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| Antigua and Barbuda |
British ownership on the island of the same name and the islands of Barbuda and Redonda, which are part of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. Total area - 442 sq. km. Population - 77 thousand (1976), people of African and mixed descent. Administrative center - St. John's (25 thousand inhabitants.). The official language is English, most of the population is Protestants. The island was discovered by Columbus in 1493. Since 1632 - the possession of Great Britain. In 1940, England provided the United States with part of the island's territory for air and naval bases for a period of 99 years. In 1977, Antigua signed an agreement with the United States to maintain military bases in the country. In 1967 Antigua was declared a "state associated with Great Britain", in 1974 it became a member of the Caribbean Community. The colony is governed by a governor appointed by the Queen of Great Britain. The legislature is a bicameral parliament (Senate and House of Representatives). Executive power is exercised by the government headed by the Prime Minister (Via Baird). The metropolis retains questions of foreign relations and defense. Labor Party of Antigua - ruling since February 1976, leader Vie Byrd; Progressive Labor Movement - created in 1970; People's Party of Antigua. Trade Union and Workers' Union of Antigua - formed in 1940; Antigua Workers' Union - established in 1967; Association of Civil Servants of Antigua. The basis of the country's economy is agriculture and tourism. The main crops are cotton, sugarcane and citrus fruits. In December 1972, due to the crisis in the sugar industry, all sugar factories were closed. As a result, the unemployment rate rose sharply (by 1977 it was 47%). Many of the island's residents were forced to look for work abroad. Sugar production resumed only in 1977. The unemployment rate still remains one of the highest in the region (in 1979 it was 27%). In 1978, 67.4 thousand tourists visited the islands. The length of the highways is 288 km. There is an airport. The monetary unit is the East Caribbean dollar. 1 east caribbean dollars = 0.37 dollars (January 1979). Main trading partners: UK, USA, Canada.
