ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA Official name: Antigua and Barbuda Location: Caribbean International organisations: The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, The Commonwealth of Nations, The Organisation of American States, The United Nations, The World Trade Organisation Borders: None Coastline: Caribbean Sea Land area: 443 Km2 Population: 68,000 Ethnicity: The great majority of the population are of African descent. There are small minorities of Europeans and Lebanese.

Languages: English is the official language and is generally understood. Most of the population speak a dialect called Antigua Creole.
Religion: Most of the population are Protestant Christians.
Form of government: Constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. Antigua is divided into six parishes. Barbuda and Redonda each constitute one parish.
Capital: Saint John's
Constitution: The Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda came into effect on 31 October 1981.
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Antigua and Barbuda. The Queen came to the British throne on 6 February 1952, and has held the title Queen of Antigua and Barbuda since 31 October 1981. The Queen's functions in Antigua and Barbuda are excercised by a Governor-General, appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister. The current Governor-General, Sir James Carlisle, took office on 10 June 1993.
Head of government: The Prime Minister, appointed by the Governor-General. The Prime Minister is the leader of the largest party in the legislature and is accountable to it.
Legislature: Antigua and Barbuda has a bicameral legislature, the Parliament. The House of Representatives has 19 members, 17 elected for five-year terms from single-members constituencies and three ex officio members. The Senate has 17 appointed members.
Electoral authority: Antigua and Barbuda does not appear to have an independent election authority.
Freedom House 2005 rating: Political Rights 2, Civil Liberties 2

Political history

Antigua was discovered and named by Columbus in 1493, but it was Britain that colonised the islands in 1632. British sugar planters imported African slaves, and people of African descent soon constituted most of the population. Slavery was abolished in 1834 but the white planters continued to rule the islands. Legislative institutions were introduced in 1946 and internal self-government in 1958. Following the failure of the West Indies Federation, Antigua and Barbuda became a British Associated State, with full independence following in 1981.

Antiguan politics have been dominated by the Antigua Labor Party, under Sir Vere Bird and his son Lester Bird, who ran the country from 1958 to 2004 with one break (1971-76). The opposition United Progressive Party was unable to mount an effective challenge to the Bird family's dominance, and their many allegations of corruption against the ruling party. In March 2004, however, the UPP broke through and won a convincing victory under Baldwin Spencer.