1985 Edition

Airfield

1 with permanent-surface runways of 1,100 m at Wallblake Airport

Branches

Police drington Barbuda Caribbean Sea SAINT JOHN'S, Antigua tRedonda See regional mtp III Land 280 km2; less than two-thirds the size of New York City; 54% arable; 18% waste and built on; 14% forest; 9% unused but potentially productive; 5% pasture; the islands of Redonda (less than 2.6 km and uninhabited) and Barbuda (161 km) are dependencies Water

bicameral legislative, 17-member popularly elected House of Representatives and 17-member Senate; executive, Prime Minister and Cabinet

Capital

St. John's

Civil air

no major transport aircraft

Coastline

153 km People

Communists

negligible

Elections

every five years; last general election 17 April 1984 Political parties and leaders: Antigua Labor Party (ALP), Vere C. Bird, Sr., Lester Bird; United People's Movement (UPM), George Herbert Walter; Progressive Labor Movement (PLM), Robert Hall

Ethnic divisions

almost entirely African Negro

Government leaders

Vere Cornwall BIRD, Sr., Prime Minister (since 1976); Lester BIRD, Deputy Prime Minister (since 1976); Sir Wilfred Elx>nezer JACOBS, Governor General (since 1967)

Highways

approximately 60 km surfaced

Inland waterways

none

Language

English

Legal system

based on English law; British Caribbean Court of Appeal has exclusive original jurisdiction and an appellate jurisdiction, consists of Chief Justice and five justices

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

12 nm (200 nm economic zone)

Literacy

about 88%

Member of

CARICOM, Commonwealth, G-77, ICAO, ILO, IMF, ISO, OAS, UN, UNESCO

Nationality

noun — Antiguan(s); adjective — Antiguan

Official name

Antigua and Barbuda

Organized labor

18,000, 22-26% unemployment (1983 est.) Government

Other political or pressure groups

Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement (ACLM), a small leftist nationalist group led by Leonard "Tim" Hector

Political subdivisions

6 parishes, 2 dependencies (Barbuda, Redonda)

Population

80,000 (July 19&5), average annual growth rate 0%

Ports

I major (Road Bay), 1 minor (Blowing Point)

Railroads

none

Religion

Anglican (predominant), other Protestant sects, some Roman Catholic

Suffrage

universal suffrage age 18 and over

Telecommunications

modem internal telephone system (1,200 telephones est.); 1 radio broadcasting service Defense Forces Defense is responsibility of UK

Type

independent state recognizing Elizabeth II as Chief of State

Voting strength

(1984 election) House of Representatives — ALP, 16 seats; independent, 1 seat