French Polynesia (2002) | Antigua and Barbuda (2005) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 5 archipelagic divisions named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, and Iles Sous-le-Vent
note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from French Polynesia |
6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 29% (male 38,184; female 36,631)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 88,250; female 81,165) 65 years and over: 5.3% (male 6,850; female 6,767) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 27.9% (male 9,767/female 9,427)
15-64 years: 68% (male 23,466/female 23,250) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 1,085/female 1,727) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits; poultry, beef, dairy products | cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock |
Airports | 45 (2001) | 3 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 37
over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 22 under 914 m: 8 (2002) |
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 5 (2002) |
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
land: 3,660 sq km water: 507 sq km |
total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)
land: 442.6 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year moratorium. The tests were suspended in January 1996. | The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak and Carib Indians populated the islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. |
Birth rate | 18.17 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 17.26 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $1 billion
expenditures: $900 million, including capital expenditures of $185 million (1996) (1996) |
revenues: $123.7 million
expenditures: $145.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | Papeete | Saint John's (Antigua) |
Climate | tropical, but moderate | tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 2,525 km | 153 km |
Constitution | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) | 1 November 1981 |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of French Polynesia
conventional short form: French Polynesia local long form: Territoire de la Polynesie Francaise local short form: Polynesie Francaise former: French Colony of Oceania |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda |
Currency | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF); note - may adopt the euro in 2003 | - |
Death rate | 4.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 5.44 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $231 million (1999) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of France since 1946 | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of France) | the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda (embassy closed 30 June 1994); the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador Lionel A. HURST
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122 FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225 consulate(s) general: Miami |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $367 million (1997) (1997) | $2.3 million (1995) |
Economy - overview | Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. With the halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the military contribution to the economy fell sharply. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Other sources of income are pearl farming and deep-sea commercial fishing. The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products. The territory substantially benefits from development agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social services. | Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than half of GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers since early 2000 have slowed the economy, however, and pressed the government into a tight fiscal corner. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals. |
Electricity - consumption | 379.44 million kWh (2000) | 103 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 408 million kWh (2000) | 110.8 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 54%
hydro: 46% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4% | black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian |
Exchange rates | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 135.04 (January 2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.44 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998), 106.11 (1997); note - pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000)
note: fixed rate since 1976 |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Michel MATHIEU (since 24 October 2001)
head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 4 April 1991); President of the Territorial Assembly Lucette TAERO (since 17 May 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Government and the president of the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir James B. CARLISLE (since 10 June 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Winston Baldwin SPENCER (since 24 March 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general |
Exports | $205 million f.o.b. (1999) | NA |
Exports - commodities | cultured pearls 50%, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat (1997) | petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8% |
Exports - partners | Japan 62%, US 21% (1999) | Poland 47.8%, UK 24.6%, Germany 8.7% (2004) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave pattern on the lower half and gold and white ray pattern on the upper half; a stylized red, blue and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the French flag is used for official occasions | red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 6%
industry: 18% services: 76% (1997) |
agriculture: 3.9%
industry: 19.2% services: 76.8% (2002) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $11,000 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4% (2001 est.) | 3% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 15 00 S, 140 00 W | 17 03 N, 61 48 W |
Geography - note | includes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 coral); Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru | Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor |
Highways | total: 792 km
paved: 264 km unpaved: 528 km (2000) |
total: 250 km (1999 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | - | considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center |
Imports | $749 million f.o.b. (1999) | NA |
Imports - commodities | fuels, foodstuffs, equipment | food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil |
Imports - partners | France 53%, US 13%, Australia 10% (1999) | China 19.5%, US 18.7%, Singapore 14.8%, Poland 8.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.7% (2004) |
Independence | none (overseas territory of France) | 1 November 1981 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 6% (1997 est.) |
Industries | tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts | tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances) |
Infant mortality rate | 8.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 19.46 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 23.43 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.5% (1994) | 0.4% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction) |
Labor force | 70,000 (1996) (1996) | 30,000 |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 13%, industry 19%, services 68% (1997) (1997) | agriculture 7%, industry 11%, services 82% (1983) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 1.64%
permanent crops: 6.01% other: 92.35% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 18.18%
permanent crops: 4.55% other: 77.27% (2001) |
Languages | French (official), Tahitian (official) | English (official), local dialects |
Legal system | based on French system | based on English common law |
Legislative branch | unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (49 seats - changed from 41 seats for May 2001 election; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 6 May 2001 (next to be held NA May 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 28, Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia 13, New Fatherland Party 7, other 1 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on NA September 1998 (next to be held NA September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, UMP 1 |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 23 March 2004 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ALP 4, UPP 13 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 75.23 years
male: 72.88 years female: 77.69 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 71.9 years
male: 69.53 years female: 74.38 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 14 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1977 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling
total population: 89% male: 90% female: 88% (1960 est.) |
Location | Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from South America to Australia | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Oceania | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
Merchant marine | total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,240 GRT/7,765 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1 (2002 est.) |
total: 980 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,873,626 GRT/7,683,143 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 33, cargo 630, chemical tanker 9, container 272, liquefied gas 9, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 8, roll on/roll off 17, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: 923 (Australia 2, Bangladesh 4, Belgium 4, Colombia 2, Denmark 8, Estonia 2, Germany 849, Iceland 5, Latvia 5, Lebanon 2, Lithuania 1, Netherlands 11, Norway 3, Philippines 1, Russia 1, Slovenia 5, Sweden 1, Switzerland 5, Turkey 4, United Kingdom 1, United States 7) (2005) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | - |
Military branches | no regular indigenous military forces; French Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie | Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force: Infantry, Coast Guard (2004) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | NA |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981) |
Nationality | noun: French Polynesian(s)
adjective: French Polynesian |
noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan |
Natural hazards | occasional cyclonic storms in January | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts |
Natural resources | timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower | NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism |
Net migration rate | 3.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | -6.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]; People's Rally for the Republic of Polynesia or RPR (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; The New Star (Te Fetia Api) [Boris LEONTIEFF] | Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; United Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three opposition parties - United National Democratic Party or UNDP, Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM, and Progressive Labor Movement or PLM) |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL] |
Population | 257,847 (July 2002 est.) | 68,722 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
Population growth rate | 1.67% (2002 est.) | 0.57% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa | Saint John's |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998) | AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 128,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6% | Christian, (predominantly Anglican with other Protestant, and some Roman Catholic) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: good automatic telephone system international: country code - 1-268; 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe |
Telephones - main lines in use | 52,000 (1997) | 38,000 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 5,427 (1997) | 38,200 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 7 (plus 17 low-power repeaters) (1997) | 2 (1997) |
Terrain | mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs | mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas |
Total fertility rate | 2.18 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 2.26 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 11% (2001 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |