| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Central America and the Caribbean |
| Geographical Location |
17° 03' North Latitude
61° 48' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km) |
| Climate |
Tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation |
| Natural Resources |
NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism |
|
| Political Information |
 |
|
| Country Name |
Antigua and Barbuda |
| Capital City |
Saint John's (Antigua) |
| Government Type |
Constitutional monarchy with UK-style parliament |
| Administrative Divisions |
6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip |
| Independence Day |
1 November 1981 (from UK) |
|
| Demographical Information |
|
|
| Population |
68,722 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Antiguan, Barbudan |
| Ethnic Groups |
Black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian |
| Religion |
Christian, (predominantly Anglican with other Protestant, and some Roman Catholic) |
| Languages |
English (official), local dialects |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.57% (2005 est.) |
|
| Economical Information |
|
|
| Currency |
East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
| Industries |
Tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances) |
| Labor Force |
30,000 |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 7%, industry 11%, services 82% (1983) |
| Agriculture Products |
Cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock |
| Export Commodities |
Petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8% |
| Export Partners |
Germany 49.5%, UK 29.7%, France 3.5% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil |
| Import Partners |
US 21.8%, Singapore 18.8%, China 10.7%, Poland 6.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.6%, UK 4.4% (2004) |
|
| Transportation |
|
|
| Railways |
- |
| Highways |
250 km (1999 est.) |
| Pipelines |
- |
| Airports |
3 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Saint John's |
|
| Communication |
|
|
| Phone Code |
+1268 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.ag |
|
| Other |
|
|
| Short History |
The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak and Carib 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. |
|
| www.kfrawy.com |
