Antigua and Barbuda

Keyfacts

POPULATION (2004 census) 76,886
CAPITAL: St John's
LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTION TO GDP: 0.74%
CURRENCY: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
HEAD OF STATE: HM Queen Elizabeth II
GOVERNOR-GENERAL: Dame Louise Lake-Tack
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT: Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: constitutional monarchy
PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM: bicameral
STATE STRUCTURE: unitary
LANGUAGES: English (official), Antiguan Creole (recognised)
NATIONAL ELECTIONS: last: March 2009,
turnout: 80.27%, next: March 2011
LOCAL ELECTIONS: last: 2009, turnout: 87% next: 2011

Summary

Antigua and Barbuda is a bicameral parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy with two levels of government, central and local. Local government is manifested in a single local authority, the Barbuda Council, which governs the affairs of the Barbuda dependency. There is no constitutional provision for local government across Antigua; however the Barbuda Council is enshrined in the constitution. The Ministry of Education, Sports, Youth and Gender Affairs in Antigua is responsible for the oversight of the Local Government Department. The Barbuda Council reports directly the Office of the Prime Minister and is empowered to collect taxes to deliver goods and services as well as to administer and regulate agriculture, forestry, public health, public utilities and roads for the island.

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