Antigua and Barbuda

Broadcast media

state-controlled Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Service (ABS) operates 1 TV station; multi-channel cable TV subscription services are available; ABS operates 1 radio station; roughly 15 radio stations, some broadcasting on multiple frequencies (2007)

Internet country code

.ag

Internet hosts

11,532 (2012) country comparison to the world: 130

Internet users

65,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 172

Telephone system

general assessment: good automatic telephone system domestic: fixed-line teledensity roughly 40 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is some 200 per 100 persons international: country code - 1-268; landing points for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) and the Global Caribbean Network (GCN) submarine cable systems with links to other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 2; tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands) and Guadeloupe (France) (2011)

Telephones - main lines in use

35,500 (2011) country comparison to the world: 172

Telephones - mobile cellular

176,000 (2011) country comparison to the world: 182

Agriculture - products

cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock

Budget

revenues: $229.5 million expenditures: $293.4 million (2009 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-5.4% of GDP (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 163

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 49 6.5% (31 December 2009 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.5% (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 78 10.93% (31 December 2011 est.)

Current account balance

-$200 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 77 -$120.1 million (2011 est.)

Debt - external

$458 million (June 2010) country comparison to the world: 173 $359.8 million (June 2006)

Economy - overview

Tourism continues to dominate Antigua and Barbuda's economy, accounting for nearly 60% of GDP and 40% of investment. 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 tourist arrivals from the US, Canada, and Europe and potential damages from natural disasters. After taking office in 2004, the SPENCER government adopted an ambitious fiscal reform program and was successful in reducing its public debt-to-GDP ratio from 120% to about 90% in 2008. The Antiguan economy experienced solid growth from 2003 to 2007, reaching over 12% in 2006 driven by a construction boom in hotels and housing associated with the Cricket World Cup. In 2009, Antigua's economy was severely hit by the global economic crisis and suffered from the collapse of its largest financial institution, a steep decline in tourism, a rise in debt, and a sharp economic contraction between 2009-11. Antigua has not yet returned to its pre-crisis growth levels.

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2012 est.) 2.7 (2011 est.) 2.7 (2010 est.) 2.7 (2009)

Exports

$37.9 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 202 $43.45 million (2011 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum products, bedding, handicrafts, electronic components, transport equipment, food and live animals

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.174 billion (2012 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.535 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 196 $1.519 billion (2011 est.) $1.608 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 2.1% industry: 19.6% services: 78.3% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$17,500 (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 72 $17,300 (2011 est.) $18,400 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

1% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 165 -5.5% (2011 est.) -8.5% (2010 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$400 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 191 $427 million (2011 est.)

Imports - commodities

food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.4% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 21 3.3% (2011 est.)

Labor force

30,000 (1991) country comparison to the world: 206

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 7% industry: 11% services: 82% (1983)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

130% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 90% of GDP (2008 est.)

Stock of broad money

$1.131 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 167 $1.12 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$1.185 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 153 $1.134 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$215.6 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 177 $223.6 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

19.5% of GDP (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 164

Unemployment rate

11% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 118

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

718,800 Mt (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 176

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 72

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 147

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 105

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 103

Electricity - consumption

107 million kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 195

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 153

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 1

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 209

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 34

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 98

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 153

Electricity - installed generating capacity

27,000 kW (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 192

Electricity - production

115 million kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 195

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 116

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 149

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 149

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 96

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 107

Refined petroleum products - consumption

5,000 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 169

Refined petroleum products - exports

240 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 118

Refined petroleum products - imports

4,662 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 159

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 118

Area

total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km) country comparison to the world: 201 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

Climate

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

153 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m

Environment - current issues

water management - a major concern because of limited natural freshwater 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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.005 cu km/yr (60%/20%/20%) per capita: 63 cu m/yr (1990)

Geographic coordinates

17 03 N, 61 48 W

Geography - note

Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a large western harbor

Irrigated land

1.3 sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 18.18% permanent crops: 4.55% other: 77.27% (2005)

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

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

Natural hazards

hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts

Natural resources

NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Terrain

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

Total renewable water resources

0.1 cu km (2000)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

name: Saint John's geographic coordinates: 17 07 N, 61 51 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

1 November 1981

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Deborah Mae LOVELL chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122 FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Louisse LAKE-TACK (since 17 July 2007) 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 (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: the monarchy 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 usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

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; the sun symbolizes the dawn of a new era, black represents the African heritage of most of the population, blue is for hope, and red is for the dynamism of the people; the "V" stands for victory; the successive yellow, blue, and white coloring is also meant to evoke the country's tourist attractions of sun, sea, and sand

Government type

constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government and a Commonwealth realm

Independence

1 November 1981 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court consisting of a High Court of Justice and a Court of Appeal (based in Saint Lucia; two judges of the Supreme Court are residents of the islands and preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction); Magistrates' Courts; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice

Legal system

common law based on the English model

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 on 12 March 2009 (next to be held in 2014) election results: percent of vote by party - UPP 50.9%, ALP 47.2%, BPM 1.1%, other 0.8%; seats by party - UPP 9, ALP 7, BPM 1

National anthem

name: "Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee" lyrics/music: Novelle Hamilton RICHARDS/Walter Garnet Picart CHAMBERS note: adopted 1967; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the Queen" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)

National holiday

Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981)

Political parties and leaders

Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Gaston BROWNE]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Trevor WALKER]; Barbuda People's Movement for Change [Arthur NIBBS]; Barbudans for a Better Barbuda [Ordrick SAMUEL]; 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 [Wigley GEORGE]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

The Siboney were the first people 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 Spanish and French settlements were succeeded by an English 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.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 21,141 females age 16-49: 24,056 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 17,676 females age 16-49: 19,960 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 806 female: 799 (2010 est.)

Military branches

Ministry of National Security, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (includes Antigua and Barbuda Coast Guard) (2012)

Military expenditures

0.5% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 161

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 25.2% (male 11,413/ female 11,059) 15-64 years: 67.8% (male 28,141/ female 32,210) 65 years and over: 7% (male 2,674/ female 3,521) (2012 est.)

Birth rate

16.19 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 124

Death rate

5.72 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 171

Education expenditures

2.7% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 141

Ethnic groups

black 91%, mixed 4.4%, white 1.7%, other 2.9% (2001 census)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Health expenditures

5.1% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 135

Hospital bed density

2.2 beds/1,000 population (2009)

Infant mortality rate

total: 14.17 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 122 male: 16.32 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)

Languages

English (official), local dialects

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.69 years country comparison to the world: 86 male: 73.66 years female: 77.83 years (2012 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling total population: 85.8% male: NA female: NA (2003 est.)

Major cities - population

SAINT JOHN'S (capital) 27,000 (2009)

Median age

total: 30.6 years male: 28.9 years female: 32 years (2012 est.)

Nationality

noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s) adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan

Net migration rate

2.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 35

Physicians density

0.17 physicians/1,000 population (1999)

Population

89,018 (July 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 198

Population growth rate

1.276% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 92

Religions

Protestant 76.4% (Anglican 25.7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 12.3%, Pentecostal 10.6%, Moravian 10.5%, Methodist 7.9%, Baptist 4.9%, Church of God 4.5%), Roman Catholic 10.4%, other Christian 5.4%, other 2%, none or unspecified 5.8% (2001 census)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 98% of population rural: 94% of population total: 95% of population unimproved: urban: 2% of population rural: 6% of population total: 5% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 14 years (2009)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.05 children born/woman (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 126

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 19.9% country comparison to the world: 59 male: 18.4% female: 21.6% (2001)

Urbanization

urban population: 30% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center

Airports

3 (2012) country comparison to the world: 193

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2012)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2012)

Merchant marine

total: 1,257 country comparison to the world: 9 by type: bulk carrier 49, cargo 753, carrier 6, chemical tanker 4, container 407, liquefied gas 12, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 17, vehicle carrier 2 foreign-owned: 1,215 (Albania 1, Colombia 1, Denmark 20, Estonia 10, Germany 1094, Greece 4, Iceland 10, Latvia 16, Lithuania 3, Mexico 1, Netherlands 17, Norway 9, NZ 2, Poland 2, Russia 3, Switzerland 7, Turkey 7, UK 1, US 7) (2010)

Ports and terminals

Saint John's

Roadways

total: 1,165 km country comparison to the world: 181 paved: 384 km unpaved: 781 km (2002)