Page last updated on December 17, 2013
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.
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Central America and the Caribbean
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
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m
NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism
arable land: 9.09%
permanent crops: 2.27%
other: 88.64% (2011)
total: 0.01 cu km/yr (63%/21%/15%)
per capita: 97.67 cu m/yr (2005)
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts
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
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
Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a large western harbor
noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan
black 91%, mixed 4.4%, white 1.7%, other 2.9% (2001 census)
English (official), local dialects
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)
90,156 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
0-14 years: 24.7% (male 11,333/female 10,979)
15-24 years: 16.7% (male 7,465/female 7,622)
25-54 years: 42.8% (male 17,638/female 20,930)
55-64 years: 8.6% (male 3,530/female 4,229)
65 years and over: 7.1% (male 2,771/female 3,659) (2013 est.)
total dependency ratio: 47.2 %
youth dependency ratio: 36.7 %
elderly dependency ratio: 10.5 %
potential support ratio: 9.5 (2013)
total: 30.8 years
male: 29.1 years
female: 32.3 years (2013 est.)
1.26% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
16.07 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
2.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
urban population: 30% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
SAINT JOHN'S (capital) 27,000 (2011)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.84 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.84 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
total: 13.72 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 122
male: 15.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 75.91 years
country comparison to the world: 87
male: 73.85 years
female: 78.07 years (2013 est.)
2.04 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
5.9% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 112
0.17 physicians/1,000 population (1999)
2.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)
25.6% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 52
2.5% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 160
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling
total population: 99%
male: 98.4%
female: 99.4% (2011 est.)
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 14 years (2011)
total: 19.9%
country comparison to the world: 59
male: 18.4%
female: 21.6% (2001)
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government and a Commonwealth realm
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)
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)
several previous; latest presented 31 July 1981; effective 31 October 1981 (Antigua and Barbuda Constitutional Order 1981) (2011)
common law based on the English model
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal
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
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
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
highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Antigua and Barbuda; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; 2 High Court judges reside on Antigua and Barbuda
judge selection and term of office: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Chief Justice appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
subordinate courts: Industrial Court; Magistrates' Courts
Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Gaston BROWNE]
Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [Wigley GEORGE]
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Deborah Mae LOVELL (since 8 March 2005)
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122
FAX: [1] (202) 362-5525
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
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
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)
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 approximately 130% in 2010 to 89% in 2012. In 2009, Antigua's economy was severely hit by the global economic crisis and suffered from the collapse of its largest private sector employer, 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.
$1.562 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
$1.16 billion (2012 est.)
1.6% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
$17,800 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
household consumption: 57.3%
government consumption: 17.3%
investment in fixed capital: 30.7%
investment in inventories: 0%
exports of goods and services: 47%
imports of goods and services: -52.3%
agriculture: 2.2%
industry: 16.6%
services: 81.2% (2012 est.)
cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock
tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)
30,000 (1991)
country comparison to the world: 206
agriculture: 7%
industry: 11%
services: 82% (1983)
11% (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $239.5 million
expenditures: $248.7 million (2012 est.)
19.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
-0.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
89% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
3.4% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
6.5% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
10.13% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
$205.2 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
$1.131 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
$1.111 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
$-78.5 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
$56.7 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195
petroleum products, bedding, handicrafts, electronic components, transport equipment, food and live animals
$402.7 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil
$441.2 million (31 December 2012)
country comparison to the world: 176
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
115 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
107 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
27,000 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 101
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
5,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
239.5 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
4,790 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
0 cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 108
731,600 Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
35,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 174
179,800 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 182
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)
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)
11,532 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 130
65,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 172
3 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 192
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2013)
total: 1,170 km
country comparison to the world: 182
paved: 386 km
unpaved: 784 km (2011)
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)
major seaport(s): Saint John's
Ministry of National Security, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (includes Antigua and Barbuda Coast Guard) (2012)
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; Governor-General has powers to call up men for national service and set the age at which they could be called up (2012)
males age 16-49: 21,141
females age 16-49: 24,056 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 17,676
females age 16-49: 19,960 (2010 est.)
male: 806
female: 799 (2010 est.)
3.3% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 36
