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.

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

17 03 N, 61 48 W

Central America and the Caribbean

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

0 km

153 km

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

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

NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

NA

0.1 cu km (2000)

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

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

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

85,632 (July 2009 est.)

1.303% (2009 est.)

16.59 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

5.94 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

2.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

2.07 children born/woman (2009 est.)

NA

NA

NA

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

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)

English (official), local dialects

3.9% of GDP (2002)

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

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

1 November 1981 (from the UK)

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

1 November 1981

based on English common law

18 years of age; universal

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)

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

Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbudans for a Better Barbuda [Ordrick SAMUEL]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; Barbuda People's Movement for Change [Arthur NIBBS]; 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)

Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]

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

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

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

Antigua has a relatively high GDP per capita in comparison to most other Caribbean nations. The 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. Growth dropped off in 2008 with the end of the boom. Tourism continues to dominate the 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. Since taking office in 2004, the SPENCER government has adopted an ambitious fiscal reform program, and has been successful in reducing its public debt-to-GDP ratio from 120% to about 90%.

$1.61 billion (2008 est.)

$1.577 billion (2007)

$1.486 billion (2006)

$1.126 billion (2008 est.)

2.1% (2008 est.)

6.1% (2007 est.)

12.2% (2006 est.)

$19,000 (2008 est.)

$18,900 (2007 est.)

$18,000 (2006 est.)

30,000 (1991)

11% (2001 est.)

NA%

1.5% (2007 est.)

6.5% (31 December 2008)

6.5% (31 December 2007)

NA% (31 December 2008)

10.44% (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$294.8 million (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$902 million (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$1.002 billion (31 December 2007)

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

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

NA%

105 million kWh (2006 est.)

97.65 million kWh (2006 est.)

0 kWh (2007 est.)

0 kWh (2007 est.)

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

4,109 bbl/day (2006 est.)

157.7 bbl/day (2005)

4,556 bbl/day (2005)

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

0 cu m (2007 est.)

0 cu m (2007 est.)

0 cu m (2007 est.)

0 cu m (2007 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

$-211 million (2007 est.)

$84.3 million (2007 est.)

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

$522.8 million (2007 est.)

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

$359.8 million (June 2006)

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)

37,500 (2006)

110,200 (2006)

AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

2 (1997)

.ag

2,215 (2008)

60,000 (2007)

3 (2008)

Saint John's

Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (2009)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)

NA

none

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