Antigua & Barbuda

Listen to Antigua & Barbuda

  In 1860 the islands of Antigua and Barbuda where legally joined into one territory, today, they make up the country of Antigua and Barbuda; part of the British Commonwealth of Nations.  The islands are a constitutional parliamentary democracy this means that although Antiguans and Barbudans maintain control of their local government the United Kingdom maintains their defense and foreign policy.  The Chief of State remains Queen Elizabeth the 2nd represented on the islands by Governor General Sir James Carlisle.  The head of government is Prime Minister Winston Baldwin Spencer.  The country gained the independence from the UK on November 1, 1981; they celebrate this as their independence day. 

  Antigua and Barbuda are located between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean in the lesser Antilles.  Together they are about 2.5 times the size of Washington D.C. with a population of approximately 70,000 people.  The islands ethnic groups are Black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, and Syrian.  The official language is English, although local dialects are prominent.   

  The economy here relies heavily on tourists with more than half of the Gross Domestic Product coming from this industry.  More than 1/3 of the tourists that visit Antigua and Barbuda come from the U.S.  The islands agricultural production is generally for domestic purposes, and is hindered by limited water supply and a labor shortage.  Agriculture consists of Cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane, and livestock.   Antigua and Barbuda import 380 million dollars in food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, and oil a year.  Their main import partners are the US, China, Germany and Singapore.  They export 47 million dollars in petroleum products, manufactures, machinery, food and live animals.  Their main import partners are Spain, Germany, Italy, and Singapore.