Antigua and Barbuda - The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/antigua-and-barbuda/ Explore All Countries — Antigua and Barbuda Central America INTRODUCTION Background The Siboney were the first people 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 Spanish and French settlements were succeeded by an English 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. On 6 September 2017, Hurricane Irma passed over the island of Barbuda devastating the island and forcing the evacuation of the population to Antigua. Almost all the structures on Barbuda were destroyed and the vegetation stripped, but Antigua was spared the worst. GEOGRAPHY Location Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico Geographic coordinates 1 of 16 4/26/2021, 12:54 PM Antigua and Barbuda - The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/antigua-and-barbuda/ 17 03 N, 61 48 W Map references Central America and the Caribbean Area total: 443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km) land: 442.6 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km country comparison to the world: 200 Area - comparative 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries total: 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 lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Obama 402 m Natural resources NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism Land use agricultural land: 20.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 9% (2018 est.) forest: 18.8% (2018 est.) other: 60.8% (2018 est.) Irrigated land 1.3 sq km (2012) 2 of 16 4/26/2021, 12:54 PM Antigua and Barbuda - The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/antigua-and-barbuda/ Total renewable water resources 52 million cubic meters (2017 est.) Population distribution the island of Antigua is home to approximately 97% of the population; nearly the entire population of Barbuda lives in Codrington Natural hazards hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, 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 AND SOCIETY Population 99,175 (July 2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 196 Nationality noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s) adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan Ethnic groups African descent 87.3%, mixed 4.7%, Hispanic 2.7%, White 1.6%, other 2.7%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.) note: data represent population by ethnic group Languages English (official), Antiguan creole Religions Protestant 68.3% (Anglican 17.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.4%, Pentecostal 12.2%, Moravian 8.3%, Methodist 5.6%, Wesleyan Holiness 4.5%, Church of God 4.1%, Baptist 3.6%), Roman Catholic 8.2%, other 12.2%, unspecified 5.5%, none 5.9% (2011 est.) Age structure 0-14 years: 22.52% (male 11,243/female 10,871) 15-24 years: 16.15% (male 7,891/female 7,961) 25-54 years: 41.68% (male 18,757/female 22,167) 55-64 years: 10.74% (male 4,693/female 5,848) 65 years and over: 8.91% (male 3,736/female 5,012) (2020 est.) Dependency ratios 3 of 16 4/26/2021, 12:54 PM Antigua and Barbuda - The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/antigua-and-barbuda/ total dependency ratio: 45.3 youth dependency ratio: 31.8 elderly dependency ratio: 13.6 potential support ratio: 7.4 (2020 est.) Median age total: 32.7 years male: 30.7 years female: 34.4 years (2020 est.) country comparison to the world: 106 Population growth rate 1.17% (2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 84 Birth rate 15.3 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 115 Death rate 5.63 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 177 Net migration rate 2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 Population distribution the island of Antigua is home to approximately 97% of the population; nearly the entire population of Barbuda lives in Codrington Urbanization urban population: 24.4% of total population (2020) rate of urbanization: 0.55% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) Major urban areas - population 21,000 SAINT JOHN'S (capital) (2018) Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.85 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.8 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2020 est.) Infant mortality rate total: 14.65 deaths/1,000 live births 4 of 16 4/26/2021, 12:54 PM Antigua and Barbuda - The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/antigua-and-barbuda/ male: 17.71 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 Life expectancy at birth total population: 77.55 years male: 75.37 years female: 79.85 years (2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 84 Total fertility rate 1.96 children born/woman (2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 Drinking water source improved: total: 96.7% of population unimproved: total: 3.2% of population (2017 est.) Current Health Expenditure 5.2% (2018) Physicians density 2.96 physicians/1,000 population (2017) Hospital bed density 2.9 beds/1,000 population (2017) Sanitation facility access improved: total: 91.7% of population unimproved: total: 8.1% of population (2017 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 1.1% (2018) country comparison to the world: 41 HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS <1000 (2018) HIV/AIDS - deaths <100 (2018) Obesity - adult prevalence rate 18.9% (2016) country comparison to the world: 113 Education expenditures NA Literacy definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling total population: 99% male: 98.4% 5 of 16 4/26/2021, 12:54 PM Antigua and Barbuda - The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/antigua-and-barbuda/ female: 99.4% (2015) School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) total: 15 years male: 14 years female: 16 years (2012) ENVIRONMENT Environment - current issues water management - a major concern because of limited natural freshwater 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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Air pollutants particulate matter emissions: 17.92 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 0.56 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 0.22 megatons (2020 est.) Total water withdrawal municipal: 7.2 million cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 2.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 1.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.) Total renewable water resources 52 million cubic meters (2017 est.) Climate tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation Land use agricultural land: 20.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 9% (2018 est.) forest: 18.8% (2018 est.) other: 60.8% (2018 est.) Revenue from forest resources Forest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.) country comparison to the world: 161 Revenue from coal Coal revenues: 0 % of GDP (2018 est.) 6 of 16 4/26/2021, 12:54 PM Antigua and Barbuda - The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/antigua-and-barbuda/ country comparison to the world: 56 Urbanization urban population: 24.4% of total population (2020) rate of urbanization: 0.55% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) Waste and recycling municipal solid waste generated annually: 30,585 tons (2012 est.) GOVERNMENT Country name conventional long form: none conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda etymology: "antiguo" is Spanish for "ancient" or "old"; the island was discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and, according to tradition, named by him after the church of Santa Maria la Antigua (Old Saint Mary's) in Seville; "barbuda" is Spanish for "bearded" and the adjective may refer to the alleged beards of the indigenous people or to the island's bearded fig trees Government type parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth