The Siboney were the first 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 settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a 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.
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
442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)
land
442.6 sq km
water
0 sq km
note
includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km
Area - comparative
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
153 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
contiguous zone
24 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
continental shelf
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point
Boggy Peak 402 m
Natural resources
NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism
Land use
arable land
18.18%
permanent crops
4.55%
other
77.27% (2005)
Irrigated land
NA
Natural hazards
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts
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
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
Geography - note
Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor
Population
69,481 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
27.3% (male 9,647/female 9,306)
15-64 years
69% (male 24,137/female 23,801)
65 years and over
3.7% (male 965/female 1,625) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
30.3 years
male
29.8 years
female
30.8 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
0.527% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
16.62 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
5.31 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-6.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.037 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.014 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.594 male(s)/female
total population
1 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
18.26 deaths/1,000 live births
male
21.99 deaths/1,000 live births
female
14.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
72.42 years
male
70.03 years
female
74.94 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.23 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Nationality
noun
Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
adjective
Antiguan, Barbudan
Ethnic groups
black 91%, mixed 4.4%, white 1.7%, other 2.9% (2001 census)
Religions
Anglican 25.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.3%, Pentecostal 10.6%, Moravian 10.5%, Roman Catholic 10.4%, Methodist 7.9%, Baptist 4.9%, Church of God 4.5%, other Christian 5.4%, other 2%, none or unspecified 5.8% (2001 census)
Languages
English (official), local dialects
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling
total population
85.8%
male
NA%
female
NA% (2003 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Antigua and Barbuda
Government type
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Capital
name
Saint John's
geographic coordinates
17 06 N, 61 51 W
time difference
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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 (National 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 Sir James B. CARLISLE (since 10 June 1993)
head of government
Prime Minister Winston Baldwin SPENCER (since 24 March 2004)
cabinet
Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections
none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17 seats; members appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 23 March 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ALP 4, UPP 13
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); member Caribbean Court of Justice
Political parties and leaders
Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbudans for a Better Barbuda [Ordrick SAMUEL]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; Barbuda People's Movement for Change [Arthur NIBBS]; United Progressive Party or UPP [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 [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]
the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda
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
Economy - overview
Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than half of GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers since early 2000 have slowed the economy and pressed the government into a tight fiscal corner. 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 income growth in the industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$750 million (2002 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$905 million (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
3.8% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$10,900 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
3.8%
industry
22%
services
74.3% (2002 est.)
Labor force
30,000 (1991 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
7%
industry
11%
services
82% (1983)
Unemployment rate
11% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
0.9% (2005 est.)
Budget
revenues
$123.7 million
expenditures
$145.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
