An Introduction to Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda are the two 'ajor inhabited islands in the nation of the same name, which also includes a number of smaller islands. Part of the Leewards, the country is is nicknamed the 'Land of 365 Beaches', for obvious reasons. See full country profile.Latest Research News from Latin America
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GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary democracy
AREA: 442 sq km
POPULATION: 87,884 (2011 est.)
MAJOR LANGUAGE: Official Language: English. Also local dialects and creole English
Some business and general info
The Market Research Industry
Trade and Industry in Antigua and Barbuda
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Antigua and Barbuda are the two 'ajor inhabited islands in the nation of the same name, which also includes a number of smaller islands. Part of the Leewards, the country is is nicknamed the 'Land of 365 Beaches', for obvious reasons.
The English settled on Antigua in 1632 and on Barbuda in 1684, subsequently ruling them until independence within the Commonwealth, in 1981. Current leader of the opposition Lester Bird was PM from 1994 to 2004 and his father Vere Cornwall Bird before him from 1981 to 1994 (Vere Cornwall was also Chief Minister of Antigua for most of the period from 1960 to 1981).Family and religion play an important roles in the lives of Antiguans, who enjoy a literacy rate above 90% and are building the most technologically advanced hospital in the Caribbean, in a bid to become the region's pre-eminent provider of medical services.
GDP: $1.781 bn (2011 est.); per capita $21,363
Religions Christian 74% (Anglican c.44%; also Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian).
Currency: East Caribbean dollar. 2.7 XCD = $US 1
Telephone Code: +1 268
Antigua has many luxury resorts, but weak tourist activity since early 2000 has caused problems for the government. Investment banking and financial services are also important. Also in the path of natural disasters, the nation has been attempting to lessen its vulnerability by diversifying its economy, with transportation and communications also growing sectors.
Exports of $84.3m in 2007 were mostly petroleum products (48%), manufactures (23%), machinery and transport equipment (17%), with more than half going either to Spain (34%) or Germany (20.7%). Imports massively outweigh them - $522.8m came in in 2007, consisting of food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures and chemicals, and sourced from a variety of states including the US (21.1%), China (16.4%), Germany (13.3%) and Singapore (12.7%).
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