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Background:
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The Siboney were the first 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 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.
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Location:
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Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
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Geographic coordinates:
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17 03 N, 61 48 W
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Map references:
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Area:
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total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)
land: 442.6 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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153 km
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Maritime claims:
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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
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Climate:
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tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation
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Terrain:
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mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m
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Natural resources:
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NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism
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Land use:
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arable land: 18.18%
permanent crops: 4.55%
other: 77.27% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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NA
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Total renewable water resources:
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0.1 cu km (2000)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 0.005 cu km/yr (60%/20%/20%)
Per capita: 63 cu m/yr (1990)
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Natural hazards:
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hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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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
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
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Geography - note:
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Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor
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Population:
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69,481 (July 2007 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 27.3% (male 9,647/female 9,306)
15-64 years: 69% (male 24,137/female 23,801)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 965/female 1,625) (2007 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 30.3 years
male: 29.8 years
female: 30.8 years (2007 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.527% (2007 est.)
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Birth rate:
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16.62 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Death rate:
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5.31 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-6.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.037 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.014 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.594 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 18.26 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.99 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 72.42 years
male: 70.03 years
female: 74.94 years (2007 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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2.23 children born/woman (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA
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Nationality:
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noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan
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Ethnic groups:
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black 91%, mixed 4.4%, white 1.7%, other 2.9% (2001 census)
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Religions:
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Anglican 25.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.3%, Pentecostal 10.6%, Moravian 10.5%, Roman Catholic 10.4%, Methodist 7.9%, Baptist 4.9%, Church of God 4.5%, other Christian 5.4%, other 2%, none or unspecified 5.8% (2001 census)
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Languages:
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English (official), local dialects
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling
total population: 85.8%
male: NA%
female: NA% (2003 est.)
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This page was last updated on 24 January, 2008
- The Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook - |