Antigua and Barbuda

Where is Antigua and Barbuda?

Located in the Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda is an island nation. It has a 153.00 km coastline.

St. John’s is among the most developed cities in the whole region of lesser Antilles and has some banks like the Antigua Commercial Bank and the Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Bank. It is also home to the the Antigua Recreation Ground, which is the national stadium and Sir Vivian Richards Stadium which is mostly used for cricket matches. The city also has many boutiques that sell haute couture clothing and designer jewelry. Its location in the Caribbean puts it in the path of tropical storms once the hurricane season gets underway. Some of these have been quite devastating, such as Hurricane Irma which destroyed the island of Barbuda, leaving it almost uninhabitable. The island was once considered to be the most heavily fortified in the region. St. John’s alone had two forts, Fort Barrington and Fort James, built during the colonial era to defend the harbor against a possible French invasion.

Antigua and Barbuda is a North American country covering 443.00 km². The area includes Redonad which is 1.6 sq km. This makes it the 14th smallest country in the world and about 1/3 the size of Rhode Island. Its geographic coordinates are 17 03 N, 61 48 W and St. John's is the capital city.

The name "Antiguo" is Spanish for "ancient" or "old".

Its ISO code is AG.

Geography

Antigua and Barbuda has a mean elevation of 0 m above sea level.

It has a tropical maritime climate with little to no temperature variation. It is mostly composed of limestone and coral, although some higher volcanic areas exist.

Population

Antigua and Barbuda has a population of 93,581 making it the 196th largest in the world. Antigua holds approximately 97% of the country's population.

English is the official language, and Antiguan creole is also spoken. The most common ethnic groups reported are black, mixed, and hispanic. The population is mostly Protestant, with Anglican, Seventh Day Adventist, and Pentecostal being the largest groups.

English is the national language in Antigua and Barbuda. It is also the language of business, government, and education. However, the locals have their own distinct dialect referred to as Antiguan Creole English which has been adopted by the majority of the locals. This language is a mixture of English and African languages, and is spoken by more than 87% of the population. In certain parts of the country like the southern villages, the Creole English spoken is quite different. The minority language in Antigua and Barbuda is Spanish which is spoken mainly within the community of people from the Dominican Republic. These immigrants have also developed their own Creole Spanish language which is a mixture of Spanish, Antigua, Jamaican, and Guyanese dialect. It is referred to as Quisqueyano Spanish.

The dialing code for the country is -267.

Government

Antigua and Barbuda is an independent country. It gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1981. Its constitution was last ratified in 1981.

Antigua and Barbuda is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy system of government. The British monarch is the chief of state. The monarch appoints the governor-general who rules on behalf of the British monarch with the help of the elected prime minister who serves for a five-year term before an election is held. The Government House is the house of the governor-general, and the prime minister stays at IIaro Court. The parliament building is located in St John, the capital city of Antigua and Barbuda. Historically there have been two parties in Antigua: the ruling Antigua Labor Party and the United Progressive Party, with the Antigua Labor Party having been in government the longest. The current prime minister, who is the youngest to ever serve, is the leader of the Antigua Labor Party. Every five years the general elections are held and every citizen who is 18 years and older are allowed to vote for the candidate of their choice.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Antigua and Barbuda's GDP is $2,171,000,000.00 (USD) with $24,100.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 192nd largest economy and its citizens the 74th richest in the world. The currency of Antigua and Barbuda is the Dollar (XCD).

Its major imports include food and live animals, machinery, and transport equipment.

Flag

The current flag of Antigua and Barbuda has been in use since 1967, when it was selected from a competition which was commissioned by the state. The flag was designed by Sir Reginald Samuel, a local art teacher whose design emerged as the best in the competition. The flag of Antigua and Barbuda is symbolic of the state, and it represents the new dawn for the country. The red color represents the energy of its citizen, the black color represents their African ancestry, and blue is a sign of hope for the country. The golden sun on the flag represents the new beginning while the upside down isosceles triangle which looks like a “V’’ represents the independence victory the country gained from their colonizers.