2006 Edition

Administrative divisions

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 27.6% (male 9,716/female 9,375) 15-64 years: 68.5% (male 23,801/female 23,524) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 1,020/female 1,672) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

3 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

under 914 m

1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1

under 914 m

1 (2006)

Area

land

442.6 sq km

note

includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km

total

442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Background

The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak Indians populated the islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. Geography Antigua and Barbuda

Birth rate

16.93 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$145.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

revenues

$123.7 million

Capital

geographic coordinates

17 06 N, 61 51 W

name

Saint John's

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

153 km

Constitution

1 November 1981

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Antigua and Barbuda

Currency (code)

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code

XCD

Current account balance

$-83.4 million

Death rate

5.37 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$427.3 million; note - data are for public external debt, not total external debt (2000)

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 Deborah Mae LOVELL

telephone

[1] (202) 362-5122

Disputes - international

none

Economic aid - recipient

$1.65 million (2004)

Economy - overview

Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than half of GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers since early 2000 have slowed the economy, however, and pressed the government into a tight fiscal corner. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure 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 slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals.

Electricity - consumption

93 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - production

100 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Ethnic groups

black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)

note

fixed rate since 1976

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 Sir James B. CARLISLE (since 10 June 1993)

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

head of government

Prime Minister Winston Baldwin SPENCER (since 24 March 2004)

Exports

$46.81 million (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8%

Exports - partners

Spain 34%, Germany 20.7%, Italy 7.7%, Singapore 5.8%, UK 4.9% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 362-5225

consulate(s) general

Miami

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March Communications 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 Economy Antigua and Barbuda

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

3.8%

industry

22%

services

74.3% (2002)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$10,900 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.8% (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$905 million

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$750 million (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

17 03 N, 61 48 W

Geography - note

Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor People Antigua and Barbuda

Government type

constitutional parliamentary democracy

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Illicit drugs

considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

Imports

$378 million (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

US 21.1%, China 16.4%, Germany 13.3%, Singapore 12.7%, Spain 6.5% (2005)

Independence

1 November 1981 (from UK)

Industrial production growth rate

6% (1997 est.)

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

14.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

22.71 deaths/1,000 live births

total

18.86 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.9% (2005 est.)

International organization participation

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Internet country code

.ag

Internet hosts

2,231 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

16 (2000)

Internet users

20,000 (2005) Transportation Antigua and Barbuda

Irrigated land

NA

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); member Caribbean Court of Justice

Labor force

30,000

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

7%

industry

11%

services

82% (1983)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

18.18%

other

77.27% (2005)

permanent crops

4.55%

Languages

English (official), local dialects

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 4, UPP 13

elections

House of Representatives - last held 23 March 2004 (next to be held in 2009)

Life expectancy at birth

female

74.66 years (2006 est.)

male

69.78 years

total population

72.16 years

Literacy

definition

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

female

NA% (2003 est.) Government Antigua and Barbuda

male

NA%

total population

85.8%

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Manpower available for military service

females age 18-49

18,360 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

18,952

Manpower fit for military service

females age 18-49

14,947 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

14,859

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 18-49

494 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

507

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

Median age

female

30.5 years (2006 est.)

male

29.5 years

total

30 years

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 40, cargo 596, chemical tanker 7, container 321, liquefied gas 11, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 21

foreign-owned

984 (Australia 1, Bangladesh 4, Belgium 4, Colombia 2, Denmark 14, Estonia 12, France 1, Germany 858, Iceland 8, Isle of Man 2, Latvia 5, Lebanon 1, Lithuania 3, Netherlands 14, Norway 11, NZ 1, Poland 3, Russia 6, Singapore 1, Slovenia 6, Switzerland 4, Turkey 8, UK 7, US 7, Vietnam 1) (2006)

total

1,011 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,452,503 GRT/9,783,309 DWT

Military branches

Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (2006)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA Transnational Issues Antigua and Barbuda

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age (est.); no conscript military service (2001)

National holiday

Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981)

Nationality

adjective

Antiguan, Barbudan

noun

Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural hazards

hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts

Natural resources

NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Net migration rate

-6.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

3,600 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2003)

Political parties and leaders

Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; National Democratic Congress [Tillman THOMAS]; United Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three opposition parties - Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM, Progressive Labor Movement or PLM, United National Democratic Party or UNDP)

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Population

69,108 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

0.55% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Saint John's Military Antigua and Barbuda

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

36,000 (1997)

Religions

Christian (predominantly Anglican with other Protestant, and some Roman Catholic)

Roadways

paved

384 km

total

1,165 km

unpaved

781 km (2002)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

good automatic telephone system

general assessment

NA

international

country code - 1-268; 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station - 2; tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe

Telephones - main lines in use

38,000 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular

54,000 (2004)

Television broadcast stations

2 (1997)

Televisions

31,000 (1997)

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

2.24 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

11% (2001 est.)