Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is an island country in North America with its capital in Saint John's and about 94,200 people. Antigua is known for its many white-sand beaches and for Nelson’s Dockyard, a Georgian naval base still in use.

Antigua and Barbuda in purple, with Saint John's marked. Outline from the same detailed coastlines the games use.

Capital: Saint John's
Continent: North America
Population (2025): 94,200
Land area: 440 km² (170 sq mi)
Island country: Yes, all on islands

Find it among 23 North America countries →Explore Antigua and Barbuda on the map Name difficult islands

The story of Antigua and Barbuda

Where the name comes from

Antigua, “ancient”, honours the Virgen de la Antigua icon in Seville and was named by Columbus in 1493; Barbuda means “bearded” in Spanish, possibly for its fig trees.

First people

Indigenous Caribbean peoples lived on these islands for thousands of years.¹

Known for

Antigua is known for its many white-sand beaches and for Nelson’s Dockyard, a Georgian naval base still in use.²

Outside contact

English settlement began on Antigua in 1632 and Barbuda in 1685; plantation slavery brought many ancestors of today’s islanders from Africa, and the Codrington family used Barbuda to supply its Antiguan sugar estates.^3,4

The modern country

Barbuda grew into a small farming and fishing society with its own island council, and the two islands became independent together in 1981.⁵

Antigua and Barbuda

The story of Antigua and Barbuda

Where the name comes from

First people

Known for

Outside contact

The modern country

Nearby countries

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More countries in North America

Sources