Antigua and Barbuda

Basic Data

The Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda, located east-southeast of Puerto Rico between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. The government is a constitutional monarchy. Great Britain appoints a Governor General, who in turn appoints a Prime Minister. The Prime Minister presides over a Senate and a House of Representatives. The population is estimated at 65,000 with an 89-percent literacy rate. English is the official language, but many local dialects are spoken. Tourism is by far the largest source of revenue, accounting for more than half of the gross domestic product. Remaining revenue comes from agriculture, fishing and light industry. Efforts to develop an offshore financial sector have been stymied by sanctions and money laundering scandals.

Although the constitution guarantees press freedom, the media industry is nearly entirely controlled by the Prime Minister or members of his family. When one of the country's daily newspapers, the Daily Observer, started a radio station that aired political messages from the opposition, the editor and publisher were arrested for operating a radio station without a license. Print media, however, is generally allowed to operate unhindered. The country's press center is Antigua, which at just over 100 square miles is nearly double the size of Barbuda and claims 98 percent of the population. Every major newspaper publishes from its capital, St. John's. There are two dailies, the Antigua Sun and the Daily Observer, both of which are available online. Weekly publications include The Nation's Voice, The Outlet, and The Worker's Voice.

There are six radio stations, four AM and two FM, serving 36,000 radios. Two television stations broadcast to 31,000 televisions. Sixteen Internet service providers provide online access.