Caribbean
Country Profiles
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda
gained independence from Britain in 1981 but remains a
part of the British Commonwealth. About half of the country’s
population is concentrated around the capital city.
The two islands of Antigua and Barbuda cover an area of
443 square kilometres, consisting mostly of low-lying costal
areas with some volcanic mountain ranges. The climate is
tropical and temperatures vary little from season to season.
The islands are susceptible to hurricanes, particularly during
the hurricane season from July to October and have experienced
periodic droughts.
The capital city of Antigua and Barbuda is St. John’s.
The two islands are divided into six parishes and two dependencies.
The government is a constitutional monarchy headed by Prime
Minister Lester Bird. Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of
State. The next elections will be held before March 2004.
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People
|
|
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Human Development Index Ranking (out of 173)
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52
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Population (millions)
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0.1
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Population growth rate (%)
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0.3
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Adult literacy rate (% age 15 and above)
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86.6
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Health
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Life expectancy
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73.9
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Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births)
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13
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People living with HIV/AIDS (% adults 15-49)
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---
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Population using improved water sources (%)
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91
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Population using adequate sanitation facilities
(%)
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96
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Economy
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GDP (US$ billions)
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0.7
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Population living below national poverty line (%)
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---
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Source: United Nation Human Development Reports,
Human Development Indicators 2002
--- indicates information not available
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