2000 Edition

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.

Area

land

442 sq km

note

includes Redonda

total

442 sq km (Antigua 281 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

153 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Boggy Peak 402 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 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%

forests and woodland

11%

other

62% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

9%

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 28% (male 9,414; female 9,098) 15-64 years: 67% (male 22,199; female 22,341) 65 years and over: 5% (male 1,424; female 1,946) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

19.6 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

5.99 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian

Infant mortality rate

23.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

English (official), local dialects

Life expectancy at birth

female

72.84 years (2000 est.)

male

68.19 years

total population

70.46 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling

female

88% (1960 est.)

male

90%

total population

89%

Nationality

adjective

Antiguan, Barbudan

noun

Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)

Net migration rate

-6.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

66,422 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

0.73% (2000 est.)

Religions

Anglican (predominant), other Protestant, 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: 0.73 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.92 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016

chief of mission

Ambassador Lionel Alexander HURST

telephone

(202) 362-5211

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General James B. CARLISLE (since NA 1993)

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

head of government

Prime Minister Lester Bryant BIRD (since 8 March 1994)

FAX

(202) 362-5225

consulate(s) general

Miami

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

constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament

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, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO

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)

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)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ALP 12, UPP 4, independent 1

elections

House of Representatives - last held 9 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2004)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 November (1981)

Political parties and leaders

Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM ; Antigua Labor Party or ALP ; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM ; Progressive Labor Movement or PLM ; United National Democratic Party or UNDP ; United Progressive Party or UPP , a coalition of three opposition political parties - UNDP, ACLM, and PLM

Political pressure groups and leaders

Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU ; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock

Budget

expenditures

$141.2 million, including capital expenditures of $17.3 million (1997 est.)

revenues

$122.6 million

Currency

1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$357 million (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$2.3 million (1995)

Economy - overview

Tourism continues to be the dominant activity in the economy accounting directly or indirectly for more than half of GDP. In 1999 the budding offshore financial sector was seriously hurt by financial sanctions imposed by the US and UK as a result of the loosening of its money-laundering controls. The government has made efforts to comply with international demands in order to get the sanctions lifted. 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 one-third of all tourist arrivals.

Electricity - consumption

84 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

90 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Exports

$38 million (1998)

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 - $524 million (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

4%

industry

12.5%

services

83.5% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $8,200 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.8% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$330 million (1998)

Imports - commodities

food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil

Imports - partners

US 27%, UK 16%, Canada 4%, OECS 3%

Industrial production growth rate

6% (1997 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.6% (1999 est.)

Labor force

30,000

Labor force - by occupation

commerce and services 82%, agriculture 11%, industry 7% (1983)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

7% (1999 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

36,000 (1997)

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 - main lines in use

20,000 (1994)

Telephones - mobile cellular

NA

Television broadcast stations

2 (1997)

Televisions

31,000 (1997)

Airports

3 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1 under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

NA km

total

250 km (1996 est.)

unpaved

NA km

Merchant marine

note

a flag of convenience registry: Germany owns 10 ships, Slovenia 2, and Cyprus 2 (1998 est.)

ships by type

bulk 17, cargo 385, chemical tanker 9, combination bulk 2, container 149, liquified gas 3, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 12, roll-on/roll-off 28 (1999 est.)

total

607 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,528,944 GRT/4,590,590 DWT

Ports and harbors

Saint John's

Railways

narrow gauge

64 km 0.760-m gauge; 13 km 0.610-m gauge (used almost exclusively for handling sugarcane)

total

77 km

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%

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as a drug-money-laundering center

ARCTIC OCEAN