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ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

@Antigua And Barbuda:Geography

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

 Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA - MAJOR CITIES 
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                                        Latitude,      Internat'l     Time   
                        Population      Longitude      Phone Code     Zone   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
SAINT JOHN'S                36,000    17.08N, 61.50W     809-        GMT-4   
Codrington                   1,000    17.43N, 61.49W     809-        GMT-4   
Bolands                        N/A    17.02N, 61.53W     809-        GMT-4   
Old Road                       N/A    17.01N, 61.50W     809-        GMT-4   
Urlins                         N/A    17.02N, 61.52W     809-        GMT-4   
All Saints                     N/A    17.03N, 61.48W     809-        GMT-4   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 


 Area:
 total area: 440 sq km
 land area: 440 sq km
 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
 continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
 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 sq km

 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

 natural hazards: hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October);
 periodic droughts
 international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
 Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
 Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
 Whaling

@Antigua And Barbuda:People

 Population: 65,176 (July 1995 est.)

 Age structure:
 0-14 years: 25% (female 8,062; male 8,390)
 15-64 years: 69% (female 22,342; male 22,334)
 65 years and over: 6% (female 2,231; male 1,817) (July 1995 est.)

 Population growth rate: 0.68% (1995 est.)

 Birth rate: 17.08 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Death rate: 5.35 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Net migration rate: -4.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Infant mortality rate: 17.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

 Life expectancy at birth:
 total population: 73.4 years
 male: 71.32 years
 female: 75.57 years (1995 est.)

 Total fertility rate: 1.68 children born/woman (1995 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 has completed five 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)

 National holiday: Independence 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 James B. CARLISLE (since NA 1993)
 head of government: Prime Minister Lester Bryant BIRD (since 8 March
 1994)
 cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the governor general on
 the advice of the prime minister

 Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
 Senate: 17 member body appointed by the governor general
 House of Representatives: elections last held 8 March 1994 (next to be
 held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (17
 total) ALP 11, UPP 5, independent 1

 Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

 Political parties and leaders: Antigua Labor Party (ALP), Lester
 Bryant 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
 William ROBINSON

 Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO,
 ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT
 (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM
 (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
 WHO, WMO

 Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission: Ambassador Patrick Albert LEWIS
 chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
 telephone: [1] (202) 362-5211, 5166, 5122
 FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225
 consulate(s) general: Miami

 US diplomatic representation: the post was closed 30 June 1994; the US
 Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda

 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

Economy

 Overview: The economy is primarily service oriented, with tourism the
 most important determinant of economic performance. In 1993, tourism
 made a direct contribution to GDP of about 17%, and also spurred
 growth in other sectors such as construction and transport. While only
 accounting for roughly 5% of GDP in 1993, agricultural production
 increased by 4%. Tourist arrivals remained strong in 1994.

 National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $400 million (1993
 est.)

 National product real growth rate: 3.4% (1993)

 National product per capita: $6,000 (1993 est.)

 Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (1993)

 Unemployment rate: 6% (1992 est.)

 Budget:
 revenues: $105 million
 expenditures: $161 million, including capital expenditures of $56
 million (1992)

 Exports: $54.7 million (f.o.b., 1992)
 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: $260.9 million (f.o.b., 1992)
 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 -4.9% (1993 est.); accounts for
 6.5% of GDP

 Electricity:
 capacity: 52,100 kW
 production: 95 million kWh
 consumption per capita: 1,242 kWh (1993)

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

 Agriculture: accounts for 5% of GDP; expanding output of cotton,
 fruits, vegetables, and livestock; other crops - bananas, coconuts,
 cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; not self-sufficient in food

 Illicit drugs: a long-time but relatively minor transshipment point
 for narcotics bound for the US and Europe and recent transshipment
 point for heroin from Europe to the US; more significant as a drug
 money laundering center

 Economic aid:
 recipient: US commitments (1985-88), $10 million; 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:Transportation

 Railroads:
 total: 77 km
 narrow gauge: 64 km 0.760-m gauge; 13 km 0.610-m gauge (used almost
 exclusively for handling sugar cane)

 Highways:
 total: 240 km
 paved: NA
 unpaved: NA

 Ports: Saint John's

 Merchant marine:
 total: 304 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,188,113 GRT/1,651,190
 DWT
 ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 216, chemical tanker 8, container 48,
 liquefied gas tanker 3, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 10,
 roll-on/roll-off cargo 11
 note: a flag of convenience registry

 Airports:
 total: 3
 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
 with paved runways under 914 m: 2

@Antigua And Barbuda:Communications

 Telephone system: 6,700 telephones; good automatic telephone system
 local: NA
 intercity: NA
 international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean)
 earth station; tropospheric scatter links with Saba and Guadeloupe

 Radio:
 broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 2
 radios: NA

 Television:
 broadcast stations: 2
 televisions: NA

@Antigua And Barbuda:Defense Forces

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

 Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $1.4 million, 1% of
 GDP (FY90/91)