Antigua and Barbuda
Name
| Official name | Antigua and Barbuda — no longer form |
|---|---|
| Demonym | Antiguan; Barbudan |
| Meaning of the name | Antigua: named by Columbus in 1493 for Santa María la Antigua, a church in Seville; Barbuda: Spanish for "bearded," perhaps for the island's lichen-covered fig trees |
| Also called | Wadadli — the Amerindian name for Antigua, still used locally; Wa'omoni for Barbuda |
Quick facts
| Capital | St. John's, on the northwest coast of Antigua — also the largest town and the main port; named for St. John the Apostle |
|---|---|
| Official language | English; Antiguan and Barbudan Creole is the everyday tongue |
| Currency | East Caribbean dollar — ISO code XCD, EC$; fixed at EC$2.70 to the U.S. dollar since 1976; issued by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank |
| Time zone | Atlantic Standard Time, UTC−4, all year — no daylight saving |
| Calling code | +1 268 |
| Internet domain | .ag |
| ISO 3166 codes | AG · ATG · 028 |
| Vehicle registration code | AG |
| Driving side | Left |
| Electricity | 230 V, 60 Hz; plug types A and B |
| Independence | 1 November 1981, from the United Kingdom, after associated statehood from 27 February 1967 |
| National day | 1 November, Independence Day |
| Head of state | King Charles III, represented by a Governor-General — a Commonwealth realm |
| Population | About 94,000 (World Bank); 102,600 by the CIA World Factbook's 2025 estimate — about 97% on Antigua |
| Area | 443 km² (171 sq mi) — Antigua 280 km², Barbuda 161 km², Redonda 1.6 km²; about two and a half times the size of Washington, D.C. |
Flag & national symbols
| National flag | A red field with an inverted triangle of black, blue and white and a golden seven-point sun rising on the black — Sir Reginald Samuel's competition winner, first raised on 27 February 1967 and kept at independence.Flag of Antigua and Barbuda |
|---|---|
| Coat of arms | A shield with the sun rising over a sugar mill and the sea, supported by two deer, with a pineapple on the crest and the motto beneath — designed by Gordon Christopher, adopted 1967 |
| National anthem | "Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee" — words by Novelle Richards, music by Walter Chambers; adopted 1967 |
| National motto | "Each Endeavouring, All Achieving" |
| National bird | The frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) — Barbuda's Codrington Lagoon holds one of the largest colonies in the Caribbean — designated by the government |
| National animal | The European fallow deer, introduced by the Codrington family in the 1700s — designated |
| National flower | The dagger log (Agave karatto) — designated |
| National tree | The whitewood (Bucida buceras) — designated |
| National fruit | The Antigua black pineapple — designated |
| National sea creature | The hawksbill turtle — designated |
| National stone | Petrified wood — designated |
| National dish | Fungee and pepperpot — cornmeal dumplings with a stew of vegetables and salted meat |
| National sport | Cricket — the islands gave the West Indies Sir Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts, Curtly Ambrose and Richie Richardson |
| Symbol status | The flag, arms, anthem and motto date from the statehood of 1967; the bird, animal, flower, tree, fruit, sea creature and stone are designated by the government |
Geography
| Location | The Leeward Islands of the eastern Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic, about 500 km (300 mi) east-southeast of Puerto Rico |
|---|---|
| Coastline | 153 km (95 mi) |
| Land borders | None — an island state; Barbuda lies about 40 km (25 mi) north of Antigua, Redonda 56 km (35 mi) to the southwest |
| The islands | Antigua, Barbuda, Redonda and about 40 islets |
| Highest point | Boggy Peak, 402 m (1,319 ft), in the Shekerley Mountains of southwestern Antigua — named Mount Obama from 2009 to 2016 |
| Lowest point | The Caribbean Sea, 0 m |
| Barbuda | A flat coral island rising to about 38 m (125 ft) — Hurricane Irma destroyed almost every building on it in September 2017 |
| Redonda | An uninhabited volcanic rock, a nature reserve since 2023 |
| Rivers | None — the islands rely on rainfall, reservoirs and desalination |
| Largest reservoir | Potworks Dam on Antigua |
| Lagoons | Codrington Lagoon on Barbuda, a Ramsar wetland and the frigatebird sanctuary |
| Terrain | Low-lying limestone and coral islands with a higher volcanic southwest on Antigua |
| Climate | Tropical maritime — warm all year, with little seasonal change; the hurricane season runs June to November |
| Natural hazards | Hurricanes and tropical storms; periodic drought |
| Natural resources | Marine resources; the sea, sun and sand of tourism |
| Land use | Agricultural land about 20%; forest about 22% |
| Beaches | 365 by the islands' own count — "one for every day of the year" |
| UNESCO World Heritage | 1 — the Antigua Naval Dockyard and Related Archaeological Sites, Nelson's Dockyard at English Harbour (2016) |
| Administrative divisions | 6 parishes on Antigua — St. George, St. John, St. Mary, St. Paul, St. Peter, St. Philip — and 2 dependencies, Barbuda and Redonda |
People
| Population | About 94,000 (World Bank, 2023); 102,600 (CIA World Factbook, 2025 est.) |
|---|---|
| Population density | About 230 per km² (600 per sq mi) |
| Median age | About 34 years |
| Life expectancy | 78.3 years (2024 est.) |
| Fertility rate | About 1.6 births per woman |
| Adult literacy | About 99% |
| Ethnic groups | African descent about 87%, mixed 5%, Hispanic 3%, white 2% (2011 census) |
| Languages | English official; Antiguan and Barbudan Creole; Spanish among immigrants |
| Religion | Protestant about 68% (Anglican, Seventh-day Adventist, Pentecostal, Moravian, Methodist), Roman Catholic about 8% (2011 census) |
| Largest towns | St. John's (about 22,000), All Saints, Liberta, Potter's Village; Codrington on Barbuda |
| Human Development Index | 0.83 (2022 data, 2024 report) — very high human development |
| Diaspora | Large communities in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada |
Government
| Form of government | Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy — a Commonwealth realm, under the Constitution of 1981 |
|---|---|
| Monarch | King Charles III, since 8 September 2022 |
| Governor-General | Sir Rodney Williams, since 14 August 2014 |
| Prime Minister | Gaston Browne, since 13 June 2014 — re-elected in 2018 and January 2023 |
| Parliament | Bicameral — the House of Representatives (17 elected members) and the Senate (17 appointed) |
| Barbuda Council | Barbuda has its own local council under the Barbuda Local Government Act of 1976 |
| Legal system | Common law, on the English model; final appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council |
| Armed forces | The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force, about 300 strong, with a coast guard |
| United Nations | Member since 11 November 1981 |
| Regional memberships | CARICOM (1974), the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (founding member, 1981), the OAS, the Commonwealth |
| World Trade Organization | Member since 1 January 1995 |
Economy
| GDP (nominal) | About US$2.4 billion (2025, IMF) |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita | About US$24,000 (2025) — among the highest in the Caribbean |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | About US$29,600 (2024) |
| GDP growth | About 4% (2024–25) |
| Economy by sector | Services dominate — tourism and related activity make up well over half of GDP |
| Currency | East Caribbean dollar (XCD), pegged at EC$2.70 to US$1 |
| Tourism | The mainstay — hundreds of thousands of stay-over visitors and around a million cruise passengers in a good year |
| Citizenship by investment | A program since 2013 — a significant source of state revenue |
| Exports | Small — petroleum products in transit, ships, textiles; food and fuel are imported |
| Main partners | The United States above all; Poland, the United Kingdom and Caribbean neighbors |
| Income classification | High income (World Bank) |
Transport & infrastructure
| Main airport | V. C. Bird International Airport, near St. John's — named for the first prime minister, Sir Vere Cornwall Bird; a new terminal opened in 2015 |
|---|---|
| Barbuda | A small airstrip at Codrington and a ferry from St. John's |
| Main port | St. John's — a deep-water cruise and cargo port |
| English Harbour | The historic naval base — Nelson's Dockyard — now a yachting center and the World Heritage site |
| Roads | About 1,170 km (730 mi), driving on the left |
| Railways | None |
History in dates
| c. 2400 BC | The first settlers, the Siboney, on Antigua |
|---|---|
| 1493 | Columbus sights and names Antigua on his second voyage |
| 1632 | English settlement begins |
| 1674 | Christopher Codrington founds Betty's Hope, the first large sugar plantation |
| 1685 | The Codringtons lease Barbuda |
| 1834 | Slavery abolished — Antigua freed its enslaved people outright, without the apprenticeship period used elsewhere |
| 1951 | Universal adult suffrage |
| 1967 | Associated statehood, 27 February; the flag, arms and anthem adopted |
| 1981 | Independence, 1 November; Vere Cornwall Bird the first prime minister |
| 2016 | Nelson's Dockyard becomes a World Heritage site |
| 2017 | Hurricane Irma devastates Barbuda, 6 September |
| 2023 | Gaston Browne wins a third term |
Records & firsts
| 365 beaches | A beach for every day of the year, by the islands' own count |
|---|---|
| Frigatebirds | Barbuda's Codrington Lagoon holds one of the largest frigatebird colonies in the Caribbean |
| The black pineapple | The Antigua black pineapple, reputed the sweetest in the world |
| Emancipation | In 1834 Antigua freed its enslaved people immediately, skipping the apprenticeship the other British colonies imposed |
| Cricketers | Sir Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts, Curtly Ambrose and Richie Richardson all came from the islands |
| Nelson's Dockyard | The only continuously working Georgian dockyard in the world |
| Sailing | Antigua Sailing Week, since 1968, among the great regattas of the Caribbean |
| The flag's designer | Sir Reginald Samuel was knighted in 2006 beneath the flag he designed |
| Redonda | A "kingdom" of literary legend — the writer M. P. Shiel claimed its crown in the 19th century |
Frequently asked questions
What is the official name of Antigua and Barbuda?
Antigua and Barbuda — the state has no longer form. Columbus named Antigua in 1493 after Santa María la Antigua, a church in Seville; Barbuda, "bearded," may describe the island’s lichen-hung fig trees. The country also includes the uninhabited rock of Redonda.
What is the capital of Antigua and Barbuda?
St. John’s, on Antigua’s northwest coast — the largest town, the port, and the seat of government, with about 22,000 people. Codrington is Barbuda’s only settlement.
How big is Antigua and Barbuda, and how many people live there?
About 443 km² (171 sq mi) in all: Antigua 280 km², Barbuda 161 km² and Redonda 1.6 km². The World Bank counts about 94,000 people; the CIA World Factbook estimates 102,600 (2025). Some 97% live on Antigua.
What are the highest and lowest points of Antigua and Barbuda?
Boggy Peak, 402 m (1,319 ft), in the Shekerley Mountains of southwestern Antigua — officially Mount Obama from 2009 to 2016 — is the highest point; the Caribbean shore is the lowest. Barbuda is a flat coral island rising to about 38 m (125 ft).
What currency does Antigua and Barbuda use?
The East Caribbean dollar (ISO code XCD, EC$), issued by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and fixed at EC$2.70 to the U.S. dollar since 1976; U.S. dollars are accepted almost everywhere. Clocks keep Atlantic Standard Time, UTC−4, with no daylight saving.
What are the national symbols of Antigua and Barbuda?
The government designates them: the frigatebird as national bird, the European fallow deer as national animal, the dagger log agave as national flower, the whitewood as national tree, the Antigua black pineapple as national fruit, the hawksbill turtle as national sea creature and petrified wood as national stone — alongside the flag, the coat of arms, the anthem "Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee" and the motto "Each Endeavouring, All Achieving."
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