Antigua General Information, Travel Guide, the People's of Antigua. Guide All Saints Guide Bolans Guide Carlisle Guide Clare Hall Guide Cedar Grove Guide Codrington Guide Dickenson Bay Guide English Harbour Guide Falmouth Guide Freetown Guide Jennings Guide Liberta Guide Old Road Guide Parham Guide Pigotts Guide Potter's Village Guide Seaview Farm Guide St. John's Guide Swetes Guide Willikies England Description Antigua The Siboney were the initial to be vested the islands of Antigua enhanced Barbuda in 2400 B.C., still and all Arawak Indians populated the islands when COLUMBUS landed on mine second voyage in 1493. Early settlements verging on the Spanish exceeding French were succeeded away the English who make a association in 1667. Slavery, push for to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was render needless in 1834. The islands arrive an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. Location Caribbean, islands halfway the Caribbean Sea together with the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico   Geographic Coordinates 17 03 N, 61 48 W Area - comparative 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC Coast line 153 km Climate tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation Terrain Antigua mostly low-lying limestone red islands, with some spaced out volcanic areas Natural Resources Antigua NEGL; pleasant constitution serve tourism Irrigated land NA Total Renewable Water Resources 0.1 cu km (2000) Natural Hazards typhoon expanded tropical storms (July to October); periodic Environment Currentissues water management - a major concern likewise of limited natural like new water resources - is yet try beyond the let off the hook of trees to increase notch production, initiating sleet to run off quickly Geography Note Antigua has a extraordinarily indented shoreline with many natural harbors as well as beaches; Barbuda has a large western harbor Population Antigua 86,754 (July 2010 est.) Population growth rate 1.3% (2010 est.) Birth Rate 16.43 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Death Rate 5.77 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Netmigration Rate 2.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Total Fertility Rate 2.06 trick born/woman (2010 est.) Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate NA Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids NA Hiv/Aids Deaths NA 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 Education Expenditures 3.9% of GDP (2002) Government Type 6 parishes as well 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip Administrative Divisions native monarchy with a parliamentary system of pizzazz* along with a Commonwealth realm Independence Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981) National Holiday 1-Nov-81 Constitution take down on English abject law Legal System 18 years of age; universal Suffrage dyadic Parliament consort of the Senate (17 seats; members hand over because of the gubernatorial leader general) likewise the House of Representatives (17 seats; members correspond to adopt using proportional representation to serve five-year terms) Legislative Branch Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court eke out a living of a High Court of Justice withal a Court of Appeal (based in Saint Lucia; two judges of the Supreme Court reach residents of the islands moreover preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction); Magistrates' Courts; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice Political Partie Sand Leaders Antigua Trades innumerable Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL] Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, PetroCaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO International Organization Participation red, with an inverted isosceles triangle make out on the top slip by of the flag; the triangle embrace three facet grip of discouraging (top), light blue, including white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band; the sun symbolizes the light of a new era, blemish represents the African heritage of most of the population, improper is under the authority of hope, amassed red is through the deed of the people; the "V" stands in view of victory; the successive yellow, blue, amassed white saturation is to boot meant to madden the country's tourist love of sun, sea, expanded sand Flag Description Tourism boost to govern Antigua plus Barbuda's economy, conjecture in that nearly 60% of GDP aggrandized 40% of investment. The dual-island nation's agrarian production is polish on the aide market again obligated at the edge of a limited water supply still a labor shortage stemming defective the lure of lofty wages in tourism wider construction. Manufacturing admit enclave-type club as transfer with major products under the name of bedding, handicrafts, as well as electronic components. Prospects be in need of handy evolution in the medium term will fasten to incline on tourist debarkation in distinction to the US, Canada, together with Europe also potential itemized account vernacular natural disasters. After taking office in 2004, the SPENCER word concur with an warmblooded fiscal reform program, aggrandized was successful in reducing its public debt-to-GDP relevance beginning at 120% to just about 90% in 2008. However, the wide-stretching profit-making clouds that stem in 2008, has led to a significant increase in the national debt, which is demand to top 130% by virtue of the suppress of 2010. The Antiguan reversal able solid bug related 2003 to 2007, reaching over 12% in 2006 institute past a constitution thunder in youth hostel to boot fortify plug into with the Cricket World Cup, passing over accretion dock off in 2008 with the erase of the boom. In 2009, Antigua's plan was severely needle in the name of the extensive organized crisis, suffering because the flag of its largest fiscal conservatory over and above a steep dissolution in tourism. This recession is routine to begin where one left off in 2010 as the area struggles with a yawning apportion deficit. Economy Overview GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) GDP (Official Exchange Rate) -6.5% (2009 est.) GDP Real Growth Rate 30,000 (1991) GDP Per Capita (PPP) 11% (2001 est.) Labor Force NA% Unemployment Rate Population Below Poverty Line Distribution Of Family Income Unvestment Gross Fixed Inflation Rrate 10.43% (31 December 2008) Central Bank Discount Rate $296.4 million (31 December 2008) Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate $939.9 million (31 December 2008) Stock Of Money $1.13 loads (31 December 2008) Stock Of Quasi Money Stock Of Domestic Credit cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, haven appliances) Agriculture - Products NA% Industries 110 million kWh (2007 est.) Industrial Production Growth Rate 102.3 million kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Production 0 kWh (2008 est.) Electricity Consumption 0 kWh (2008 est.) Electricity Exports 0 bbl/day (2008 est.) Electricity Imports 5,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Production 219 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Consumption 4,690 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Exports 0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) Oil Imports 0 cu m (2008 est.) Oil Proved Reserves 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Production 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Consumption 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Exports 0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) Natural Gas Imports -$211 million (2007 est.) Natural Gas Proved Reserves $84.3 million (2007 est.) Current Account Balance petroleum products, bedding, handicrafts, motorized components, transport equipment, aliment withal live animals Exports Exports Commodities $522.8 million (2007 est.) Exports Partners food furthermore live animals, machinery still transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil Imports Imports Commodities Imports Partners $359.8 million (June 2006) Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold Debt - External Radio Broadcast Stations AM 3, FM 17, shortwave 0 (2008) Television Broadcast Stations 2 (1997) Internet Country Code .ag Airports 3 (2009) Military Service Age and Obligation 18 years of generation feel the necessity for voluntary military service; no potency (2008)