2015 Edition

Background

The Siboney were the first people 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 Spanish and French settlements were succeeded by an English 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.

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

Climate

tropical maritime; 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 freshwater 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, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

97.67 cu m/yr (2005)

total

0.01 cu km/yr (63%/21%/15%)

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 large western harbor

Irrigated land

1.3 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land 9.1%; permanent crops 2.3%; permanent pasture 9.1%

agricultural land

20.5%

forest

22.3%

other

57.2% (2011 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

Total renewable water resources

0.05 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

23.85% (male 11,203/female 10,847)

15-24 years

16.89% (male 7,751/female 7,861)

25-54 years

42.47% (male 17,939/female 21,319)

55-64 years

9.23% (male 3,859/female 4,672)

65 years and over

7.56% (male 3,004/female 3,981) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

15.85 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Death rate

5.69 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

10.4%

potential support ratio

9.6% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

45.7%

youth dependency ratio

35.2%

Drinking water source

urban: 97.9% of population

rural: 97.9% of population

total: 97.9% of population

urban: 2.1% of population

rural: 2.1% of population

total: 2.1% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

2.6% of GDP (2009)

Ethnic groups

black 87.3%, mixed 4.7%, hispanic 2.7%, white 1.6%, other 2.7%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)

Health expenditures

4.9% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

female

10.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

14.82 deaths/1,000 live births

total

12.87 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official), Antiguan creole

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.53 years (2015 est.)

male

74.23 years

total population

76.33 years

Literacy

definition

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

female

99.4% (2012 est.)

male

98.4%

total population

99%

Major urban areas - population

SAINT JOHN'S (capital) 22,000 (2014)

Median age

female

32.9 years (2015 est.)

male

29.6 years

total

31.4 years

Nationality

adjective

Antiguan, Barbudan

noun

Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)

Net migration rate

2.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

31% (2014)

Population

92,436 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

1.24% (2015 est.)

Religions

Protestant 68.3% (Anglican 17.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.4%, Pentecostal 12.2%, Moravian 8.3%, Methodist 5.6%, Wesleyan Holiness 4.5%, Church of God 4.1%, Baptist 3.6%), Roman Catholic 8.2%, other 12.2%, unspecified 5.5%, none 5.9% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 91.4% of population

rural: 91.4% of population

total: 91.4% of population

urban: 8.6% of population

rural: 8.6% of population

total: 8.6% of population (2011 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2012)

male

13 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.03 male(s)/female

15-24 years

0.99 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.84 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.83 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.76 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.9 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.02 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

-0.95% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

23.8% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

geographic coordinates

17 07 N, 61 51 W

name

Saint John's

time difference

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

Constitution

several previous; latest presented 31 July 1981, effective 31 October 1981 (Antigua and Barbuda Constitutional Order 1981); amended 2009, 2011 (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Antigua and Barbuda

etymology

"antiguo" is Spanish for "ancient" or "old"; the island was discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and, according to tradition, named by him after the the church of Santa Maria la Antigua (Old Saint Mary's) in Seville; "barbuda" is Spanish for "bearded" and the adjective may refer to the alleged beards of the indigenous people or to the island's bearded-fig trees

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda; 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 Sir Ronald SANDERS (since 17 September 2015)

consulate(s) general

Miami, New York

FAX

[1] (202) 362-5525

telephone

[1] (202) 362-5122

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 Rodney WILLIAMS (since 14 August 2014)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

head of government

Prime Minister Gaston BROWNE (since 13 June 2014)

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; the sun symbolizes the dawn of a new era, black represents the African heritage of most of the population, blue is for hope, and red is for the dynamism of the people; the "V" stands for victory; the successive yellow, blue, and white coloring is also meant to evoke the country's tourist attractions of sun, sea, and sand

Government type

constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government and a Commonwealth realm

Independence

1 November 1981 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Antigua and Barbuda; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; 2 High Court judges reside on Antigua and Barbuda

judge selection and term of office

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Chief Justice appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62

subordinate courts

Industrial Court; Magistrates' Courts

Legal system

common law based on the English model

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17 seats; members appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - ALP 56.4% UPP 42%; seats by party - ALP 14, UPP 3

elections

House of Representatives - last held on 12 June 2014 (next to be held in 2019)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Novelle Hamilton RICHARDS/Walter Garnet Picart CHAMBERS

name

"Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee"

note

adopted 1967; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the Queen" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)

National holiday

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

National symbol(s)

fallow deer; national colors: red, white, blue, black, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Gaston BROWNE]

Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Trevor WALKER]

Barbuda People's Movement for Change [Arthur NIBBS]

Barbudans for a Better Barbuda [Ordrick SAMUEL]

United Progressive Party or UPP [W. Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three 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 [Wigley GEORGE]

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

$206.7 million (2014 est.)

revenues

$240.3 million

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

2.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2010)

6.5% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.1% (31 December 2014 est.)

9.95% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$181 million (2014 est.)

-$176 million (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$441.2 million (31 December 2012)

$458 million (June 2010)

Economy - overview

Tourism continues to dominate Antigua and Barbuda's economy, accounting for nearly 60% of GDP and 40% of investment. 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 tourist arrivals from the US, Canada, and Europe and potential damages from natural disasters. After taking office in 2004, the SPENCER government adopted an ambitious fiscal reform program and was successful in reducing its public debt-to-GDP ratio from approximately 130% in 2010 to 89% in 2012. In 2009, Antigua's economy was severely hit by the global economic crisis and suffered from the collapse of its largest private sector employer, a steep decline in tourism, a rise in debt, and a sharp economic contraction between 2009 and 2011. Antigua has not yet returned to its pre-crisis growth levels.

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

2.7 (2014 est.)

2.7 (2013 est.)

2.7 (2012 est.)

2.7 (2011 est.)

2.7 (2010 est.)

Exports

$59.8 million (2014 est.)

$64.2 million (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum products, bedding, handicrafts, electronic components, transport equipment, food and live animals

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

45.5%

government consumption

11.5%

household consumption

55.8%

imports of goods and services

-35.4%

investment in fixed capital

22.6%

investment in inventories

0%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

2.3%

industry

17.9%

services

79.8% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$23,000 (2014 est.)

$22,100 (2013 est.)

$21,700 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

4.2% (2014 est.)

1.5% (2013 est.)

3.6% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.248 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.032 billion (2014 est.)

$1.95 billion (2013 est.)

$1.92 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

10.6% of GDP (2014 est.)

8.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

7.5% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$469.5 million (2014 est.)

$494.4 million (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Industrial production growth rate

1% (2014 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.1% (2014 est.)

1.1% (2013 est.)

Labor force

30,000 (1991)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

7%

industry

11%

services

82% (1983)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

89% of GDP (2012 est.)

130% of GDP (2010 est.)

Stock of broad money

$1.116 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.077 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$1.037 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.081 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$234.1 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$221.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

19.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

11% (2014 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

586,400 Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

293 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

55,000 kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

315 million kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

4,900 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

174.8 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

5,077 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Broadcast media

state-controlled Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Service (ABS) operates 1 TV station; multi-channel cable TV subscription services are available; ABS operates 1 radio station; roughly 15 radio stations, some broadcasting on multiple frequencies (2007)

Internet country code

.ag

Internet users

percent of population

89.7% (2014 est.)

total

81,900

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 17, shortwave 0 (2008)

Telephone system

domestic

fixed-line teledensity roughly 40 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is some 200 per 100 persons

general assessment

good automatic telephone system

international

country code - 1-268; landing points for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) and the Global Caribbean Network (GCN) submarine cable systems with links to other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 2; tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands) and Guadeloupe (France) (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

35 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

32,400

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

120 (2014 est.)

total

109,100

Television broadcast stations

2 (1997)

Airports

3 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

total

2

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1 (2013)

total

1

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 49, cargo 753, carrier 6, chemical tanker 4, container 407, liquefied gas 12, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 17, vehicle carrier 2

foreign-owned

1,215 (Albania 1, Colombia 1, Denmark 20, Estonia 10, Germany 1094, Greece 4, Iceland 10, Latvia 16, Lithuania 3, Mexico 1, Netherlands 17, Norway 9, NZ 2, Poland 2, Russia 3, Switzerland 7, Turkey 7, UK 1, US 7) (2010)

total

1,257

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Saint John's

Roadways

paved

386 km

total

1,170 km

unpaved

784 km (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

24,056 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

21,141

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

19,960 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

17,676

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

799 (2010 est.)

male

806

Military branches

Ministry of National Security, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (includes Antigua and Barbuda Coast Guard) (2012)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; Governor-General has powers to call up men for national service and set the age at which they could be called up (2012)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Antigua and Barbuda is a destination and transit country for adults and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; forced prostitution has been reported in bars, taverns, and brothels, while forced labor occurs in domestic service and the retail sector

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List – Antigua and Barbuda does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government made no discernible progress in convicting traffickers in 2014 but charged two individuals in separate cases; efforts to convict traffickers have been impeded by a 2014 ruling that found the 2010 anti-trafficking act was unconstitutional because jurisdiction rests with the Magistrate’s Court rather than the High Court; no new prosecutions, convictions, or punishments were recorded in 2014; credible sources have raised concerns about trafficking-related complicity among some off-duty police officers, which could hinder investigations or victims willingness to report offenses; prevention efforts were sustained, but progress in protecting victims was uneven; seven victims were assisted, which was an increase over 2013 (2015)