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 Match 10   DB Rec# - 7,462  Dataset-WOFACT

Title         :Antigua and Barbuda 
Text          : 
                               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 
 
                                     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) 
 
                                   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 
 
                                   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 
 
                                     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 
 
                                     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 
 
                                 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 
 
                                 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 
 
                                 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) 

This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).

The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995

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Updated: March 12, 1996