Antigua and Barbuda

Region: Central America and Caribbean

Official language: English

Population: 102,634 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s) (noun), Antiguan, Barbudan (adjective)

Land area: 443 sq km (171 sq miles)

Capital: Saint John's

National anthem: "Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee", by Novelle Hamilton Richards/Walter Garnet Picart Chambers

National holiday: Independence Day (National Day), November 1 (1981)

Population growth: 1.11% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC –4

Flag: The flag features an isosceles triangle, the base of which runs the length of the top of the flag, and the point of which touches the base of the flag at its center. Flanked on either side of this large triangle are two red, right-angled triangles. The central triangle is broken up into three bands of color. The top band is black and features a yellow sun at its center. The central band is blue, and the bottom band is white.

Motto: “Each Endeavoring, All Achieving”

Independence: November 1, 1981 (from the UK)

Government type: constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government and a Commonwealth realm

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal system: common law based on the English model

Antigua and Barbuda is a small island nation in the Caribbean Sea. It consists of two main islands and several smaller ones. Before the arrival of Europeans, the islands were the domain of Arawak and Carib peoples. They were colonized by Great Britain in the 1600s and became known as the "Gateway of the Caribbean," serving as an important point in the slave trade and sugar industry. Antigua and Barbuda became an independent state in 1981.

Today the country of Antigua and Barbuda is best known as a tourist haven. Tourism is the mainstay of the economy, although international financial conditions caused some volatility beginning in the 2010s. Natural disasters and climate change are also concerns. The islands are part of the Lesser Antilles archipelago and are susceptible to tropical storms and hurricanes; Hurricane Hugo in 1989, Hurricane Luis in 1995, and Hurricane Irma in 2017 were particularly devastating.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: About 97 percent of the country's population lived on Antigua, the larger of the two main islands, with the remainder living on Barbuda. Virtually all inhabitants of Barbuda live in the town of Codrington. The country's capital and only city, St. John's, is located on Antigua and had an estimated population of 21,000 in 2018. The overall urban population of Antigua and Barbuda was estimated at 24.3 percent in 2023.

Based on 2011 estimates, approximately 87.3 percent of Antiguans and Barbudans are of African descent, a legacy of the transatlantic slave trade. About 4.7 percent of the population is of mixed heritage, while 2.7 percent identify as Hispanic, 1.6 percent as White, 2.7 percent as other ethnicities, and 0.9 percent do not specify an ethnicity. Almost all residents speak English, and most islanders also speak Antiguan Creole, which is based on English.

There is no state-established church on the islands, and freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution. The government works closely with the Antigua Christian Council, members of which include the Salvation Army and the Methodist, Moravian, Roman Catholic, and Anglican Churches. According to 2011 estimates, most of the people (68.3 percent) were Protestant Christians, with the most common denomination being Anglican. Rastafari, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and the Baha'i faith are also practiced in small numbers. Nearly 6 percent of the population did not belong to any religion.

Indigenous People: The earliest known inhabitants of Antigua date back to the Archaic Age, possibly as early as 3100 BCE. Known in modern times only as the Archaic people, they were once believed to be members of the Siboney (or Ciboney) people and are still commonly referred to by this name, although archaeologists now dispute any connection. The Archaic people of Antigua are believed to have originally migrated from Central America or South America. Little is known about them, but artifacts, including distinctive stone and shell tools, have been found at numerous sites in the islands.

Sometime after 500 BCE, the Archaic people were joined by the Saladoid culture, an Arawakan-speaking people who migrated from South America and were proficient in pottery and jewelry making. Their actual name, too, is unknown; "Saladoid" refers to their style of pottery, which was first identified at the Saladero archaeological site in Venezuela. Their presence initiated what is commonly known as the Ceramic Age. The Saladoid culture originally practiced inland agriculture. Over time, as their numbers grew and were augmented by the arrival of new groups, the population moved toward the coast and began to rely more heavily on fishing.

There is some evidence that around 1200 CE, the more aggressive Caribs (or Kalinagos) supplanted the post-Saladoid cultures. The Caribs, however, evidently used Antigua only as a supply base rather than a permanent settlement. Both the Saladoid people and the Caribs were skilled boat builders.

European explorer Christopher Columbus sighted and named Antigua in 1493 on his second voyage. He did not settle the island, however, because it lacked fresh water. Most of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean soon succumbed to European and then African diseases, as well as warfare and poverty.

In 1632, British settlers established the colony of Antigua, including the uninhabited island of Redonda. They enslaved and transported Africans to work sugarcane plantations. Slavery was abolished in the colony in 1834, the earliest abolition of slavery in the Caribbean. However, Black Antiguans found themselves still economically dependent on the Europeans.

Most of the British eventually left the country. Most modern Antiguans are descendants of Black Africans and Amerindians.

Education: Antigua and Barbuda's well-developed primary and secondary school system is based on the British educational system. School is compulsory for students beginning at the age of five.

Primary school begins at age five and usually lasts for seven years. Secondary school, beginning at age twelve, is provided over five years. Antigua is home to several institutions of higher education.

In 2015, the literacy rate was 99 percent.

Health Care: In 2024, the estimated life expectancy in Antigua and Barbuda was 78.3 years—76.1 years for males and 80.5 years for females. There were 2.9 hospital beds available per thousand residents in 2017, and the total health expenditure was 5.6 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020.

Antigua and Barbuda ranked 54 out of 193 countries and territories on the 2022 United Nations Human Development Index, which measures quality of life indicators.

Food: The staple foods of Antigua and Barbuda include fish, lobsters, sweet potatoes, rice, and plantains. Traditional dishes include ducana, a type of dumpling made with sweet potatoes and coconut, and fungie (or fungee), which is okra and cornmeal cooked into a paste and rolled into balls. The national dish is fungie and pepperpot, in which the fungie is added to a stew of various vegetables, such as eggplant, spinach, and pumpkin, and salted meat or fish. Callaloo is a creamy spinach soup made with cloves or crab. Like other West Indian cuisine, Antiguan food uses lots of spices.

The small, very sweet Antiguan black pineapple is a specialty. Other local specialties include fried plantain, breadfruit, rice and beans, barbecued chicken, and roast suckling pig. Many dishes are flavored with ginger, coconut, mangoes, pumpkin, or papayas.

Arts & Entertainment: The unique West Indian colonial furniture so prized by collectors was created and built by enslaved Antiguans. Traditional motifs include fish, stylized snakes, and pineapples (a symbol of hospitality).

The islands' folk pottery tradition began when enslaved people gathered local clay to make cooking and eating vessels. Today, the production of folk pottery is a cottage industry.

Moko jumbies are stilt walkers in colorful, elaborate costumes, following a tradition brought over from Africa. The stilt walkers represent tall ghosts or spirits of African mythology, and their dance expresses their connection to the spirit world. Modern Antiguan performers entertain tourists or festival crowds, especially during Carnival.

Carnival began as a celebration of a royal visit in the 1950s. Soon, it was instituted as a recurring festival as recalling and expressing joy for the abolition of slavery. In the twenty-first century, Carnival lasts for several days each summer and includes parades, dances, jump-ups, evening shows, and competitions for Carnival Queen and other titles.

Carnival is a time when all of the islands' musical styles are on display. Calypso, developed in slavery times, is the oldest form. It is believed that enslaved people developed calypso as a way to communicate because they were forbidden to speak in the fields. Calypso depends heavily on the improvisations of a soloist.

Antigua also boasts some of the best Caribbean steel drum bands. This musical form was developed by replacing the bamboo percussion instruments used in calypso with the tops of steel drums. Reggae, originating in Jamaica, has also been adopted by Antiguans. Soca is a musical form blending calypso with slower American soul music.

Many Antiguans enjoy the sport of cricket. Teams compete in local contests as well as in Olympic venues. Official matches are usually held on the weekends throughout cricket season (January through July). Soccer is also a popular sport on the islands. Antigua and Barbuda also hosts the annual Tennis Week and the Sailing Week regatta.

Holidays: Official holidays observed in Antigua and Barbuda include V. C. Bird Day (December 9), honoring Antigua's first prime minister after independence; Carnival, celebrating the abolition of slavery (August); and Independence Day (November 1). Many Christian holidays, such as Good Friday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday, and Christmas Day, are also public holidays.

Environment and Geography

Topography: In the eastern arc of the Lesser Antilles, about 692 kilometers (430 miles) north of Venezuela, lie the islands that constitute the nation of Antigua and Barbuda.

The two largest islands, named Antigua and Barbuda, make up most of the country's area. Barbuda is the northernmost island, with an area of 161 square kilometers (62 square miles). Forty kilometers (25 miles) south of Barbuda lies Antigua, the largest of the British Leeward Islands, with an area of 280 square kilometers (108 square miles), including several smaller islands clustered nearby. About 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Antigua lies the uninhabited island of Redonda, with an area of only 1.6 square kilometers (0.6 square miles).

Antigua's shoreline has many bays and harbors. Barbuda has one very large harbor on the west side. The total coastline of Antigua and Barbuda is 153 kilometers (95 miles) long. The highest point in the nation is Mount Obama, at 402 meters (1,319 feet).

The volcanic islands are composed of limestone and coral. They have been worn mostly flat by the wind and rain. The islands' white-sand beaches are famous.

Natural Resources: Antigua and Barbuda's greatest natural resource is its climate, which attracts tourists to the islands.

Water management is a concern because natural freshwater sources are scarce. There are no underground water sources and no streams. Rainwater is collected in cisterns, but the amount of rainfall is inadequate. Tourist resorts have desalination plants, but the management still asks guests to limit water use. Clearing trees to increase agricultural production further limits the water supply.

Plants & Animals: The uninhabited island of Redonda has very little vegetation. The islands of Antigua and Barbuda were largely deforested when the trees were cut down to make room for sugarcane plantations. Dry scrub remains, and many varieties of hibiscus flourish.

The national plant is the West Indian dagger log. Fishing rafts were once made from the stem of this plant, and fishing bait was made from the white leaf pulp. The national tree is the whitewood.

The national fruit is the small, sweet Antiguan black pineapple, named for its dark green skin when ripe. Introduced by the Saladoid people, the pineapple was used in various rituals as well as for twine and cloth (made from the leaves). The plant is used today to treat sprains and the stings of sea urchin spines and wasps.

The widdy widdy is the national weed. This bush, along with cockles (a shellfish), supplemented the food supply of plantation workers during the long 1951 strike.

The national bird is the frigate, which grows as large as 1.4 kilograms (3 pounds), with a wingspan of up to 2.4 meters (8 feet)

The national animal is the fallow deer, which was introduced from Europe in the early eighteenth century. This deer, which now lives only in Antigua and Barbuda, is the eastern Caribbean's only large animal. The hawksbill turtle is the national sea creature.

Climate: Antigua and Barbuda's tropical maritime climate is tempered by sea breezes and the trade winds. There is little variation in temperature. The average temperature is about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit), but it can get as hot as 33 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit) from May to October.

Rainfall is usually light, amounting to roughly 1,140 millimeters (45 inches) annually. However, long droughts frequently occur.

In addition to droughts, natural hazards include hurricanes and tropical storms, which often strike the island between July and October. Sometimes these storms also cause damaging floods.

In 1989, Hurricane Hugo caused two deaths and approximately US$80 million in damage to Antigua and Barbuda. Six years later, Hurricane Luis killed two people and caused US$300 million in damage. In 2017 the country was hit by both Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Everyone on Barbuda fled to Antigua during Hurricane Irma, and 90 percent of the buildings on Barbuda were damaged or destroyed by that storm. Other hurricanes have also caused extensive damage and flooding.

Economy

Tourism is the most important part of the economy of Antigua and Barbuda. Revenue generated by tourists accounts for nearly half the of the country's GDP. In 2023, the GDP (purchasing power parity) was estimated at US$2.703 billion, with a per-capita GDP of US$29,000. The unemployment rate was estimated at 11 percent in 2014.

Industry: After tourism-related service businesses, industry is the country's largest economic sector. The government encourages small industries, which include the production of textiles, handicrafts, alcohol, and household appliances.

Manufactured products include beer and malt, clothing, handicrafts, bedding, and electronic components. Most of the items manufactured in Antigua and Barbuda are exported. Exports earned approximately US$1.217 billion in 2023.

Agriculture: Sugar was the mainstay of agriculture in Antigua and Barbuda until the latter half of the twentieth century. In the twenty-first century, primary crops include cotton, vegetables, cucumbers, bananas, mangoes, coconuts, and sugarcane. Most agricultural products are grown for domestic consumption.

The lack of freshwater on the islands limits Antigua and Barbuda's agricultural production. The shortage of labor is also a problem, as many people leave farms for better-paying jobs in construction and tourism.

Tourism: Tourism is the major sector of the nation's economy. The country reached a tourism milestone in 2019, receiving over 300,000 tourist arrivals for the first time in its history.

Tourist attractions include excellent beaches, other natural scenery, the typically pleasant climate, resorts, regattas, shopping, restaurants, bars, casinos and festivals such as Carnival. Antiguans boast that with 365 beaches, there is "one for every day of the year."

The Museum of Antigua and Barbuda exhibits artifacts of the nation's history, including the bat of cricketer Vivian Richards. Historic sites include the numerous sugar mills left over from colonial days.

Government

Antigua and Barbuda is a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliament. Suffrage is universal at age eighteen. A member of the British Commonwealth of Nations, Antigua and Barbuda has a legal system based on British common law.

The British monarch is the nominal chief of state but appoints a governor-general to act as their representative in the country.

After elections, the governor-general appoints the leader of the majority party (or majority coalition) in Parliament as prime minister. Together, the prime minister and the governor-general appoint the ministers of the cabinet. The cabinet is responsible to the House of Representatives.

Parliament consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The nineteen representatives are elected by the people to five-year terms. The seventeen senators are appointed by the governor-general.

The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court—a body of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, of which Antigua and Barbuda is a member—appoints a judge from among its members to reside in and be responsible for Antigua and Barbuda.

Interesting Facts

• Wadadli, a brand of local beer, derives its name from the old Arawak name for Antigua.
• The highest point in the country (1,319 feet) was known as Boggy Peak until 2009, when it was renamed Mount Obama after US president Barack Obama.
• Hurricane Irma marked the first time that all residents of Barbuda evacuated the island.

Bibliography

"Antigua and Barbuda." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 16 Jan 2025, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/antigua-and-barbuda. Accessed 23 Jan 2025.

"Antigua and Barbuda Country Profile." BBC News, 25 Aug. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-18706079. Accessed 23 Jan 2025.

Kras, Sara Louise. Antigua and Barbuda. 2nd ed., Marshall, 2008.

Murphy, Reg. "Archaeological Background." Archaeology Antigua, archaeologyantigua.org/index.php/archaeological-background. Accessed 26 Oct. 2023.

"Antigua and Barbuda", Human Development Reports, 13 Mar. 2024, https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/specific-country-data#/countries/ATG. Accessed 23 Jan 2025.