conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda

AC

constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style
parliament

Saint John's

6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*,
Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint
Peter, Saint Philip

1 November 1981 (from UK)

Independence Day, 1 November (1981)

1 November 1981

based on English common law

18 years of age; universal

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

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

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)

Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement
or ACLM ; Antigua Labor Party or ALP ;
Barbuda People's Movement or BPM ; Progressive Labor
Movement or PLM ; United National Democratic Party or UNDP
; United Progressive Party or UPP , a
coalition of three opposition political parties - UNDP, ACLM, and PLM

Antigua Trades and Labor Union
or ATLU ; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh
MARSHALL]

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, WMO, WTrO

chief of mission: Ambassador Lionel Alexander HURST
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone:  (202) 362-5211
FAX:  (202) 362-5225
consulate(s) general: Miami

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

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