,246 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
0.36% (1999 est.)
Religions
Anglican (predominant), other Protestant sects, some Roman Catholic
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.72 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip
Capital
Saint John's
Constitution
1 November 1981
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda
Data code
AC
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 elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; prime minister appointed by the governor general
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
Government type
parliamentary democracy
Independence
1 November 1981 (from UK)
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 chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 consulate(s) general: Miami Diplomatic representation 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
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: Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester coalition of three opposition political parties--United National Democratic Party or UNDP, Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM, and the Progressive Labor Movement or PLM Political pressure groups and leaders: Antigua Trades and Labor
Legal system
based on English common law
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 9 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2004) election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--ALP 12, UPP 4, independent 1
National holiday
Independence Day, 1 November (1981)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock
Budget
revenues: $122.6 million expenditures: $141.2 million, including capital expenditures of $17.3 million (1997 est.)
Currency
1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Debt--external
$240 million (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient
$2.3 million (1995)
Economy--overview
Tourism continues to be by far the dominant activity in the economy accounting directly or indirectly for more than half of GDP. Increased tourist arrivals have helped spur growth in the construction and transport sectors. The dual island nation's agricultural production is mainly directed to the domestic market; the sector is constrained by the limited water supply and labor shortages that reflect the pull of higher wages in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for about half of all tourist arrivals.
Electricity--consumption
95 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
95 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)
Exports
$37.8 million (1997)
Exports--commodities
petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, food and live animals 4%, machinery and transport equipment 17%
Exports--partners
OECS 26%, Barbados 15%, Guyana 4%, Trinidad and Tobago 2%, US 0.3%
Fiscal year
1 April--31 March
GDP
purchasing power parity--$503 million (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 4% industry: 12.5% services: 83.5% (1996 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$7,900 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
6% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$325.5 million (1997)
Imports--commodities
food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil
Imports--partners
US 27%, UK 16%, Canada 4%, OECS 3%, other 50%
Industrial production growth rate
6% (1997 est.)
Industries
tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
-1.1% (1997)
Labor force
30,000
Labor force--by occupation
commerce and services 82%, agriculture 11%, industry 7% (1983)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
9% (1997 est.)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (repeater transmitters for Deutsche Welle and BBC world broadcasts) (1998)
Radios
NA
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
Telephones
6,700
Television broadcast stations
2 (1997)
Televisions
28,000 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Airports
3 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 250 km (1996 est.) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km Ports and harbors: Saint John's
Merchant marine
total: 517 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,706,126 GRT/3,542,664 DWT ships by type: bulk 21, cargo 338, chemical tanker 7, combination bulk 2, container 111, liquefied gas tanker 2, multifunctional large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 9, roll-on/roll-off cargo 21, vehicle carrier 1 note: a flag of convenience registry: Germany owns 10 ships, Slovenia 2, and Cyprus 2 (1998 est.)
Railways
total: 77 km narrow gauge: 64 km 0.760-m gauge; 13 km 0.610-m gauge (used almost exclusively for handling sugarcane)
Military and Security
Military branches
Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police Force (includes Coast Guard)
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$NA
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
none
Illicit drugs
over the long-term, considered a relatively minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe and recently, a transshipment point for heroin from Europe to the US; potentially more significant as a drug-money-laundering center