Quick Facts - Antigua & Barbuda
Antigua was sighted by Columbus in 1493. The islands were successfully colonized in 1632, when the British introduced sugarcane from St. Kitts. Barbuda was colonized from Antigua in 1661. In 1784 the legendary Admiral Horatio Nelson sailed to Antigua and established a key British colonial naval station now called "Nelson's Dockyard".
Antigua, with Barbuda and Redonda as dependencies, became an associated state of the Commonwealth in 1967 and achieved full independence
| Language: |
English |
| Government: |
Independence from UK on 1 November 1981 |
| Capital: | Saint John's |
| Size: | 14 miles long and 11 miles wide, encompassing 108 square miles |
| Location: | Eastern Caribbean, middle of the Leeward Islands |
| Sovereign: | Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) |
| Governor: | Governor General Louisse LAKE-TACK (since 17 July 2007) |
| Head of Government: | The Rt. Hon. Baldwin Spencer (2004) |
| Climate: | mid 70 - 80s°F |
| Rainfall: | 45 inches per year |
| Electricity: | 110 and 220 Volts AC |
| Currency: | Eastern Caribbean Dollar (US currency widely accepted); US$1.00 = EC$2.65 (this rate is indicative) |
| Driving: | On left, license required |
| Rentals: | Car, jeeps, boats |
| Airports: | V.C. Bird International Airport |
| Entry: | Passport and return or onward ticket required. |
| Online Newspaper(s): | Antigua Sun / Observer |
