| Country name: |
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Antigua and Barbuda
|
| Government type: |
constitutional monarchy with UK-style parliament
|
| Administrative divisions: |
6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip
|
| Independence: |
1 November 1981 (from UK)
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| National holiday: |
Independence Day, 1 November (1981)
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| Constitution: |
1 November 1981
|
| Legal system: |
based on English common law
|
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
|
| Executive branch: |
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General James B. CARLISLE (since NA 1993)
head of government:
Prime Minister Lester Bryant BIRD (since 8 March 1994)
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; prime minister appointed by the governor general
|
| Legislative branch: |
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 9 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2004)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ALP 12, UPP 4, independent 1
|
| Judicial branch: |
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)
|
| Political parties and leaders: |
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: |
Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]
|
| International organization participation: |
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
|
| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Lionel Alexander HURST
chancery:
3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone:
[1] (202) 362-5211
FAX:
[1] (202) 362-5225
consulate(s) general:
Miami
|
| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
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
|
| Flag description: |
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
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