| Introduction :: Antigua and Barbuda |
Background:
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
| Geography :: Antigua and Barbuda |
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:
|
|
|
Area:
|
|
total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)
country comparison to the world: 206
land:
442.6 sq km
water:
0 sq km
note:
includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km
|
|
|
Area - comparative:
|
|
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
|
|
|
Land boundaries:
|
|
0 km
|
|
|
Coastline:
|
|
153 km
|
|
|
Maritime claims:
|
|
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
|
|
|
Climate:
|
|
tropical maritime; 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:
|
|
NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism
|
|
|
Land use:
|
|
arable land: 18.18%
permanent crops:
4.55%
other:
77.27% (2005)
|
|
|
Irrigated land:
|
|
NA
|
|
|
Total renewable water resources:
|
|
0.1 cu km (2000)
|
|
|
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
|
|
total: 0.005 cu km/yr (60%/20%/20%)
per capita:
63 cu m/yr (1990)
|
|
|
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, 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
|
|
|
Geography - note:
|
|
Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a large western harbor |
|
|
|
| People :: Antigua and Barbuda |
Population:
|
| 85,632 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
|
|
|
Age structure:
|
|
0-14 years: 26.8% (male 11,660/female 11,303)
15-64 years:
66.6% (male 26,597/female 30,414)
65 years and over:
6.6% (male 2,456/female 3,202) (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Median age:
|
|
total: 29.7 years
male:
28.2 years
female:
31.1 years (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Population growth rate:
|
|
1.303% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
|
|
|
Birth rate:
|
|
16.59 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
|
|
|
Death rate:
|
|
5.94 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
|
|
|
Net migration rate:
|
|
2.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
|
|
|
Urbanization:
|
|
urban population: 30% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
0.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
|
|
|
Sex ratio:
|
|
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.87 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.77 male(s)/female
total population:
0.91 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
|
total: 16.25 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 120
male:
18.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
13.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
|
total population: 74.76 years
country comparison to the world: 87
male:
72.81 years
female:
76.81 years (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Total fertility rate:
|
|
2.07 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
|
|
|
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 91%, mixed 4.4%, white 1.7%, other 2.9% (2001 census)
|
|
|
Religions:
|
|
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)
|
|
|
Languages:
|
|
English (official), local dialects
|
|
|
Literacy:
|
|
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling
total population:
85.8%
male:
NA
female:
NA (2003 est.)
|
|
|
Education expenditures:
|
|
3.9% of GDP (2002)
country comparison to the world: 106
|
|
|
|
|
