Antigua, one of the British West India islands, in the Leeward group, 40 m. N. of Guadeloupe, about 18 m. in diameter; area, 108 sq. m.; pop. in 1871, with the adjacent island of Barbuda, 35,157, including 2,146 whites. It is the residence of the governor of the Confederation of the Leeward Islands, who is also governor of Antigua. There are no rivers, and the coasts are generally dangerous to shipping; but there are three good harbors: St. John's, the capital, on the W. side; English Harbor, on the S., where there is a large dockyard and a royal mail packet station; and Parham on the X. The revenue in 1869 amounted to £38,586, the expenditure to £39,252, and the public debt to £54,431. The chief products consisted in 1866 of 17,330 hogsheads of sugar, 7,852 puncheons of molasses, and 696 of rum; and the total tonnage of vessels entered and cleared, exclusive of coasting trade, was 43,906. The total exports in 1869 were £200,973, and the imports £174,-357. - Antigua was discovered by Columbus in 1493. A few English settled there in 1632. In 1666 a grant of it was made by Charles II. to Lord Willoughby. After an interval of French occupation, which laid waste the island, it was again settled by Col. Codrington and formally ceded to Great Britain (1667). The legislature liberated the slaves, numbering about 30.000, unconditionally in 1834. The sum awarded for their emancipation was nearly £426,000, including those of Anguilla. The island contains besides the capital five towns, and about 100 villages of emancipated slaves.

Antigua is one of the Confederation of the Leeward Islands. This Confederation commenced in May, 1872, Sir Benjamin C. C. Pine being governor.