Antigua and Barbuda

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

Civil air

10 major transport aircraft

Highways

240 km

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

Ports

St. John's

Railroads

64 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge and 13 km 0.610-meter gauge used almost exclusively for handling sugarcane

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

Branches

Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police Force (includes the Coast Guard)

Defense expenditures

NA

Military manpower

NA

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

Budget

revenues $77 million; expenditures $81 million, including capital expenditures of $13 million (1988 est.)

Currency

East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Electricity

49,000 kW capacity; 90 million kWh produced, 1,410 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)

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%

External debt

$245.4 million (1987)

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

GDP

$353.5 million, per capita $5,550; real growth rate 6.2% (1989 est.)

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%

Industrial production

growth rate 10% (1987)

Industries

tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7.1% (1988 est.)

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.

Unemployment rate

5.0% (1988 est.)

Climate

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

153 km

Comparative area

slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Contiguous zone

24 nm;

Environment

subject to hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); insufficient freshwater resources; deeply indented coastline provides many natural harbors

Extended economic zone

200 nm;

Land boundaries

none

Land use

18% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 16% forest and woodland; 59% other

Natural resources

negligible; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Note

420 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Terrain

mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands with some higher volcanic areas

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

440 km2; land area: 440 km2; includes Redonda

Administrative divisions

6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip

Capital

Saint John's

Communists

negligible

Constitution

1 November 1981

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 Charge 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

Executive branch

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

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

Independence

1 November 1981 (from UK)

Judicial branch

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court 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)

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

Long-form name

none

Member of

ACP, CARICOM, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ILO, IMF, ISO, OAS, UN, UNESCO, WHO, WMO

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 November (1981)

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

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 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

Type

parliamentary democracy

Birth rate

18 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate

6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

almost entirely of black African origin; some of British, Portuguese, Lebanese, and Syrian origin

Infant mortality rate

23 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force

30,000; 82% commerce and services, 11% agriculture, 7% industry (1983)

Language

English (official), local dialects

Life expectancy at birth

70 years male, 74 years female (1990)

Literacy

90% (est.)

Nationality

noun--Antiguan(s); adjective--Antiguan

Net migration rate

- 10 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

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.)

Population

63,726 (July 1990), growth rate 0.3% (1990)

Religion

Anglican (predominant), other Protestant sects, some Roman Catholic

Total fertility rate

1.7 children born/woman (1990)