Population growth rate:
0.6% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
17.7 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
5.55 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
−6.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 20.18 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 24.29 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.6 years
male: 69.26 years
female: 74.07 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.27 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality: noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s) adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan
Ethnic groups:
black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian
Religions:
Christian, (predominantly Anglican with other Protestant, and some
Roman Catholic)
Languages:
English (official), local dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of
schooling
total population: 89%
male: 90%
female: 88% (1960 est.)
Government Antigua and Barbuda
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda
Government type:
constitutional monarchy with UK-style parliament
Capital:
Saint John's (Antigua)
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 (National 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 10 June
1993)
elections: none; the monarch 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 is usually appointed prime minister
by the governor general
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on
the advice of the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Baldwin SPENCER (since 24 March
2004)
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member body
appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives
(17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to
serve five-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
ALP 4, UPP 12, contested 1; note - new election will decide the
contested seat
elections: House of Representatives - last held 23 March 2004 (next
to be held NA 2009)
Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia; one judge of
the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the
Court of Summary Jurisdiction)
Political parties and leaders:
Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbuda People's
Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; United Progressive Party or UPP
[Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three opposition parties - United
National Democratic Party or UNDP, Antigua Caribbean Liberation
Movement or ACLM, and Progressive Labor Movement or PLM)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's
Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]
International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber),
ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lionel A. HURST chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 362–5122 FAX: [1] (202) 362–5225 consulate(s) general: Miami
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda (embassy closed 30 June 1994); the US Ambassador to Barbados, Ambassador Mary E. KRAMER, is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda
Flag description:
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 Antigua and Barbuda
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, however, and pressed the government into a tight
fiscal corner. The dual-island nation's agricultural