The 1996 CIA World Factbook page on Antigua and Barbuda

From: The CIA'sTHE WORLD FACTBOOK 1996

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Antigua and Barbuda

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Map

Location: 17 03 N, 61 48 W -- Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico

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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

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Geography

Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates: 17 03 N, 61 48 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total area: 440 sq km
land area: 440 sq km
comparative area: 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
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m
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; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

People

Population: 65,647 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25% (male 8,386; female 8,043)
15-64 years: 69% (male 22,589; female 22,548)
65 years and over: 6% (male 1,820; female 2,261) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.76% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 16.83 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 5.32 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: -3.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
all ages: 1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 17.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.64 years
male: 71.55 years
female: 75.84 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.68 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan
Ethnic divisions: black, 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 est.)
total population: 89%
male: 90%
female: 88%

Government

Name of country:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda
Data code: AC
Type of government: 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) is a hereditary monarch, represented by Governor General James B. CARLISLE (since NA 1993) who was chosen by the queen on advice from the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Lester Bryant BIRD (since 8 March 1994) was appointed by the governor general
cabinet: Council of Ministers was 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 (based in Saint Lucia), one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Political parties and leaders: Antigua Labor Party (ALP), Lester Bryant BIRD; 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)
Other political or pressure groups: Antigua Trades and Labor Union (ATLU), William ROBINSON; People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Hugh MARSHALL
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, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lionel Alexander HURST
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 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
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

Economic overview: Tourism continues to be by far the dominant activity in the economy but the combined share in GDP of transport and communications, trade, and public utilities has increased markedly in recent years. Tourism's direct contribution to output in 1994 was about 20%. In addition, increased tourist arrivals helped spur growth in the construction and transport sectors. 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 - which accounts for 3.5% of GDP - 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 half of all tourist arrivals.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $425 million (1994 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 4.2% (1994 est.)
GDP per capita: $6,600 (1994 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.5%
industry: 19.3%
services: 77.2% (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (1994)
Labor force: 30,000
by occupation: commerce and services 82%, agriculture 11%, industry 7% (1983)
Unemployment rate: 5%-10%(1995 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $134 million
expenditures: $135.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995)
Industries: tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)
Industrial production growth rate: -4.9% (1993 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 52,100 kW
production: 95 million kWh
consumption per capita: 1,242 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock
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
Exports: $40.9 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
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: $443.8 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
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: $377 million (1995 est.)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Transportation

Railways:
total: 77 km
narrow gauge: 64 km 0.760-m gauge; 13 km 0.610-m gauge (used almost exclusively for handling sugarcane)
Highways:
total: 240 km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
Ports: Saint John's
Merchant marine:
total: 367 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,573,063 GRT/2,147,243 DWT
ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 247, chemical tanker 6, combination bulk 1, container 72, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 14, roll-on/roll-off cargo 16
note: a flag of convenience registry: Germany owns 12 ships, Slovenia 3, Croatia 2, Cyprus 1, and US 1 (1995 est.)
Airports:
total: 3
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 2 (1995 est.)

Communications

Telephones: 6,700
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
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 2
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 2
Televisions: 28,000 (1993 est.)

Defense

Branches: Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police Force (includes the Coast Guard)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: NA
males fit for military service: NA
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $1.4 million, 1% of GDP (FY90/91)

Antigua and Barbuda

Original publicaton at http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/wfb-all.htm (June 17, 1997).