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Motto:
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Each
Endeavoring All Achieving
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Background:
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The
islands of Antigua and Barbuda became an independent state
within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. Some 3,000
refugees fleeing a volcanic eruption on nearby Montserrat have
settled in Antigua and Barbuda since 1995.
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Geography
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Location:
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Caribbean,
islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
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Geographic coordinates:
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17 03
N, 61 48 W
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Map references:
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Central
America and the Caribbean
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Area:
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total:
442 sq km (Antigua 281 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)
land: 442 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Redonda
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Area - comparative:
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2.5
times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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Coastline:
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153
km
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Maritime claims:
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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
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Climate:
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Tropical
marine; little seasonal temperature variation
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Terrain:
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mostly
low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher
volcanic areas
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Elevation
Extremes
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lowest
point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m
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Natural
Resources:
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pleasant
climate fosters tourism
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Land use:
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arable
land: 18%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 11%
other: 62% (1993 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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Natural hazards:
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hurricanes
and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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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
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People
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Population:
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66,970
(July 2001 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 27.97% (male 9,527; female 9,203)
15-64 years: 67.15% (male 22,450; female 22,519)
65 years and over: 4.88% (male 1,360; female 1,911)
(2001 est.)
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Population growth rate: |
0.74%
(2001 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
19.5
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
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Death rate: |
5.87
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
-6.27
migrants/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
at
birth: 1.05 male/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1 male/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male/female
total population: 0.99 male/female (2001 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
22.33
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 70.74 years
male: 68.45 years
female: 73.14 years (2001 est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
2.31
children born/woman (2001 est.) |
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Nationality: |
noun:
Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan |
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Ethnic groups: |
black,
British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian |
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Religions: |
Anglican
(predominant), other Protestant, some Roman Catholic |
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Languages: |
English
(official), local dialects |
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Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling
total population: 89%
male: 90%
female: 88% (1960 est.) |
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Government |
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Country name: |
Conventional
short form: Antigua and Barbuda |
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Dependency status: |
constitutional
monarchy with UK-style parliament |
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Government type: |
constitutional
monarchy with UK-style parliament |
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Capital: |
Saint
John's |
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Administrative divisions: |
6
parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint
George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint
Philip |
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Independence: |
1
November 1981 (from UK) |
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National holiday: |
Independence
Day, 1 November (1981) |
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Constitution: |
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Legal system: |
Based on
English Common Law |
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Suffrage: |
18 Years of
age; universal. |
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Executive branch: |
The head of state
is Her Majesty the Queen of England
Governor General HE Sir James Beethoven Carlisle, GCMG, OBE
The political system is parliamentary democracy, and for many
years was dominated by the Bird Family, both V.C. Bird or Papa
Bird as he is often referred to, and the Hon. Lester Bird his
son. The party they represented is the Antigua Labour Party (A.L.P).
On 23rd March 2004 there was a general election and the ALP
government were over thrown by a majority in favour of the
United Progressive Party (U.P.P), currently presided over by the
Hon. Winston Baldwin Spencer. Lester Bird lost his seat in
parliament as a representative and the leader of the A.L.P
became the Hon. Robin Yearwood.
The current government now rules with a majority of 12 seats in
Antigua, with only 4 remaining in the hands of the opposition.
In Barbuda the ruling party is the Barbudas People Movement who
have formed an alliance with the U.P.P., thus completing the
U.P.P. majority. |
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Legislative branch: |
bicameral
Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member body 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
Election results: United Progressive Party holds 12 of 17 parliamentary seats. |
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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) |
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Political parties and leaders: |
Elections last held 23 March 2004
(next to be held in 2009)
The Hon. Baldwin Spencer is Prime Minister of Antigua and
Barbuda. He was born on the 8th day of October 1948. He attended
the Greenbay Primary School and the Princess Margaret Secondary
School. He is married with a son and a daughter. Mr. Spencer is
a Trade Unionist/Politician by profession.
The Political Parties:
United Progressive Party or
UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three opposition parties
- United National Democratic Party or UNDP, Antigua Caribbean
Liberation Movement or ACLM, and Progressive Labor Movement or
PLM)
Antigua
Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; |
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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, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
Chief
of mission: Ambassador Lionel Alexander HURST
Chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20016
telephone: [1] (202) 362-5211
FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225
Consulate(s) general: Miami |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
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 |
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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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Economy |
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Overview: |
Tourism
continues to be the dominant activity in the economy
accounting directly or indirectly for more than half of GDP.
The budding offshore financial sector has been seriously hurt
by financial sanctions imposed by the US and UK as a result of
the loosening of its money-laundering controls. The government
has made efforts to comply with international demands in order
to get the sanctions lifted. Antigua and Barbuda was listed as
a tax haven by the OECD in 2000. 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 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 one-third of all tourist arrivals. |
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GDP: |
Purchasing
power parity - $533 million (1999 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
purchasing
power parity - $533 million (1999 est.) |
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GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $8,200 (1999 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture:
4%
industry: 12.5%
services: 83.5% (1996 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share: |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
1.6%
(1999 est.) |
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Labor force: |
30,000 |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
commerce
and services 82%, agriculture 11%, industry 7% (1983) |
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Unemployment rate: |
7% est
(1999) |
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Budget: |
revenues:
$122.6 million
expenditures: $141.2 million, including capital
expenditures of $17.3 million (1997 est.) |
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Industries: |
tourism,
construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol,
household appliances) |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
6%
(1997 est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
95
million kWh (1999) |
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil
fuel: 100% |
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Electricity - consumption: |
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Electricity - exports: |
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Electricity - imports: |
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Agriculture - products: |
cotton,
fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes,
sugarcane; livestock |
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Exports: |
$38
million (1998) |
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Exports - commodities: |
petroleum
products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport
equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8% |
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Exports - partners: |
OECS
26%, Barbados 15%, Guyana 4%, Trinidad and Tobago 2%, US 0.3% |
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Imports: |
$330
million (1998 |
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Imports - commodities: |
food
and live animals, machinery and transport equipment,
manufactures, chemicals, oil |
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Imports - partners: |
US
27%, UK 16%, Canada 4%, OECS 3% |
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Debt - external: |
$357
million (1998) |
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Economic aid - recipient: |
$2.3
million (1995) |
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Currency: |
East
Caribbean dollar (XCD |
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Exchange rates: |
East
Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since
1976) |
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Fiscal year: |
1
April - 31 March |
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Communications |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
28,000
(1996) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
1,300
(1996) |
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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 |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 4,
FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Radios: |
36,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
2
(1997) |
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Televisions: |
31,000
(1997) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
16
(2000) |
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Transportation |
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Railways: |
total:
77 km
narrow gauge: 64 km 0.760-m gauge; 13 km 0.610-m gauge
(used almost exclusively for handling sugarcane |
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Highways: |
total:
1,165 km
paved: 384 km
unpaved: 781 km (1999 est.) |
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Ports and harbors: |
Saint
John's |
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Merchant marine: |
total:
681 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,070,390 GRT/5,289,904
DWT
ships by type: bulk 15, cargo 424, chemical tanker 10,
combination bulk 4, container 176, liquefied gas 4,
multi-functional large-load carrier 6, petroleum tanker 2,
refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 29
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here
as a flag of convenience: Cyprus 2, Germany 4, Slovenia 2
(2000 est.) |
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Airports: |
3
(2000 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total:
2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total:
1
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
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Military |
Royal
Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, Royal Antigua and Barbuda
Police Force (includes Coast Guard) |
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Illicit drugs:
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considered
a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and
Europe; more significant as a drug-money-laundering center |
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