Antigua and Barbuda: flag, capital, currency and history

Antigua and Barbuda is a country in Caribbean, the Americas. Its capital is Saint John's. The currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar. Languages spoken include English.

Quick facts about Antigua and Barbuda

Official name: Antigua and Barbuda
Capital: Saint John's
Region: Americas, Caribbean
Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD, $)
Languages: English
Calling code: +1268
Internet domain: .ag
Area: 442 km² (171 sq mi)
Land borders: None (island or surrounded by water)
Demonym: Antiguan, Barbudan
National day: Independence Day, November 1

Flag of Antigua and Barbuda

Download the flag of Antigua and Barbuda as a scalable SVG or as a PNG in three sizes. The flag emoji is 🇦🇬.

SVG (vector)

History of Antigua and Barbuda

The islands of Antigua and Barbuda were first settled by Indigenous peoples, later including Arawak and Carib groups. Christopher Columbus sighted Antigua in 1493. English settlers established a colony on Antigua in 1632, and sugar plantations worked by enslaved Africans shaped the economy. Slavery in the British Empire was abolished in 1834. The islands were later governed as part of British Caribbean groupings, became an associated state in 1967, and gained full independence from the United Kingdom in 1981. It is a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth, with Saint John's as its capital.

Key dates

1493Christopher Columbus sights and names the island of Antigua.
1632English settlers establish a colony on Antigua.
1834Slavery is abolished across the British Empire, including Antigua.
1958Antigua joins the short-lived West Indies Federation.
1967Antigua and Barbuda becomes a self-governing associated state of the United Kingdom.
1981The country becomes independent on 1 November.

A short overview, not a full history. Dates are given for well-documented events only.