Antigua and Barbuda Facts, Antigua and Barbuda Flag -- National Geographic

Fast Facts

Population:: 80,000
Capital:: St. John's; 28,000
Area:: 442 square kilometers (171 square miles)
Language:: English, local dialects
Religion:: Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic
Currency:: East Caribbean dollar
Life Expectancy:: 71
GDP per Capita:: U.S. $11,000
Literacy Percent:: 89

Antigua and Barbuda, small islands in the eastern Caribbean, were colonized by the English in 1632. Sugar plantations ruled the economy, and African slaves were brought in as laborers. Independent of Britain since 1981, this three-island nation remains within the Commonwealth. Antigua, one of the first Caribbean islands to promote tourism—in the early 1960s—is the wealthiest. Barbuda seeks to balance resort development with protection of its varied wildlife. Tiny Redonda is uninhabited.

ECONOMY

Industry: Tourism, construction, light manufacturing
Agriculture: Cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas; livestock
Exports: Petroleum products, manufactures, machinery and transport equipment, food and live animals

—Text From National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition

Related Features

Guatemalan Textiles

Enjoy these brightly colored textiles made on looms, virtually identical to those their Maya ancestors used some 1,200 years ago.
50 Top Ecolodges: Islands

Find an amazing beach retreat with this list of the top destinations for environmentally conscious travelers.
Free Miami!

The sun-drenched setting of South Florida's Miami Beach is ideal for thrifty tourists in search of a tropical paradise.