BARBUDA
@Antigua and Barbuda:Geography
Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates: 17 03 N, 61 48 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 440 sq km land: 440 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Redonda
Area - comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 153 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf : 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical marine; 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 highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m
Natural resources: negligible; pleasant climate fosters tourism
Land use: arable land : 18% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 9% forests and woodland: 11% other: 62% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
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
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Desertification
@Antigua and Barbuda:People
Population: 63,739 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0–14 years: 26% (male 8,514; female 8,221) 15–64 years: 68% (male 21,499; female 21,891) 65 years and over : 6% (male 1,571; female 2,043) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.44% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 17.27 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 5.98 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: −6.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth : 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 22 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.93 years male : 68.58 years female: 73.4 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.76 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s) adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan
Ethnic groups: black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian
Religions: Anglican (predominant), other Protestant sects, 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.)
@Antigua and Barbuda:Government
Country name: conventional long form : none conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda
Data code: AC
Government type: parliamentary democracy
National capital: Saint John's
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, 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 of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General James B. CARLISLE (since NA 1993) head of government: Prime Minister Lester Bryant BIRD (since 8 March 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general chosen by the queen on the advice of the prime minister; prime minister appointed by the governor general
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 5-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 8 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999) election results : percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ALP 11, UPP 5, independent 1
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]; United Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER], a
coalition of three opposition political parties - the United National
Democratic Party or UNDP; the Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or
ACLM; and the 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, ECLAC,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU,
NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission:
