home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Geography
-
-
- Location:
- Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean,
- east-southeast of Puerto Rico
- Map references:
- Central America and the Caribbean
- 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
- Land boundaries:
- 0 km
- Coastline:
- 153 km
- 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
- International disputes:
- none
- Climate:
- tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
- Terrain:
- mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands with some higher volcanic areas
- Natural resources:
- negligible; pleasant climate fosters tourism
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 18%
- permanent crops:
- 0%
- meadows and pastures:
- 7%
- forest and woodland:
- 16%
- other:
- 59%
- Irrigated land:
- NA sq km
- 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
- natural hazards:
- hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts
- international agreements:
- party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification,
- Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
- Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Antigua and Barbuda
- People
-
-
- Population:
- 65,176 (July 1995 est.)
- Age structure:
- 0-14 years:
- 25% (female 8,062; male 8,390)
- 15-64 years:
- 69% (female 22,342; male 22,334)
- 65 years and over:
- 6% (female 2,231; male 1,817) (July 1995 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 0.68% (1995 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 17.08 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Death rate:
- 5.35 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- -4.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 17.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 73.4 years
- male:
- 71.32 years
- female:
- 75.57 years (1995 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 1.68 children born/woman (1995 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
- adjective:
- Antiguan, Barbudan
- Ethnic divisions:
- black African, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian
- Religions:
- Anglican (predominant), other Protestant sects, some Roman Catholic
- Languages:
- English (official), local dialects
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling (1960)
- total population:
- 89%
- male:
- 90%
- female:
- 88%
- Labor force:
- 30,000
- by occupation:
- commerce and services 82%, agriculture 11%, industry 7% (1983)
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Government
-
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Digraph:
- AC
- Type:
- parliamentary democracy
- Capital:
- Saint John's
- Administrative divisions:
- 6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint
- John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip
- Independence:
- 1 November 1981 (from UK)
- National holiday:
- Independence Day, 1 November (1981)
- Constitution:
- 1 November 1981
- Legal system:
- based on English common law
- Suffrage:
- 18 years of age; universal
- 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
- Legislative branch:
- bicameral Parliament
- Senate:
- 17 member body appointed by the governor general
- 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
- Judicial branch:
- Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
- Political parties and leaders:
- Antigua Labor Party (ALP), Lester Bryant BIRD; United Progressive Party
- (UPP), Baldwin SPENCER
- 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 William ROBINSON
- Member of:
- ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD,
- IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user),
- INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN,
- UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Patrick Albert LEWIS
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Government
- chancery:
- 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 362-5211, 5166, 5122
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 362-5225
- consulate(s) general:
- Miami
- US diplomatic representation:
- the post was closed 30 June 1994; the US Ambassador to Barbados is
- accredited to Antigua and Barbuda
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Economy
-
-
- Overview:
- The economy is primarily service oriented, with tourism the most important
- determinant of economic performance. In 1993, tourism made a direct
- contribution to GDP of about 17%, and also spurred growth in other sectors
- such as construction and transport. While only accounting for roughly 5% of
- GDP in 1993, agricultural production increased by 4%. Tourist arrivals
- remained strong in 1994.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power parity - $400 million (1993 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- 3.4% (1993)
- National product per capita:
- $6,000 (1993 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 7% (1993)
- Unemployment rate:
- 6% (1992 est.)
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $105 million
- expenditures:
- $161 million, including capital expenditures of $56 million (1992)
- 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%
- 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%
- External debt:
- $250 million (1990 est.)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate -4.9% (1993 est.); accounts for 6.5% of GDP
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 52,100 kW
- production:
- 95 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 1,242 kWh (1993)
- Industries:
- tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household
- appliances)
- Agriculture:
- accounts for 5% of GDP; expanding output of cotton, fruits, vegetables, and
- livestock; other crops - bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane;
- not self-sufficient in food
- Illicit drugs:
- a long-time but relatively minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for
- the US and Europe and recent transshipment point for heroin from Europe to
- the US; more significant as a drug money laundering center
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Economy
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- US commitments (1985-88), $10 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and
- OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $50 million
- Currency:
- 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
- Exchange rates:
- East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
- Fiscal year:
- 1 April - 31 March
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Transportation
-
-
- Railroads:
- total:
- 77 km
- narrow gauge:
- 64 km 0.760-m gauge; 13 km 0.610-m gauge (used almost exclusively for
- handling sugar cane)
- Highways:
- total:
- 240 km
- paved:
- NA
- unpaved:
- NA
- Ports:
- Saint John's
- Merchant marine:
- total:
- 304 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,188,113 GRT/1,651,190 DWT
- ships by type:
- bulk 7, cargo 216, chemical tanker 8, container 48, liquefied gas tanker 3,
- oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 10, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11
- note:
- a flag of convenience registry
- Airports:
- total:
- 3
- with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:
- 1
- with paved runways under 914 m:
- 2
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Communications
-
-
- Telephone system:
- 6,700 telephones; good automatic telephone system
- local:
- NA
- intercity:
- NA
- international:
- 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station;
- tropospheric scatter links with Saba and Guadeloupe
- Radio:
- broadcast stations:
- AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 2
- radios:
- NA
- Television:
- broadcast stations:
- 2
- televisions:
- NA
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Defense Forces
-
-
- Branches:
- Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police
- Force (includes the Coast Guard)
- Defense expenditures:
- exchange rate conversion - $1.4 million, 1% of GDP (FY90/91)
-