Antigua and Barbuda Government

Map showing the location of Antigua and Barbuda

The government of Antigua and Barbuda is a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy. The governor general represents the monarchy who is the chief of state, while the prime minister is the head of government. The current structure of government was adopted in 1981 when the constitution was promulgated in the country. The constitution stipulates all the government structures and the type of leadership the country has adopted.

Citizens aged 18 years and above are eligible for voting in the general elections. The Antigua and Barbuda electoral system does not stipulate the minimum campaign period. Historically, the political scene in Antigua and Barbuda has been dominated by two parties: the ALP (Antigua Labor Party which changed its name to Antigua and Barbuda Labor Party in 2012) and the UPP (United Progressive Party). The Antigua and Barbuda constitution does not stipulate the number of terms each prime minister should serve, but each term lasts for five years.

The building that houses the parliament of Antigua and Barbuda is referred to as the House of Representatives. It is located on Queen Elizabeth highway in the city of St. John’s, which is the capital city of Antigua and Barbuda. The official residence of the governor general is the Government House which was rebuilt in 1800 after being burnt down in 1710. This home was built in the colonial style with the Georgian architecture plus an extensive garden. The official residence of the prime minister is referred to as the Ilaro Court which was designed during the early 1920s.

The two major political parties in Antigua and Barbuda are the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party and the United Progressive Party.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	St. John's
Languages	English (official), Antiguan creole
Ethnic Groups	Black 87.3%, mixed 4.7%, hispanic 2.7%, white 1.6%, other 2.7%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)
Religion	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.)
Government	Parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Independance	1 November 1981 (from the UK)
Area	443.00 km²
Land Area	443.00 km²
Population	93,581.00 The island of Antigua is home to approximately 97% of the population; nearly the entire population of Barbuda lives in Codrington
Location	Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
GDP(PPP)	$2,171,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$24,100.00 (USD)
Export Commodities	Its main exports are petroleum products, bedding, and handicrafts.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include food and live animals, machinery, and transport equipment.
Climate	Tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain	Mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas
Learn More	Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda Government

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