Antigua and Barbuda

A

Religion

Christianity is the religion of the vast majority of the population, with about three-fourths of the people belonging to Protestant denominations, mainly Anglican, Moravian, Methodist, and Seventh-Day Adventist. There are also Roman Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Rastafarians.

B

Language

English is the official language of Antigua and Barbuda. However, Leeward Caribbean Creole English, an English-based creole, is the language used in informal situations by the majority of the population. Arabic, Portuguese, and some Indian languages are nonindigenous languages spoken by minorities in some parts of the islands.

C

Culture

Antigua holds a celebrated carnival at the end of July, with costumed dancing through the streets behind steel bands. Barbuda has a smaller carnival in June, known as caribana. The game of cricket is also quite popular in Antigua and Barbuda, and the islands have produced some famous cricket players in modern times: the fast bowlers Andy Roberts and Curtly Ambrose, and the batsman Vivian Richards.

V

Economy

The economy of Antigua and Barbuda is dependent on tourism and offshore banking. The country’s gross national product (GNP) is about U.S.$759 million (2004 World Bank estimate), giving a per capita income of U.S.$9,480. Hotels and restaurants contribute about one-fourth of the gross domestic product (GDP), and the industry employs around one-third of the labor force. In 2005 there were 245,407 tourists (including cruise-ship visitors). The tourism receipts are some U.S.$327 million a year, compared with merchandise exports of U.S.$22.5 million. There has been considerable investment in infrastructure to support the tourist industry, including the expansion of airport and harbor facilities, road improvements, and hotel construction.

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The country’s economy is at the mercy of the weather, however. Hurricanes can be devastating, driving tourists away and causing hotels to remain closed for repairs for months. In the past the decline in tax income and budget revenues and increase in public spending on repairs due to hurricane damage has forced the government to introduce austerity programs.

The monetary unit of Antigua and Barbuda is the East Caribbean (EC) dollar of 100 cents (2.70 East Caribbean dollars equal U.S.$1, a fixed rate since 1976).

VI

Environmental Concerns

The growth of the tourist industry has created some environmental problems, including uncontrolled disposal of sewage from hotels on the beach. Hotel development also threatens the Antiguan mangrove trees. Water management is another major area of concern because of limited natural freshwater resources. Coral reefs that surround the islands have suffered disturbance to their ecosystem as a result of fishing, which has nearly doubled since 1980.

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