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Antigua and Barbuda sand on Barbuda, coves that were once port. V. C. Bird International Airport is 8 km volcanic craters, and luxuriant palms, the north-east of St John’s; and an airstrip at country was an early proponent of sea-and- Codrington, Barbuda, is suitable for light sun tourism. Antigua is generally composed aircraft. of low-lying coral and limestone, although Boggy Peak among the volcanic rocks to the Society west rises to 402 metres. It has an indented coastline and a good harbour at English KEY FACTS 2013 Harbour Town. There are a few springs; Population per sq km: 203 drought can be a problem. Barbuda is flat Life expectancy: 76 years with a large lagoon on its west side. Redonda is a tiny rocky island, and is Net primary enrolment: 85% uninhabited. Population: 90,000 (2013); some 2,000 on Climate: Tropical and drier than most of the Barbuda; 25 per cent of people live in urban West Indies. The hot season, when most rain areas; growth 1.6 per cent p.a. 1990–2013; falls, is May–November. Hurricane Luis, the birth rate 16 per 1,000 people (26 in 1970); first hurricane in many decades, struck in life expectancy 76 years (67 in 1970). Some mid-1995, causing particular damage to 91 per cent of the population is of African Barbuda where it flooded 75 per cent of the descent (2001 census). island, including the main town of Language: English; an English-based Creole Codrington. is also spoken. Environment: The most significant Religion: Mainly Christians (Anglicans 18 per environmental issue is limited resources of cent, Seventh Day Adventists 12 per cent, natural freshwater which is aggravated by Pentecostals 12 per cent, Moravians eight per clearing of trees to increase crop production, cent, Roman Catholics eight per cent, 2011 causing rainfall to run off quickly. census). Vegetation: Little remains of Antigua’s Health: Public spending on health was four KEY FACTS natural vegetation, as the island was formerly per cent of GDP in 2012. The country has a Joined Commonwealth: 1981 cleared for sugar planting. Unlike other general hospital (220 beds), a private clinic, islands in the Leeward group, it has little Population: 90,000 (2013) seven health centres and 17 associated clinics. forest; mangoes, guavas, coconuts and Government finances visits by specialists in GDP p.c. growth: 0.7% p.a. 1990–2013 bananas grow in the south-west. Barbuda is diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and UN HDI 2014: World ranking 61 well wooded in the north-east, providing a glaucoma. A new hospital was built in the late haven for wildlife. Forest covers 22 per cent Official language: English 1990s. Some 98 per cent of the population of Antigua and Barbuda’s land area and there uses an improved drinking water source and Time: GMT minus 4 hrs was no significant loss of forest cover during 91 per cent have access to adequate Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$) 1990–2011. sanitation facilities (2011). Infant mortality was Wildlife: More than 150 species of birds eight per 1,000 live births in 2013. Geography have been recorded. Barbuda is a game Education: Public spending on education Area: 443 sq km reserve with a variety of wildlife: deer, wild was three per cent of GDP in 2009. There are Coastline: 153 km pigs, duck, guinea-fowl and a large colony of 11 years of compulsory education starting at frigate birds in the mangrove lagoon. the age of five. Primary school comprises Capital: St John’s Redonda has become a haven for species seven years and secondary five. Some 91 per Antigua and Barbuda, at the north of the such as the burrowing owl, which have been cent of pupils complete primary school Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean, is driven out of the other, inhabited, islands. (2007). The school year starts in September. composed of three islands: Antigua, Barbuda Main towns: St John’s (capital, pop. 22,200 The government administers the majority of (40 km north of Antigua) and Redonda (40 in 2010), All Saints (4,800), Liberta (3,100), the schools. km south-west of Antigua). Antigua Potters Village (3,100), Bolans (2,100) and Antigua State College in St John’s provides comprises six parishes: St George, St John, St English Harbour on Antigua; and Codrington Mary, St Paul, St Peter and St Philip. technical and teacher education, GCE A-Level on Barbuda. and first-year University of the West Indies Area: Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq Transport: There is a good road network of courses. Antigua and Barbuda is a partner in km; Redonda 1.6 sq km about 1,170 km, 33 per cent paved. St John’s the regional University of the West Indies, Topography: With about 365 beaches on deep water harbour is a regional centre for which has its main campuses in Barbados, Antigua, further beaches of pink and white cargo and passengers and the country’s main Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. The The CommonweAlTh YeArBook 2015 Antigua and Barbuda female–male ratio for gross enrolment in Real growth in GDP tertiary education is 2.00:1 (2011). GDP by sector (2013) % 4 Media: Daily Observer is published daily; The 2 Agriculture Worker’s Voice (Antigua and Barbuda Labour 1.9% Party and Antigua Trades and Labour Union) 0 Industry twice weekly. -2 17.3% In December 2014 the Antigua and Barbuda -4 g Services Broadcasting Service, which was responsible -6 80.8% for providing public radio and TV services, -8 merged with the Government Information Service and the New Media Unit to make a -10 construction activity in both public and private single sector organisation. Observer Radio -12 sectors. The economy remained vulnerable to 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 was the country’s first independent radio natural disasters, shocks to tourist activity and station, launched in 2001. Crusader Radio is volatile international oil prices, and from 2008 Inflation owned by the United Progressive Party. Cable the global economic downturn and television is widely available. % 3.5 consequent sharp decline in tourism pushed Some 97 per cent of households have TV sets 3.0 the economy sharply into recession, shrinking (2008). There are 207 personal computers 2.5 by some 12 per cent in 2009, 7.1 per cent in per 1,000 people (2006). 2.0 2010 and 1.8 per cent in 2011, then 1.5 recovering from 2012. The economy grew by Communications: Country code 1 268; about two per cent in 2014. internet domain ‘.ag’. Mobile phone 1.0 coverage is good. 0.5 0.0 History For every 1,000 people there are 368 landlines, 1,271 mobile phone subscriptions -0.5 The first inhabitants were the Siboney, who and 634 internet users (2013). -1.0 can be dated back to 2400 BCE. Arawaks 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 settled subsequently, around the first century Public holidays: New Year’s Day, Labour Day CE. The Caribs arrived later, but abandoned (early May), Carnival (Monday and Tuesday in Hurrica ne L uis seve rely damaged tourism at Antigua around the 16th century, due to the early August), Independence Day (1 the same time as expenditure was increased shortage of fresh water. Christopher November), National Heroes’ Day (9 to finance the recovery, and the economy Columbus sighted the larger island in 1493, December), Christmas Day and Boxing Day. contracted by five per cent. and named it after a church in Seville, Santa Religious and other festivals whose dates vary Maria de la Antigua. After unsuccessful The government introduced a tougher from year to year include Good Friday, Easter attempts at colonisation by the Spaniards and economic programme in 1996. This aimed to Monday and Whit Monday. French, Antigua was colonised by Sir Thomas reduce debt and stimulate the private sector, Warner in 1632 and formally became a including offshore financial activities, by cutting British colony in 1667. Britain annexed Economy public expenditure, improving tax collection, Barbuda in 1628; in 1680 Charles II granted KEY FACTS 2013 undertaking privatisations and encouraging the island to the Codrington family, who held tourism and manufacturing of electronic GNI: US$1.2bn it until 1860, when it was annexed to components and household appliances for GNI p.c.: US$12,910 Antigua. export; and clothes, food and beverages, GDP growth: –3.6% p.a. 2009–13 furniture, paint and paper for the domestic Sugar succeeded tobacco as the chief crop and led to the importation of enslaved Inflation: 2.1% p.a. 2009–13 market. Manufacturing production grew by at least four per cent p.a. during 2001–08. Africans to work on the highly profitable After three decades of prosperity as a tourist estates. After the abolition of the slave trade centre, foreign debt, dependence on a single The economy responded and there followed a (1807), the Codringtons established a big industry and relatively low growth in the early period of good growth until 2000, when it ‘slave-farm’ on Barbuda, where children were 1990s led to recession, despite attempts in slowed, due mainly to a fall in tourism. bred to supply the region’s unpaid labour the 1980s to diversify. An economic reform Growth recovered in 2003 and was vigorous force, until slaves were emancipated in 1834. programme was agreed in 1994. But in 1995 until 2008 due mainly to increased As the only Caribbean island under British rule to possess a good harbour, Antigua was Antigua and Barbuda on the international stage the dockyard for the British West Indies, used by the Royal Navy from 1725 until 1854.