| Antigua and Barbuda |
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| Background: The Siboney were the first 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 settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a 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. |
| Geography and Environmental |
Capital: name: Saint John's
geographic coordinates: 17 06 N, 61 51 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Area Total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km) |
| Area Land: 442.6 sq km |
| Area Water: 0 sq km |
| Area Note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km |
| Area Comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Coastline: 153 km |
| Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation |
| Terrain: mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas |
| Elevation Extremes Lowest Point: Caribbean Sea 0 m |
| Elevation Extremes Highest Point: Boggy Peak 402 m |
| Natural Resources: NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism |
| Land Use Arable Land: 18.18% |
| Land Use Permanent Crops: 4.55% |
| Land Use Other: 77.27% (2005) |
| Irrigated Land: NA |
| Natural Hazards: hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts |
| 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 |
| Geography Note: Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor |
| Population |
| Population: 69,481 (July 2007 est.) |
| Age Structure 0 to 14 Years: 27.3% (male 9,647/female 9,306) |
| Age Structure 15 to 64 Years: 69% (male 24,137/female 23,801) |
| Age Structure 65 Years And Over: 3.7% (male 965/female 1,625) (2007 est.) |
| Median Age Total: 30.3 years |
| Median Age Male: 29.8 years |
| Median Age Female: 30.8 years (2007 est.) |
| Population Growth Rate: 0.527% (2007 est.) |
| Birth Rate: 16.62 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Death Rate: 5.31 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Sex Ratio At Birth: 1.05 male(s)/female |
| Sex Ratio Under 15 Years: 1.037 male(s)/female |
| Sex Ratio 15 to 64 Years: 1.014 male(s)/female |
| Sex Ratio 65 Years And Over: 0.594 male(s)/female |
| Sex Ratio Total Population: 1 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
| Infant Mortality Rate Total: 18.26 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Infant Mortality Rate Male: 21.99 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Infant Mortality Rate Female: 14.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Life Expectancy At BirthTotalPopulation: 72.42 years |
| Life Expectancy At Birth Male: 70.03 years |
| Life Expectancy At Birth Female: 74.94 years (2007 est.) |
| Total Fertility Rate: 2.23 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
| HIV AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate: NA |
| HIV AIDS People Living With HIV AIDS: NA |
| HIV AIDS Deaths: NA |
| Religions: Anglican 25.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.3%, Pentecostal 10.6%, Moravian 10.5%, Roman Catholic 10.4%, Methodist 7.9%, Baptist 4.9%, Church of God 4.5%, other Christian 5.4%, other 2%, none or unspecified 5.8% (2001 census) |
| Languages: English (official), local dialects |
| Literacy Definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling |
| Literacy Total Population: 85.8% |
| Literacy Male: NA% |
| Literacy Female: NA% (2003 est.) |
| Administrative Divisions: 6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip |
| Legal System: based on English common law |
| Economy |
| Overview: Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than half of GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers since early 2000 have slowed the economy and pressed the government into a tight fiscal corner. 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 income growth in the industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals. |
| GDP Purchasing Power Parity: $750 million (2002 est.) |
| GDP Real Growth Rate: 3.8% (2005 est.) |
| GDP Composition By Sector Agriculture: 3.8% |
| GDP Composition By Sector Industry: 22% |
| GDP Composition By Sector Services: 74.3% (2002 est.) |
| Labor Force: 30,000 (1991 est.) |
Labor Force By Occupation: agriculture: 7%
industry: 11%
services: 82% (1983) |
| Unemployment Rate: 11% (2001 est.) |
Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation Rate Consumer Prices: 0.9% (2005 est.) |
| Industries: tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances) |
| Industrial Production Growth Rate: NA% |
| Energy |
| Electricity Production: 105 million kWh (2004) |
| Electricity Production By Source Fossil Fuel: 100% |
| Electricity Production By Source Hydro: 0% |
| Electricity Production By Source Nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity Production By Source Other: 0% (2001) |
| Electricity Consumption: 97.65 million kWh (2004) |
| Electricity Exports: 0 kWh (2004) |
| Electricity Imports: 0 kWh (2004) |
| Oil Production: 0 bbl/day (2004) |
| Oil Consumption: 3,800 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
| Natural Gas Production: 0 cu m (2004 est.) |
| Natural Gas Consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.) |
| Exports: $46.81 million (2004 est.) |
| Exports Commodities: petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8% |
| Exports Partners: Spain 34%, Germany 20.7%, Italy 7.7%, Singapore 5.8%, UK 4.9% (2005) |
| Imports: $378 million (2004 est.) |
| Imports Commodities: food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil |
| Imports Partners: US 21.1%, China 16.4%, Germany 13.3%, Singapore 12.7%, Spain 6.5% (2005) |
| Debt External: $427.3 million; note - data are for public external debt, not total external debt (2000) |
| Economic Aid Recipient: $1.65 million (2004) |
| Communications |
| Telephones Main Lines In Use: 38,000 (2004) |
| TelephonesMobileCellular: 54,000 (2004) |
| Telephone System General Assessment: NA |
| Telephone System Domestic: good automatic telephone system |
| Telephone System International: country code - 1-268; coaxial submarine cable - 1; satellite earth station - 2; tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe |
| Radio Broadcast Stations: AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios: 36,000 (1997) |
| Television Broadcast Stations: 2 (1997) |
| Televisions: 31,000 (1997) |
| Internet Service Providers-ISPs: 16 (2000) |
| Internet Users: 20,000 (2005) |
| Transportation |
| Airports: 3 (2006) |
| Military Expenditures Percent Of GDP: NA (2006) |
| Disputes International: none |
| IllicitDrugs: considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center |