Chapter IV: Front Matter (4)

Executive branch:
chief of state: French Coprince Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995),
represented by Philippe MASSONI (since 26 July 2002); Spanish
Coprince Episcopal Monsignor Joan Enric VIVES SICILIA (since 12 May
2003), represented by Nemesi MARQUES OSTE (since NA)
elections: Executive Council president elected by the General
Council and formally appointed by the coprinces for a four-year
term; election last held 4 March 2001 (next to be held NA 2005)
election results: Marc FORNE Molne elected executive council
president; percent of General Council vote - NA%
cabinet: Executive Council or Govern designated by the Executive
Council president
head of government: Executive Council President Marc FORNE MOLNE
(since 21 December 1994)

Legislative branch:
unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General de las
Valls (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, 14 from
a single national constituency and 14 to represent each of the 7
parishes; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 4 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - PLA 46.1%, PSD 30%, PD
23.8%, other 0.1%; seats by party - PLA 15, PSD 6, PD 5,
independents 2

Judicial branch:
Tribunal of Judges or Tribunal de Batlles; Tribunal of the Courts
or Tribunal de Corts; Supreme Court of Justice of Andorra or
Tribunal Superior de Justicia d'Andorra; Supreme Council of Justice
or Consell Superior de la Justicia; Fiscal Ministry or Ministeri
Fiscal; Constitutional Tribunal or Tribunal Constitucional

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party or PD (formerly part of National Democratic Group
or AND) [Ladislau BARO SOLO]; Liberal Party of Andorra or PLA [Marc
FORNE MOLNE] (used to be Liberal Union or UL); Liberal Union or UL
[Francesc CERQUEDA]; National Democratic Group or AND [Ladislau BARO
SOLO]; National Democratic Initiative or IDN [Vicenc MATEU ZAMORA];
New Democracy or ND [Jaume BARTOMEU CASSANY]; Social Democratic
Party or PSD (formerly part of National Democratic Group of AND)
[leader NA]; Union of the People of Ordino (Unio Parroquial
d'Ordino) or UPO [Simo DURO COMA]
note: there are two other small parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
CE, ECE, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OSCE, UN,
UNESCO, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jelena V.
PIA-COMELLA
chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017
FAX: [1] (212) 750-6630
telephone: [1] (212) 750-8064

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Andorra; the US Ambassador to
Spain is accredited to Andorra; US interests in Andorra are
represented by the Consulate General's office in Barcelona (Spain);
mailing address: Paseo Reina Elisenda, 23, 08034 Barcelona, Spain;
telephone: (3493) 280-2227; FAX: (3493) 205-7705

Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red
with the national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; the coat
of arms features a quartered shield; similar to the flags of Chad
and Romania, which do not have a national coat of arms in the
center, and the flag of Moldova, which does bear a national emblem

Economy Andorra

Economy - overview:
Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy,
accounts for roughly 80% of GDP. An estimated 9 million tourists
visit annually, attracted by Andorra's duty-free status and by its
summer and winter resorts. Andorra's comparative advantage has
recently eroded as the economies of neighboring France and Spain
have been opened up, providing broader availability of goods and
lower tariffs. The banking sector, with its "tax haven" status, also
contributes substantially to the economy. Agricultural production is
limited - only 2% of the land is arable - and most food has to be
imported. The principal livestock activity is sheep raising.
Manufacturing output consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars, and
furniture. Andorra is a member of the EU Customs Union and is
treated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs)
and as a non-EU member for agricultural products.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.8% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.3% (2000)

Labor force:
33,000 (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 1%, industry 21%, services 78% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
0%

Budget:
revenues: $385 million
expenditures: $342 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997)

Industries:
tourism (particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, banking

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 0%
other: 0%
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports:
NA kWh; note - most electricity supplied by Spain and France;
Andorra generates a small amount of hydropower

Agriculture - products:
small quantities of rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep

Exports:
$58 million f.o.b. (1998)

Exports - commodities:
tobacco products, furniture

Exports - partners:
Spain 58%, France 34% (2000)

Imports:
$1.077 billion (1998)

Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, food, electricity

Imports - partners:
Spain 48%, France 35%, US 2.3% (2000)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
none

Currency:
euro (EUR)

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94
(1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Andorra

Telephones - main lines in use:
32,946 (December 1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
14,117 (December 1998)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections
between exchanges
international: landline circuits to France and Spain

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
16,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
0 (1997)

Televisions:
27,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.ad

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
24,500 (2001)

Transportation Andorra

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 269 km
paved: 198 km
unpaved: 71 km (1994)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
none

Airports:
none (2002)

Military Andorra

Military branches:
no regular military forces, but there is a police force

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France and Spain

Transnational Issues Andorra

Disputes - international:
none; border is undemarcated in sections but is not in dispute (a
few French farmers still remain upset about the transfer of 35
hectares of land to Andorra)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

======================================================================

@Angola

Introduction Angola

Background:
Civil war has been the norm in Angola since independence from
Portugal in 1975. A 1994 peace accord between the government and the
National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) provided
for the integration of former UNITA insurgents into the government
and armed forces. A national unity government was installed in April
of 1997, but serious fighting resumed in late 1998, rendering
hundreds of thousands of people homeless. Up to 1.5 million lives
may have been lost in fighting over the past quarter century. The
death of insurgent leader Jonas SAVIMBI in 2002 and a subsequent
cease-fire with UNITA may bode well for the country.

Geography Angola

Location:
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo

Geographic coordinates:
12 30 S, 18 30 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 1,246,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 1,246,700 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 5,198 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,511 km (of
which 225 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province),
Republic of the Congo 201 km, Namibia 1,376 km, Zambia 1,110 km

Coastline:
1,600 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry
season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)

Terrain:
narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morro de Moco 2,620 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold,
bauxite, uranium

Land use:
arable land: 2.41%
permanent crops: 0.4%
other: 97.19% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
750 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau

Environment - current issues:
overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion attributable to
population pressures; desertification; deforestation of tropical
rain forest, in response to both international demand for tropical
timber and to domestic use as fuel, resulting in loss of
biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and
siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of
the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo

People Angola

Population:
10,766,471 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.5% (male 2,363,829; female 2,317,610)
15-64 years: 53.7% (male 2,941,999; female 2,842,923)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 134,330; female 165,780) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.2 years
male: 18.2 years
female: 18.2 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.97% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
45.57 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
25.83 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 193.82 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 180.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 206.26 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 36.96 years
male: 36.13 years
female: 37.83 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
6.38 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
5.5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
350,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
24,000 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Angolan(s)
adjective: Angolan

Ethnic groups:
Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European
and Native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%

Religions:
indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (1998
est.)

Languages:
Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42%
male: 56%
female: 28% (1998 est.)

Government Angola

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Angola
conventional short form: Angola
local short form: Angola
former: People's Republic of Angola
local long form: Republica de Angola

Government type:
republic, nominally a multiparty democracy with a strong
presidential system

Capital:
Luanda

Administrative divisions:
18 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Bengo, Benguela,
Bie, Cabinda, Cuando Cubango, Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul, Cunene,
Huambo, Huila, Luanda, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Malanje, Moxico,
Namibe, Uige, Zaire

Independence:
11 November 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 11 November (1975)

Constitution:
11 November 1975; revised 7 January 1978, 11 August 1980, 6 March
1991, and 26 August 1992

Legal system:
based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; recently
modified to accommodate political pluralism and increased use of
free markets

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21
September 1979); note - the president is both chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21
September 1979); note - the president is both chief of state and
head of government; Fernando de Piedade Dias DOS SANTOS was
appointed Prime Minister on 6 December 2002, but this is not a
position of real power
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by universal ballot for a NA-year term;
President DOS SANTOS originally elected (in 1979) without opposition
under a one-party system and stood for reelection in Angola's first
multiparty elections 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held NA)
election results: DOS SANTOS 49.6%, Jonas SAVIMBI 40.1%, making a
run-off election necessary; the run-off was not held and SAVIMBI's
National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA)
repudiated the results of the first election; the civil war resumed

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220 seats;
members elected by proportional vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held NA)
election results: percent of vote by party - MPLA 54%, UNITA 34%,
others 12%; seats by party - MPLA 129, UNITA 70, PRS 6, FNLA 5, PLD
3, others 7

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Tribunal da Relacao (judges are appointed by the
president)

Political parties and leaders:
Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Analia de Victoria PEREIRA];
National Front for the Liberation of Angola or FNLA [disputed
leadership: Lucas NGONDA, Holden ROBERTO]; National Union for the
Total Independence of Angola or UNITA [interim leader: PAULO Lukamba
"Gato"], largest opposition party has engaged in years of armed
resistance; Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola or MPLA
[Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS], ruling party in power since 1975; Social
Renewal Party or PRS [disputed leadership: Eduardo KUANGANA, Antonio
MUACHICUNGO]
note: about a dozen minor parties participated in the 1992 elections
but only won a few seats and have little influence in the National
Assembly

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda or FLEC [N'zita
Henriques TIAGO; Antonio Bento BEMBE]
note: FLEC is waging a small-scale, highly factionalized, armed
struggle for the independence of Cabinda Province

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAS (observer),
OAU, SADC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Josefina Perpetua Pitra DIAKIDI
FAX: [1] (202) 785-1258
consulate(s) general: Houston and New York
telephone: [1] (202) 785-1156
chancery: 2108 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher William DELL
embassy: number 32 Rua Houari Boumedienne (in the Miramar area of
Luanda), Luanda
mailing address: international mail: Caixa Postal 6468, Luanda;
pouch: American Embassy Luanda, Department of State, Washington, DC
20521-2550
telephone: [244] (2) 445-481, 447-028, 446-224
FAX: [244] (2) 446-924

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a centered
yellow emblem consisting of a five-pointed star within half a
cogwheel crossed by a machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle)

Economy Angola

Economy - overview:
Angola has been an economy in disarray because of a quarter century
of nearly continuous warfare. An apparently durable peace was
established after the death of rebel leader Jonas SAVIMBI on
February 22, 2002, but consequences from the conflict continue
including the impact of wide-spread land mines. Subsistence
agriculture provides the main livelihood for 85% of the population.
Oil production and the supporting activities are vital to the
economy, contributing about 45% to GDP and more than half of
exports. Much of the country's food must still be imported. To fully
take advantage of its rich natural resources - gold, diamonds,
extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, and large oil deposits -
Angola will need to continue reforming government policies. While
Angola made progress in bringing inflation down further, from 325%
in 2000 to about 106% in 2002, the government has failed to make
sufficient progress on reforms recommended by the IMF such as
increasing foreign exchange reserves and promoting greater
transparency in government spending. Increased oil production should
bring about 6% GDP growth in 2003.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $18.36 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
9.4% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 67%
services: 25% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
106% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
5 million (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 85%, industry and services 15% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate:
extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more than half
the population (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $928 million
expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $963
million (1992 est.)

Industries:
petroleum; diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, feldspar, bauxite,
uranium, and gold; cement; basic metal products; fish processing;
food processing; brewing; tobacco products; sugar; textiles

Industrial production growth rate:
1%

Electricity - production:
1.45 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 36.4%
hydro: 63.6%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
1.348 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
742,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
31,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
5.691 billion bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
530 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
530 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
79.57 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
bananas, sugarcane, coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, manioc (tapioca),
tobacco, vegetables, plantains; livestock; forest products; fish

Exports:
$8.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil, diamonds, refined petroleum products, gas, coffee,
sisal, fish and fish products, timber, cotton

Exports - partners:
US 41.2%, China 13.7%, France 8%, Belgium 6.3%, Taiwan 6.3%, Japan
4.9%, Spain 4.3% (2002)

Imports:
$4.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment, vehicles and spare parts;
medicines, food, textiles, military goods

Imports - partners:
Portugal 20.2%, US 13.9%, South Africa 12.4%, France 6.7%, Brazil
5.8%, Belgium 5.3%, Netherlands 4% (2002)

Debt - external:
$9.9 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$383.5 million (1999)

Currency:
kwanza (AOA)

Currency code:
AOA

Exchange rates:
kwanza per US dollar - 43.53 (2002), 22.06 (2001), 10.04 (2000),
2.79 (1999), 0.39 (1998); note - in December 1999 the kwanza was
revalued with six zeroes dropped off the old value

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Angola

Telephones - main lines in use:
72,000 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
25,800 (2000)

Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone service limited mostly to government
and business use; HF radiotelephone used extensively for military
links
domestic: limited system of wire, microwave radio relay, and
tropospheric scatter
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 21, FM 6, shortwave 7 (2000)

Radios:
815,000 (2000)

Television broadcast stations:
6 (2000)

Televisions:
196,000 (2000)

Internet country code:
.ao

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
60,000 (2002)

Transportation Angola

Railways:
total: 2,761 km
narrow gauge: 2,638 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 51,429 km
paved: 5,349 km
unpaved: 46,080 km (1999)

Waterways:
1,295 km

Pipelines:
gas 214 km; liquid natural gas 14 km; liquid petroleum gas 30 km;
oil 845 km; refined products 56 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Ambriz, Cabinda, Lobito, Luanda, Malongo, Mocamedes, Namibe, Porto
Amboim, Soyo

Merchant marine:
total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 30,311 GRT/48,924 DWT
ships by type: cargo 7, petroleum tanker 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
243 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 32
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 211
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 30
914 to 1,523 m: 95
under 914 m: 80 (2002)

Military Angola

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, National Police Force

Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,568,082 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,290,884 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 109,752 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$222.7 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
5.4% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Angola

Disputes - international:
gives shelter to thousands of refugees from the Democratic Republic
of the Congo while thousands of Angolan refugees still remain in
neighboring states as a consequence of the protracted civil wars in
both states

Illicit drugs:
used as a transshipment point for cocaine destined for Western
Europe and other African states

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

======================================================================

@Anguilla

Introduction Anguilla

Background:
Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650, Anguilla
was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th century, when
the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants - was
incorporated into a single British dependency, along with Saint
Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed. In 1971, two
years after a revolt, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede; this
arrangement was formally recognized in 1980, with Anguilla becoming
a separate British dependency.

Geography Anguilla

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic
Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates:
18 15 N, 63 10 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 102 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 102 sq km

Area - comparative:
about half the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
61 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM

Climate:
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds

Terrain:
flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crocus Hill 65 m

Natural resources:
salt, fish, lobster

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some
commercial salt ponds) (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October)

Environment - current issues:
supplies of potable water sometimes cannot meet increasing demand
largely because of poor distribution system

Geography - note:
the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles

People Anguilla

Population:
12,738 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.3% (male 1,575; female 1,526)
15-64 years: 68.8% (male 4,504; female 4,262)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 387; female 484) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 30 years
male: 30 years
female: 29.9 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.21% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
14.68 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
5.42 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
12.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 22.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 29.84 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.7 years
male: 73.79 years
female: 79.7 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.76 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Anguillan(s)
adjective: Anguillan

Ethnic groups:
black (predominant), mulatto, white

Religions:
Anglican 40%, Methodist 33%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, Baptist 5%,
Roman Catholic 3%, other 12%

Languages:
English (official)

Literacy:
definition: age 12 and over can read and write
total population: 95%
male: 95%
female: 95% (1984 est.)

Government Anguilla

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Anguilla

Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK

Government type:
NA

Capital:
The Valley

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday:
Anguilla Day, 30 May

Constitution:
Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982; amended 1990

Legal system:
based on English common law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
represented by Governor Peter JOHNSTONE (since NA February 2000)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
appointed chief minister by the governor
head of government: Chief Minister Osbourne FLEMING (since 3 March
2000)
cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from among the
elected members of the House of Assembly

Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats total, 7 elected by direct
popular vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed; members serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 March 2000 (next to be held NA June 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
ANA 3, AUP 2, ADP 1, independent 1

Judicial branch:
High Court (judge provided by Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court)

Political parties and leaders:
Anguilla United Party or AUP [Hubert HUGHES]; The United Front or
UF [Osbourne FLEMING, Victor BANKS], a coalition of the Anguilla
Democratic Party or ADP and the Anguilla National Alliance or ANA

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS (associate),
ECLAC (associate)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description:
blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
the Anguillan coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag;
the coat of arms depicts three orange dolphins in an interlocking
circular design on a white background with blue wavy water below

Economy Anguilla

Economy - overview:
Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends heavily
on luxury tourism, offshore banking, lobster fishing, and
remittances from emigrants. Increased activity in the tourism
industry, which has spurred the growth of the construction sector,
has contributed to economic growth. Anguillan officials have put
substantial effort into developing the offshore financial sector,
which is small, but growing. In the medium term, prospects for the
economy will depend largely on the tourism sector and, therefore, on
revived income growth in the industrialized nations as well as on
favorable weather conditions.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $104 million (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.8% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $8,600 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 18%
services: 78% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.3%

Labor force:
6,049 (2001)

Labor force - by occupation:
commerce 36%, services 29%, construction 18%, transportation and
utilities 10%, manufacturing 3%, agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining
4% (2000 est,)

Unemployment rate:
6.7% (2001)

Budget:
revenues: $22.8 million
expenditures: $22.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(2000 est.)

Industries:
tourism, boat building, offshore financial services

Industrial production growth rate:
3.1% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:
NA (2000)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA%
other: NA%
nuclear: NA%

Electricity - consumption:
42.6 million kWh

Agriculture - products:
small quantities of tobacco, vegetables; cattle raising

Exports:
$2.6 million (1999)

Exports - commodities:
lobster, fish, livestock, salt, concrete blocks, rum

Exports - partners:
UK, US, Puerto Rico, Saint-Martin (2000)

Imports:
$80.9 million (1999)

Imports - commodities:
fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures, chemicals, trucks, textiles

Imports - partners:
US, Puerto Rico, UK (2000)

Debt - external:
$8.8 million (1998)

Economic aid - recipient:
$3.5 million (1995)

Currency:
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code:
XCD

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since
1976)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Anguilla

Telephones - main lines in use:
4,974 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,629 (2000)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern internal telephone system
international: microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin
(Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 5, FM 6, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
3,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)

Televisions:
1,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.ai

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)

Internet users:
919 (2000)

Transportation Anguilla

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 105 km
paved: 65 km
unpaved: 40 km (1997)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Blowing Point, Road Bay

Merchant marine:
none (2002 est.)

Airports:
3 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Military Anguilla

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Anguilla

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the
US and Europe

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

======================================================================

@Antarctica

Introduction Antarctica

Background:
Speculation over the existence of a "southern land" was not
confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American commercial
operators and British and Russian national expeditions began
exploring the Antarctic Peninsula region and other areas south of
the Antarctic Circle. Not until 1840 was it established that
Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands.
Several exploration "firsts" were achieved in the early 20th
century. Following World War II, there was an upsurge in scientific
research on the continent. A number of countries have set up
year-round research stations on Antarctica. Seven have made
territorial claims, but no other country recognizes these claims. In
order to form a legal framework for the activities of nations on the
continent, an Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies
nor gives recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in
1959, it entered into force in 1961.

Geography Antarctica

Location:
continent mostly south of the Antarctic Circle

Geographic coordinates:
90 00 S, 0 00 E

Map references:
Antarctic Region

Area:
total: 14 million sq km
note: fifth-largest continent, following Asia, Africa, North
America, and South America, but larger than Australia and the
subcontinent of Europe
land: 14 million sq km (280,000 sq km ice-free, 13.72 million sq km
ice-covered) (est.)

Area - comparative:
slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US

Land boundaries:
0 km
note: see entry on International disputes

Coastline:
17,968 km

Maritime claims:
none; 20 of 27 Antarctic consultative nations have made no claims
to Antarctic territory (although Russia and the US have reserved the
right to do so) and do not recognize the claims of the other
nations; also see the Disputes - international entry

Climate:
severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance
from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica
because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has the most
moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the
coast and average slightly below freezing

Terrain:
about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock, with
average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges
up to nearly 5,000 meters; ice-free coastal areas include parts of
southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area,
and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves
along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves
constitute 11% of the area of the continent

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,555 m
highest point: Vinson Massif 4,897 m
note: the lowest known land point in Antarctica is hidden in the
Bentley Subglacial Trench; at its surface is the deepest ice yet
discovered and the world's lowest elevation not under seawater

Natural resources:
iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other
minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small
uncommercial quantities; none presently exploited; krill, finfish,
and crab have been taken by commercial fisheries

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%) (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from the high
interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau;
cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise along the
coast; volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West
Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak; large icebergs may
calve from ice shelf

Environment - current issues:
in 1998, NASA satellite data showed that the antarctic ozone hole
was the largest on record, covering 27 million square kilometers;
researchers in 1997 found that increased ultraviolet light coming
through the hole damages the DNA of icefish, an antarctic fish
lacking hemoglobin; ozone depletion earlier was shown to harm
one-celled antarctic marine plants; in 2002, significant areas of
ice shelves disintegrated in response to regional warming

Geography - note:
the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent;
during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South
Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; mostly
uninhabitable

People Antarctica

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants, but there are seasonally staffed
research stations
note: approximately 27 nations, all signatory to the Antarctic
Treaty, send personnel to perform seasonal (summer) and year-round
research on the continent and in its surrounding oceans; the
population of persons doing and supporting science on the continent
and its nearby islands south of 60 degrees south latitude (the
region covered by the Antarctic Treaty) varies from approximately
4,000 in summer to 1,000 in winter; in addition, approximately 1,000
personnel including ship's crew and scientists doing onboard
research are present in the waters of the treaty region; summer
(January) population - 3,687 total; Argentina 302, Australia 201,
Belgium 13, Brazil 80, Bulgaria 16, Chile 352, China 70, Finland 11,
France 100, Germany 51, India 60, Italy 106, Japan 136, South Korea
14, Netherlands 10, NZ 60, Norway 40, Peru 28, Poland 70, Russia
254, South Africa 80, Spain 43, Sweden 20, UK 192, US 1,378
(1998-99); winter (July) population - 964 total; Argentina 165,
Australia 75, Brazil 12, Chile 129, China 33, France 33, Germany 9,
India 25, Japan 40, South Korea 14, NZ 10, Poland 20, Russia 102,
South Africa 10, UK 39, US 248 (1998-99); year-round stations - 42
total; Argentina 6, Australia 4, Brazil 1, Chile 4, China 2, Finland
1, France 1, Germany 1, India 1, Italy 1, Japan 1, South Korea 1, NZ
1, Norway 1, Poland 1, Russia 6, South Africa 1, Spain 1, Ukraine 1,
UK 2, US 3, Uruguay 1 (1998-99); summer-only stations - 32 total;
Argentina 3, Australia 4, Bulgaria 1, Chile 7, Germany 1, India 1,
Japan 3, NZ 1, Peru 1, Russia 3, Sweden 2, UK 5 (1998-99); in
addition, during the austral summer some nations have numerous
occupied locations such as tent camps, summer-long temporary
facilities, and mobile traverses in support of research (July 2003
est.)

Government Antarctica

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antarctica

Government type:
Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1
December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, establishes
the legal framework for the management of Antarctica. The 24th
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Russia in July
2001. At the end of 2001, there were 45 treaty member nations: 27
consultative and 18 non-consultative. Consultative (voting) members
include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica as
national territory (some claims overlap) and 20 nonclaimant nations.
The US and Russia have reserved the right to make claims. The US
does not recognize the claims of others. Antarctica is administered
through meetings of the consultative member nations. Decisions from
these meetings are carried out by these member nations (within their
areas) in accordance with their own national laws. The year in
parentheses indicates when an acceding nation was voted to full
consultative (voting) status, while no date indicates the country
was an original 1959 treaty signatory. Claimant nations are -
Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the
UK. Nonclaimant consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil (1983),
Bulgaria (1998) China (1985), Ecuador (1990), Finland (1989),
Germany (1981), India (1983), Italy (1987), Japan, South Korea
(1989), Netherlands (1990), Peru (1989), Poland (1977), Russia,
South Africa, Spain (1988), Sweden (1988), Uruguay (1985), and the
US. Non-consultative (nonvoting) members, with year of accession in
parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Canada (1988), Colombia (1989),
Cuba (1984), Czech Republic (1993), Denmark (1965), Estonia (2001),
Greece (1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary (1984), North Korea (1987),
Papua New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971), Slovakia (1993),
Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1995), Ukraine (1992), and Venezuela
(1999). Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful purposes only;
military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but
military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research
or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 - freedom of scientific
investigation and cooperation shall continue; Article 3 - free
exchange of information and personnel, cooperation with the UN and
other international agencies; Article 4 - does not recognize,
dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new claims shall be
asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 - prohibits nuclear
explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes; Article 6 - includes
under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees 00
minutes south and reserves high seas rights; Article 7 -
treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial
observation, to any area and may inspect all stations,
installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and
of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 -
allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own
states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among
member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage
activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the
treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the
parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 -
deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among
involved nations. Other agreements - some 200 recommendations
adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments
include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were
later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; Convention for
the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral
resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the
Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was
signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this
agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment
through five specific annexes: 1) marine pollution, 2) fauna and
flora, 3) environmental impact assessments, 4) waste management, and
5) protected area management; it prohibits all activities relating
to mineral resources except scientific research.

Legal system:
Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative
member nations. Decisions from these meetings are carried out by
these member nations (within their areas) in accordance with their
own national laws. US law, including certain criminal offenses by or
against US nationals, such as murder, may apply extra-territorially.
Some US laws directly apply to Antarctica. For example, the
Antarctic Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. section 2401 et seq., provides
civil and criminal penalties for the following activities, unless
authorized by regulation of statute: the taking of native mammals or
birds; the introduction of nonindigenous plants and animals; entry
into specially protected areas; the discharge or disposal of
pollutants; and the importation into the US of certain items from
Antarctica. Violation of the Antarctic Conservation Act carries
penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and one year in prison. The
National Science Foundation and Department of Justice share
enforcement responsibilities. Public Law 95-541, the US Antarctic
Conservation Act of 1978, as amended in 1996, requires expeditions
from the US to Antarctica to notify, in advance, the Office of
Oceans, Room 5805, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, which
reports such plans to other nations as required by the Antarctic
Treaty. For more information, contact Permit Office, Office of Polar
Programs, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia 22230;
telephone: (703) 292-8030, or visit their website at www.nsf.gov.

Economy Antarctica

Economy - overview:
Fishing off the coast and tourism, both based abroad, account for
the limited economic activity. Antarctic fisheries in 2000-01 (1
July-30 June) reported landing 112,934 metric tons. Unregulated
fishing, particularly of tooth fish, is a serious problem. Allegedly
illegal fishing in antarctic waters in 1998 resulted in the seizure
(by France and Australia) of at least eight fishing ships. The
Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
determines the recommended catch limits for marine species. A total
of 12,248 tourists visited in the 2000-01 antarctic summer, down
from the 14,762 who visited the previous year. Nearly all of them
were passengers on 21 commercial (nongovernmental) ships and several
yachts that made trips during the summer. Most tourist trips lasted
approximately two weeks.

Communications Antarctica

Telephones - main lines in use:
0
note: information for US bases only (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA; Iridium system in use

Telephone system:
general assessment: local systems at some research stations
domestic: NA
international: via satellite from some research stations

Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM 2, shortwave 1
note: information for US bases only (2002)

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
1 (cable system with six channels; American Forces Antarctic
Network-McMurdo)
note: information for US bases only (2002)

Televisions:
several hundred at McMurdo Station (US)
note: information for US bases only (2001)

Internet country code:
.aq

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Transportation Antarctica

Ports and harbors:
there are no developed ports and harbors in Antarctica; most
coastal stations have offshore anchorages, and supplies are
transferred from ship to shore by small boats, barges, and
helicopters; a few stations have a basic wharf facility; US coastal
stations include McMurdo (77 51 S, 166 40 E), Palmer (64 43 S, 64 03
W); government use only except by permit (see Permit Office under
"Legal System"); all ships at port are subject to inspection in
accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty; offshore anchorage is
sparse and intermittent

Airports:
30
note: 30 stations, operated by 16 national governments party to the
Antarctic Treaty, have aircraft landing facilities for either
helicopters and/or fixed-wing aircraft; commercial enterprises
operate two additional aircraft landing facilities; helicopter pads
are available at 27 stations; runways at 15 locations are gravel,
sea-ice, blue-ice, or compacted snow suitable for landing wheeled,
fixed-wing aircraft; of these, 1 is greater than 3 km in length, 6
are between 2 km and 3 km in length, 3 are between 1 km and 2 km in
length, 3 are less than 1 km in length, and 2 are of unknown length;
snow surface skiways, limited to use by ski-equipped, fixed-wing
aircraft, are available at another 15 locations; of these, 4 are
greater than 3 km in length, 3 are between 2 km and 3 km in length,
2 are between 1 km and 2 km in length, 2 are less than 1 km in
length, and 4 are of unknown length; aircraft landing facilities
generally subject to severe restrictions and limitations resulting
from extreme seasonal and geographic conditions; aircraft landing
facilities do not meet ICAO standards; advance approval from the
respective governmental or nongovernmental operating organization
required for landing; landed aircraft are subject to inspection in
accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 19
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 5 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

Heliports:
27 stations have helicopter landing facilities (helipads) (2002)

Military Antarctica

Military - note:
the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any measures of a military nature,
such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the
carrying out of military maneuvers, or the testing of any type of
weapon; it permits the use of military personnel or equipment for
scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes

Transnational Issues Antarctica

Disputes - international:
Antarctic Treaty freezes claims (see Antarctic Treaty Summary in
Government type entry); sections (some overlapping) claimed by
Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK; the US and
most other states do not recognize the territorial claims of other
states and have made no claims themselves (the US and Russia reserve
the right to do so); no claims have been made in the sector between
90 degrees west and 150 degrees west; several states with land
claims in Antarctica have expressed their intention to submit data
to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to
extend their continental shelf claims to adjoining undersea ridges

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

======================================================================

@Antigua and Barbuda

Introduction Antigua and Barbuda

Background:
The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and
Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak and Carib Indians populated the
islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early
settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English
who formed a 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.

Geography Antigua and Barbuda

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates:
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)
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km
land: 443 sq km

Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
153 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher
volcanic areas

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m

Natural resources:
NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Land use:
arable land: 18.18%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 81.82% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh
water 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, 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 very large western harbor

People Antigua and Barbuda

Population:
67,897 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.1% (male 9,706; female 9,371)
15-64 years: 67.4% (male 22,929; female 22,845)
65 years and over: 4.5% (male 1,218; female 1,828) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 29.1 years
male: 28.6 years
female: 29.6 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.64% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
18.23 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
5.64 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-6.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 20.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 25.14 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.31 years
male: 68.99 years
female: 73.75 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.28 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan

Ethnic groups:
black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian

Religions:
Christian, (predominantly Anglican with other Protestant, and some
Roman Catholic)

Languages:
English (official), local dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of
schooling
total population: 89%
male: 90%
female: 88% (1960 est.)

Government Antigua and Barbuda

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda

Government type:
constitutional monarchy with UK-style parliament

Capital:
Saint John's

Administrative divisions:
6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George,
Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip

Independence:
1 November 1981 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981)

Constitution:
1 November 1981

Legal system:
based on English common law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General James B. CARLISLE (since NA 1993)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen
by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following
legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the
leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister
by the governor general
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on
the advice of the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Lester Bryant BIRD (since 8 March
1994); Deputy Prime Minister Robin YEARWOOD

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member body
appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives
(17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to
serve five-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - ALP 53.2%, UPP 45.5%,
independent 1.3%; seats by party - ALP 12, UPP 4, independent 1
elections: House of Representatives - last held 9 March 1999 (next
to be held prior to March 2004)

Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia; one judge of
the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the
Court of Summary Jurisdiction)

Political parties and leaders:
Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbuda People's
Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; United Progressive Party or UPP
[Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three opposition parties - United
National Democratic Party or UNDP, Antigua Caribbean Liberation
Movement or ACLM, and Progressive Labor Movement or PLM)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's
Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]

International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(subscriber), ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 362-5211
FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225
consulate(s) general: Miami

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda (embassy
closed 30 June 1994); the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to
Antigua and Barbuda

Flag description:
red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of
the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black
(top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black
band

Economy Antigua and Barbuda

Economy - overview:
Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than
half of GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers since early 2000 have
slowed the economy, however, and pressed the government into a tight
fiscal corner. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is
focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water
supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages
in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type
assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts,
and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the
medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the
industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for
slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $750 million (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $11,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.9%
industry: 19.2%
services: 76.8% (2002)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.4% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
30,000

Labor force - by occupation:
commerce and services 82%, agriculture 11%, industry 7% (1983)

Unemployment rate:
11% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $123.7 million
expenditures: $145.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)

Industries:
tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol,
household appliances)

Industrial production growth rate:
6% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:
105.3 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
97.89 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
3,600 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes,
sugarcane; livestock

Exports:
$40 million

Exports - commodities:
petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport
equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8%

Exports - partners:
France 68.5%, Germany 26.4%, Italy 1.2% (2002)

Imports:
$357 million (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment,
manufactures, chemicals, oil

Imports - partners:
France 23.4%, Germany 14.2%, US 13.2%, Poland 9.8%, South Korea
8.3%, Singapore 5%, UK 4.4% (2002)

Debt - external:
$231 million (1999)

Economic aid - recipient:
$2.3 million (1995)

Currency:
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code:
XCD

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7
(2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (1998) (fixed rate since 1976)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Antigua and Barbuda

Telephones - main lines in use:
28,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,300 (1996)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: good automatic telephone system
international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station -
1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Saba
(Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
36,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (1997)

Televisions:
31,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.ag

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)

Internet users:
5,000 (2001)

Transportation Antigua and Barbuda

Railways:
total: 77 km
narrow gauge: 64 km 0.760-m gauge; 13 km 0.610-m gauge (used almost
exclusively for handling sugarcane) (2001 est.)

Highways:
total: 250 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
none

Ports and harbors:
Saint John's