Antigua & Barbuda (Facts
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Facts
on Antigua and Barbuda
Capital (Antigua): St. Johns
Capital (Barbuda):Codrington
Language:English
Population: 64,360
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth
II
represented by a governor general
in St. Johns
Government Form: Parliamentary
Next Election: March 1999
Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar
Exchange Rate: U.S. $1.00 = EC
$2.70
Time Zone: EST + 1 ; GMT
- 4
Telephone Area Code: (268)
Geography
The islands are located southeast
of Puerto Rico, in the eastern Caribbean at the southern end of the Leeward
Islands. Antigua covers an area of 108 square miles. Barbuda covers an
area of 62 square miles. Antigua can be described in three ways. The northern
part consists of small scrub covered rolling hills, the central area is
a fertile plain, while the southwest has formation of volcanos and tropical
valleys. Barbuda is a very flat island and its foundation consists of coral
and linestone.
Climate
Antigua can be described as tropical
and humid, while Barbuda would be more arid. The islands have an annual
temperature of 24 degrees celcius (75 F) and remains constant throughout
the summer and winter. The average annual rainfall is 42 inches, but drought
can be a factor.
Population
64,360
Average Annual Rate of Growth
1.2 %
Reproductive Rate
16.1 per 1,000
Population Density
423 per square mile
Adult Literacy
92 %
Ethnic Makeup
Primarily people of African descent.
British,Portuguese, Lebanese and Syrian stocks may also be found.
Education
Compulsory schooling from age
five to sixteen.The majority of schools are funded by the government, with
some assistance from religious groups.There are a total of 72 primary and
secondary schools. In 1972 the training colleges were merged to form the
Antigua State College.
History
Antigua is part of the Leeward
Islands and was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493. It was named
after Santa Maria de la Antigua church in Seville, and was also a major
naval dockyard to the British fleet in the Eastern Caribbean in the late
18th century. In 1632 Antigua was colonized by the English, and later the
French had a brief period of control from 1666 until 1667, when it was
then passed to Great Britain. From 1958 until 1962 it was a member of the
Federation of the West Indies. In 1967, Antigua and Barbuda became a semi-dependent
associated state. In 1981, it achieved full independence, but remains a
member of the British Commonwealth.
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