Antigua and Barbuda

In brief

Antigua and Barbuda is a country in the Caribbean. Its capital is Saint John’s. With 94,209 inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 184th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 442 km². An island nation, Antigua and Barbuda has no land border.

GDP per capita stands at $24,819 (2025), 53rd in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 77.8 years (2024). 24% of the population lives in cities.

History of Antigua and Barbuda

Home to Arawaks and then Caribs, the islands were sighted by Columbus in 1493, who named Antigua after a church in Seville. An English colony from 1632, Antigua became a sugar island worked by enslaved Africans; the naval dockyard at English Harbour, where Admiral Nelson served, is a World Heritage Site. The country has been independent since 1 November 1981. In 2017 Hurricane Irma destroyed almost all the homes on Barbuda.

Geography of Antigua and Barbuda

The country consists of two main islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and the uninhabited islet of Redonda. Fringed by coral reefs, Antigua is famous for its many beaches.

Map of Antigua and Barbuda

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Flag of Antigua and Barbuda

The flag of Antigua and Barbuda is red, white, blue and black. Its official proportions are 2:3 (height to width).

• Red50%
• Black26%
• Blue11%
• White8%
• Yellow5%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Red, with a large V made of black, blue and white bands, from which a gold sun rises. The sun heralds a new era, black recalls African ancestry, blue hope and the sea, white the sand; the V stands for victory.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Antigua and Barbuda” and “Flag of Antigua and Barbuda”.

See also: flags with a sun.

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Fact file

Economy and society