Antigua and Barbuda, an independent island nation located on the eastern edge of the Caribbean Sea. The country comprises three main islands—Antigua, Barbuda, and Redonda.

Antigua and Barbuda is one of the more prosperous of the Caribbean nations. The islands attract hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, and the nation’s economy is dependent on tourism. Antigua’s beaches are noted for their beauty. Cruise ships sailing the southern Caribbean often dock at the island. Numerous coral reefs and sunken ships surround Barbuda and Antigua, making for great snorkeling and diving.

Europeans first visited the islands when Christopher Columbus landed in 1493 on his second voyage to the Americas. Antigua and Barbuda were British colonies from 1632 until they achieved independence in 1981. The majority of the population is descended from African slaves brought to the islands to work on cotton and sugar cane plantations, and the islands’ culture developed from a mixture of African, West Indian, and British influences.