Antigua was claimed for Spain by Christopher Columbus in 1493 and colonized by the British in 1632. It was ceded to Britain in 1667. Barbuda was colonized from Antigua in 1661. The country was administered as part of the Leeward Islands Federation, 1871 to 1956. It became an associated state of the United Kingdom in 1967 and achieved independence in 1981. The first postage stamps were issued for the colony in 1862.
Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
2 dependencies; Barbuda, Redonda
Independence: 1 November 1981 (from UK)
