*Antigua and Barbuda, Geography

Location:
  in the eastern Caribbean Sea, about 420 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  440 km2
 land area:
  440 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
 note:
  includes Redonda
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  153 km
Maritime claims:
 contiguous zone:
  24 nm
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
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:
 arable land:
  18%  permanent crops:
  0%
 meadows and pastures:
  7%
 forest and woodland:
  16%
 other:
  59%
Irrigated land:
  NA km2
Environment:
  subject to hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); insufficient
  freshwater resources; deeply indented coastline provides many natural
  harbors

*Antigua and Barbuda, People

Population:
  64,406 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.51% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  17.51 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  5.5 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -6.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  19.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  72.83 years
 male:
  70.81 years
 female:
  74.95 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.67 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
 adjective:
  Antiguan, Barbudan
Ethnic divisions:
  black African, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian
Religions:
  Anglican (predominant), other Protestant sects, some Roman Catholic
Languages:
  English (official), local dialects
Literacy:
  age 15 and over having completed 5 or more years of schooling (1960)
 total population:
  89%
 male:   90%
 female:
  88%
Labor force:
  30,000
 by occupation:
  commerce and services 82%, agriculture 11%, industry 7% (1983)

*Antigua and Barbuda, Government

Names:
 conventional long form:
  none
 conventional short form:
  Antigua and Barbuda
Digraph:
  AC
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)
Political parties and leaders:
  Antigua Labor Party (ALP), Vere Cornwall BIRD, Sr., Lester BIRD; United
  Progressive Party (UPP), Baldwin SPENCER
Other political or pressure groups:
  United Progressive Party (UPP), headed by Baldwin SPENCER, a coalition of
  three opposition political parties - the United National Democratic Party
  (UNDP); the Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement (ACLM); and the
  Progressive Labor Movement (PLM); Antigua Trades and Labor Union (ATLU),
  headed by Noel THOMAS
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 House of Representatives:
  last held 9 March 1989 (next to be held NA 1994); results - percent of vote
  by party NA; seats - (17 total) ALP 15, UPP 1, independent 1
Executive branch:
  British monarch, governor general, 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)
Member of:
  ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, WCL, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Patrick Albert LEWIS

*Antigua and Barbuda, Government

 chancery:
  Suite 2H, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  (202) 362-5211 or 5166, 5122, 5225
 consulate:
  Miami
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, and, in
  his absence, the Embassy is headed by Charge d'Affaires Bryant J. SALTER
 embassy:
  Queen Elizabeth Highway, Saint John's
 mailing address:
  FPO AA 34054-0001
 telephone:
  (809) 462-3505 or 3506
 FAX:
  (809) 462-3516
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

*Antigua and Barbuda, Economy

Overview:
  The economy is primarily service oriented, with tourism the most important
  determinant of economic performance. During the period 1987-90, real GDP
  expanded at an annual average rate of about 6%. Tourism makes a direct
  contribution to GDP of about 13% and also affects growth in other sectors -
  particularly in construction, communications, and public utilities. Although
  Antigua and Barbuda is one of the few areas in the Caribbean experiencing a
  labor shortage in some sectors of the economy, it has been hurt in 1991-92
  by a downturn in tourism caused by the Persian Gulf war and the US
  recession.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $424 million (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  1.4% (1991 est.)
National product per capita:
  $6,600 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  6.5% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  5% (1988 est.)
Budget:
  revenues $105 million; expenditures $161 million, including capital
  expenditures of $56 million (1992)
Exports:
  $32 million (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities:
  petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, food and live animals 4%,
  machinery and transport equipment 17%
 partners:
  OECS 26%, Barbados 15%, Guyana 4%, Trinidad and Tobago 2%, US 0.3%
Imports:
  $317.5 million (c.i.f., 1991)
 commodities:
  food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures,
  chemicals, oil
 partners:
  US 27%, UK 16%, Canada 4%, OECS 3%, other 50%
External debt:
  $250 million (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 3% (1989 est.); accounts for 5% of GDP
Electricity:
  52,100 kW capacity; 95 million kWh produced, 1,482 kWh per capita (1992)
Industries:
  tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household
  appliances)
Agriculture:
  accounts for 4% of GDP; expanding output of cotton, fruits, vegetables, and
  livestock; other crops - bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane;
  not self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
  US commitments, $10 million (1985-88); Western (non-US) countries, ODA and
  OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $50 million
Currency:
  1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March

*Antigua and Barbuda, 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:
  Saint John's
Merchant marine:
  149 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 529,202 GRT/778,506 DWT; includes 96
  cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 21 container, 5 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1
  multifunction large-load carrier, 2 oil tanker, 19 chemical tanker, 2 bulk;
  note - a flag of convenience registry
Airports:
 total:
  3
 usable:
  3
 with permanent-surface runways:
  2
 with runways 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  1
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  0
Telecommunications:
  good automatic telephone system; 6,700 telephones; tropospheric scatter
  links with Saba and Guadeloupe; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV, 2
  shortwave; 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth
  station

*Antigua and Barbuda, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police
  Force (including the Coast Guard)
Manpower availability:
  NA
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $1.4 million, 1% of GDP (FY90/91)