Flag of Antigua and Barbuda is 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.
PROFILE
OFFICIAL
NAME:
Antigua and
Barbuda
Geography
Area: Antigua--281 sq. km. (108 sq. mi.); Barbuda--161 sq. km. (62
sq. mi.). Cities: Capital--St. John's (pop.
30,000).
Terrain: Generally low-lying, with highest elevation 405 m. (1,330
ft.). Climate: Tropical
maritime.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Antiguan(s),
Barbudan(s).
Population (2005):
82,786.
Annual population growth rate (2005):
1.7%.
Ethnic groups: Almost entirely of African origin; some of
British,
Portuguese, and Levantine Arab
origin.
Religions: Principally Anglican, with evangelical Protestant and
Roman Catholic
minorities.
Language:
English.
Education (2005): Adult
literacy--85.8%.
Health (2004): Infant mortality rate--11.0/1,000. Life
expectancy--men 70 years; women 74
years.
Work force (2005): 30,000 (commerce and services, agriculture,
other
industry).
Unemployment (2002):
13%.
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state within
the
Commonwealth.
Constitution:
1981.
Independence: November 1,
1981.
Branches: Executive--governor general (representing Queen Elizabeth
II, head of state), prime minister (head of government),
cabinet.
Legislative--bicameral Parliament. Judicial--magistrate's courts,
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (High Court and
Court of Appeals), Privy Council in
London.
Administrative subdivisions: Six parishes and two dependencies
(Barbuda and
Redonda).
Political parties: Antigua Labour Party (ALP), United Progressive
Party (UPP, majority), Barbuda People's Movement
(BPM).
Suffrage: Universal at
18.
Economy
GDP (2005): $875.8
million.
GDP growth rate (2005):
3.2%.
Per capita GDP (2004):
$12,586.
Inflation (2005):
0.9%.
Natural resources:
Negligible.
Agriculture: Fish, cotton, livestock, vegetables, and
pineapples.
Services: Tourism, banking, and other financial
services.
Trade (2005): Exports--$58 million (merchandise) and $454 million
(commercial services). Major markets--European Union (23.2%), United
States (7.7%), Anguilla (7.0%), St.
Kitts and Nevis (10.3%), Netherlands Antilles (23.4%).
Imports--$497 million (merchandise) and $197 million (commercial
services). Major suppliers--United States (48.9%), Netherlands
Antilles (10.2%), European
Union (11.6%), Trinidad and Tobago (10.9%), Canada
(3.7%).
Official exchange rate: EC$2.70 = U.S.
$1.
HISTORY
Antigua was first inhabited by the Siboney ("stone people"),
whose
settlements date at least to 2400 BC. The Arawaks--who originated
in Venezuela and
gradually migrated up the chain of islands now called
the Lesser Antilles--succeeded the
Siboney. The warlike Carib people drove the Arawaks from
neighboring islands but apparently did not settle on
either Antigua or
Barbuda.
Christopher Columbus landed on the islands in 1493, naming the larger
one "Santa Maria de la Antigua." The English
colonized the islands in 1632. Sir Christopher Codrington
established the first large sugar estate in Antigua in 1674, and
leased Barbuda to raise provisions for his plantations. Barbuda's
only town is named after him. Codrington and others brought slaves
from Africa's west coast to work the
plantations.
Antiguan slaves were emancipated in 1834, but remained economically
dependent on the plantation owners. Economic opportunities for the new
freedmen were limited by a lack of surplus farming land,
no access to credit, and an
economy built on agriculture rather than manufacturing. Poor labor
conditions persisted until 1939, which saw the birth of the trade
union movement in Antigua and
Barbuda.
The Antigua Trades and Labour Union became the political vehicle for
Vere Cornwall Bird, who was elected as the Labour
Union's president in 1943. The Antigua Labour Party (ALP),
formed by Bird and other trade unionists, first ran candidates
in the 1946 elections and became the majority party in 1951,
beginning a long history of electoral
victories.
Voted out of office in the 1971 general elections that swept the
progressive labor movement into power, Bird and the ALP returned to
office in 1976, winning renewed
mandates in every subsequent election under Vere
Bird's leadership until 1994 and also
under the leadership of his son, Lester Bird, up until March 2004,
when the ALP lost power in national
elections.
In the last elections on March 23, 2004, the United Progressive Party
(UPP) won 12 of the 17 seats in Parliament. The main opposition
ALP, now led by Steadroy "Cutie" Benjamin, retained
four
seats.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL
CONDITIONS
As head of state, Queen Elizabeth II is represented in Antigua and
Barbuda by a governor general who acts on the advice of the prime
minister and the cabinet. Antigua and
Barbuda has a bicameral legislature: a 17-member Senate appointed by
the governor general--mainly on the advice of the prime minister and
the leader of the opposition--and a 17-member popularly elected House of
Representatives. The prime minister is the leader of the majority
party in the House and conducts affairs of state with the
cabinet. The prime minister and the cabinet are responsible to the
Parliament. Elections must be held at least every 5 years but may be
called by the prime minister at any time.
National elections were last held on March 23,
2004.
Constitutional safeguards include freedom of speech, press,
worship, movement,
and association. Antigua and Barbuda is a member of the
eastern Caribbean court system. Jurisprudence is
based on English common law.
Principal Government
Officials
Chief of State--Queen Elizabeth
II
Governor General--Sir James Beethoven
Carlisle
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs--Winston Baldwin
Spencer Ambassador to the United States
and the OAS--Deborah Mae
Lovell
Ambassador to the United Nations--Dr. John
Ashe
Antigua and Barbuda maintains an embassy in the United States at 3216
New Mexico Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016 (tel.
202-362-5122).
ECONOMY
Antigua and Barbuda's service-based economy grew by 3.2% in 2005,
compared with 5.2% in 2004. Construction, banking and
insurance, communications, and wholesale and retail trade
sectors were the main contributors to economic
growth. The economy is experiencing its third consecutive year of
high growth, driven by a
construction boom in hotels and housing, as well
as projects related to the 2007 Cricket
World Cup. The tourism and hospitality sector has largely
recovered after the decrease in tourism following the
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. It posted a strong performance
in 2004, and in 2005 the sector was estimated at 50% of
GDP.
To lessen its vulnerability to natural disasters and economic shocks,
Antigua has sought to diversify its economy by encouraging growth in
transportation, communications, Internet gambling, and financial
services.
Antigua and Barbuda's currency is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$),
a regional currency shared among
members of the Eastern Caribbean Currency
Union (ECCU). The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) issues the
EC$, manages monetary policy, and
regulates and supervises commercial banking
activities in its member countries. The ECCB has kept the EC$ pegged
at EC$2.7=U.S.
$1.
Antigua and Barbuda is a beneficiary of the U.S. Caribbean Basin
Initiative that grants duty-free entry into the United States
for many goods. In 2005, 7.7% of its total exports went to the
United States, and 48.9% of its total imports came from the
United States. Antigua and Barbuda also belongs to the predominantly
English-speaking Caribbean Community and Common
Market (CARICOM) and
the CARICOM Single Market and Economy
(CSME).
FOREIGN
RELATIONS
Antigua and Barbuda maintains diplomatic relations with the United
States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the People's
Republic of China, as well as with many Latin American
countries and neighboring Eastern Caribbean states. It is a member of
the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations,
the Organization of American
States, the Organization of Eastern
Caribbean States, and the Eastern
Caribbean's Regional Security System
(RSS).
U.S.-ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
RELATIONS
The United States has maintained friendly relations with Antigua and
Barbuda since its independence. The United States has supported the
Government of Antigua and Barbuda's effort to
expand its economic base and to improve its citizens' standard
of living. However, concerns over the lack of adequate
regulation of the financial services sector prompted the U.S.
Government to issue a financial advisory for Antigua and
Barbuda in 1999. The advisory was lifted in 2001, but the U.S.
Government continues to monitor the Government of Antigua and
Barbuda's regulation of financial services. The United States also
has been active in supporting post-hurricane disaster assistance
and rehabilitation through the U.S. Agency for
International Development's
(USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and the Peace Corps.
U.S. assistance is primarily channeled
through multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and the
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), as well as through the USAID
office in Bridgetown, Barbados. In addition, Antigua and
Barbuda receives
counter-narcotics assistance and benefits from U.S.
military exercise-related
and humanitarian civic assistance construction projects.
Antigua and Barbuda is strategically situated in the Leeward Islands
near maritime transport lanes of major importance
to the United States. Antigua has long hosted a U.S.
military presence. The former U.S. Navy
support facility, turned over to
the Government of Antigua and Barbuda in 1995, is now
being developed as a regional Coast Guard training
facility.
Antigua and Barbuda's location close to the U.S. Virgin Islands and
Puerto Rico makes it an attractive transshipment point
for narcotics traffickers. To address these problems, the United
States and Antigua and Barbuda have signed a series of
counter-narcotic and counter-crime treaties and
agreements, including a maritime law
enforcement agreement (1995), subsequently amended to include
overflight and order-to-land provisions (1996); a
bilateral extradition treaty
(1996); and a mutual legal assistance treaty
(1996).
In 2005, Antigua and Barbuda had 239,804 stay-over visitors, with
nearly 28% of Antigua and Barbuda's visitors coming from the United
States. It is estimated that
4,500 Americans reside in the
country.
The United States maintains no official presence in Antigua. The
Ambassador and Embassy officers are resident in Barbados and
travel to Antigua
frequently. However, a U.S. consular agent resident in Antigua
assists U.S. citizens in Antigua and
Barbuda.
The U.S. Embassy in Barbados is located in the Wildey Business Park,
Wildey, St. Michael. (tel: 246-436-4950; fax: 246-429-5246). Consular
Agent Rebecca Simon is located at Hospital Hill, English
Harbor, Antigua, tel: (268)
463-6531.
Other Contact
Information
U.S. Department of
Commerce
International Trade
Administration
Office of Latin America and the
Caribbean
14th & Constitution Avenue,
NW
Washington, DC
20230
Tel: 202-482-1658,
800-USA-Trade
Fax:
202-482-0464
Caribbean/Latin American
Action
1818 N Street,
NW
Suite
310
Washington, DC
20036
Tel:
202-466-7464
Fax:
202-822-0075
TRAVEL AND BUSINESS
INFORMATION
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises
Americans traveling and residing abroad through Consular Information
Sheets, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings.
Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include
information on entry and exit requirements, currency
regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime,
political disturbances, and
the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. Public
Announcements are issued to disseminate information quickly
about terrorist threats and other relatively
short-term conditions overseas that pose significant
risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings are
issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel
to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or
unstable.
For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling
abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau
of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://www.travel.state.gov, where the
current Worldwide Caution, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings
can be found. Consular Affairs Publications,
which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe
trip abroad, are also available at http://www.travel.state.gov.
For additional information on international
travel, see http://www.usa.gov/
Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.
The Department of State encourages all U.S citizens who traveling or
residing abroad to register via the State Department's travel
registration website or at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate
abroad. Registration will make your presence and whereabouts known in
case it is necessary to contact you in an emergency and will
enable you to receive up-to-date information on security
conditions.
Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be
obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and
Canada or the regular toll line 1-202-501-4444 for
callers outside the U.S. and
Canada.
The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S.
Department of State's single, centralized public
contact center for U.S.
passport
information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778). Customer
service representatives and operators for TDD/TTY
are available Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight,
Eastern Time, excluding federal
holidays.
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.
A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm
give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations
or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for
regions and countries. A booklet entitled "Health
Information for International Travel"
(HHS
publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S.
Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202)
512-1800.
Further Electronic
Information
Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at
http:// www.state.gov, the Department of State web
site provides timely, global access to
official U.S. foreign policy information, including
Background Notes and daily press briefings
along with the directory of key officers of Foreign Service
posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) provides
security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies
working abroad through its website http://www.osac.gov
Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and
market information offered by the federal
government and provides trade leads, free export counseling, help
with the export process, and
more.
STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
provides authoritative economic, business, and
international trade information from the Federal
government. The site includes current and
historical
trade-related releases, international market research, trade
opportunities, and country analysis and provides access to the
National Trade Data Bank.
*********************************************************** See http://www.state.gov/r/pa/bgn/ for all
Background
notes ************************************************************ To
change your subscription, go to http://www.state.gov/misc/echannels/66822.htm
Antigua and Barbuda
