Antigua and Barbuda
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See regional map III
Geography
Total area: 440 km²; land area: 440 km²; includes Redonda
Comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 153 km
Maritime claims:
- Contiguous zone: 24 nm
- Extended economic zone: 200 nm
- Territorial sea: 12 nm
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: 18% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 16% forest and woodland; 59% other
Environment: subject to hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); insufficient freshwater resources; deeply indented coastline provides many natural harbors
Note: 420 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico
People
Population: 63,726 (July 1990), growth rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: -10 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 74 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Antiguan(s); adjective—Antiguan
Ethnic divisions: almost entirely of black African origin; some of British, Portuguese, Lebanese, and Syrian origin
Religion: Anglican (predominant), other Protestant sects, some Roman Catholic
Language: English (official), local dialects
Literacy: 90% (est.)
Labor force: 30,000; 82% commerce and services, 11% agriculture, 7% industry (1983)
Organized labor: Antigua and Barbuda Public Service Association (ABPSA), membership 500; Antigua Trades and Labor Union (ATLU), 10,000 members; Antigua Workers Union (AWU), 10,000 members (1986 est.)
Government
Long-form name: none
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)
Constitution: 1 November 1981
Legal system: based on English common law
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 November (1981)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Wilfred Ebenezer JACOBS (since 1 November 1981, previously Governor since 1976);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Vere Cornwall BIRD, Sr. (since NA 1976); Deputy Prime Minister Lester BIRD (since NA 1976)
Political parties and leaders: Antigua Labor Party (ALP), Vere C. Bird, Sr., Lester Bird; United National Democratic Party (UNDP), Dr. Ivor Heath
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Representatives—last held 9 March 1989 (next to be held 1994); results—percentage of vote by party NA; seats—(17 total) ALP 15, UNDP 1, independent 1
Communists: negligible
Other political or pressure groups: Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement (ACLM), a small leftist nationalist group led by Leonard (Tim) Hector; Antigua Trades and Labor Union (ATLU), headed by Noel Thomas
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ILO, IMF, ISO, OAS, UN, UNESCO, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Edmund Hawkins LAKE; Chancery at Suite 2H, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 362-5211 or 5166, 5122, 5225; there is an Antiguan Consulate in Miami; US—the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, and in his absence, the Embassy is headed by Chargé d'Affaires Roger R. GAMBLE; Embassy at Queen Elizabeth Highway, Saint John's (mailing address is FPO Miami 34054); telephone (809) 462-3505 or 3506
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. During the period 1983-87, real GDP expanded at an annual average rate of 8%. Tourism's contribution to GDP, as measured by value added in hotels and restaurants, rose from about 14% in 1983 to 17% in 1987, and stimulated growth in other sectors—particularly in construction, communications, and public utilities. During the same period the combined share of agriculture and manufacturing declined from 12% to less than 10%. Antigua and Barbuda is one of the few areas in the Caribbean experiencing a labor shortage in some sectors of the economy.
GDP: $353.5 million, per capita $5,550; real growth rate 6.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.1% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.0% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $77 million; expenditures $81 million, including capital expenditures of $13 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $30.4 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities—petroleum products 46%, manufactures 29%, food and live animals 14%, machinery and transport equipment 11%; partners—Trinidad and Tobago 40%, Barbados 8%, US 0.3%
Imports: $302.1 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities—food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil; partners—US 27%, UK 14%, CARICOM 7%, Canada 4%, other 48%
External debt: $245.4 million (1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 10% (1987)
Electricity: 49,000 kW capacity; 90 million kWh produced, 1,410 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP; expanding output of cotton, fruits, vegetables, and livestock sector; other crops—bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $40 million
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural—dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1—2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Railroads: 64 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge and 13 km 0.610-meter gauge used almost exclusively for handling sugarcane
Highways: 240 km
Ports: St. John's
Merchant marine: 80 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 307,315 GRT/501,552 DWT; includes 50 cargo, 4 refrigerated cargo, 8 container, 8 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 1 short-sea passenger; note—a flag of convenience registry
Civil air: 10 major transport aircraft
Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways less than 2,440 m
Telecommunications: good automatic telephone system; 6,700 telephones; tropospheric scatter links with Saba and Guadeloupe; stations—4 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV, 2 shortwave; 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police Force (includes the Coast Guard)
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA