Today (November 1) is the 41st anniversary of Antigua and Barbuda’s independence from English rule in 1981.

The country consists of two major islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and several smaller islands, including Great Bird, Green, Guiana, Long, Maiden, Prickly Pear, York Islands, and Redonda.

In the national flag, the red symbolises the lifeblood of slave forefathers and dynamism in the people, while the black symbolises the soil and African heritage. The gold, blue and white symbolise the sun, sea and hope and sand, while the seven points on the golden sun represent the six parishes in the country plus Barbuda and the dawn of a new era. The ‘V’ in the centre symbolises victory.

Antigua is often referred to as the ‘heart of the Caribbean’ and known for having 365 beaches.

Barbuda, in particular, has pink and white sand beaches. One of them was famously frequented by the late pPincess Diana and named after her.

Antigua is the home country of cricketing legend Viv Richards and soca pioneers Burning Flames.

The island has been leaving its mark on the music industry since the 1980s with soca quartet Burning Flames, who introduced and popularised the use of electronic technology in the genre with songs such as Workey Workey. In more recent years, Ricardo Drue and Tian Winter have kept the country’s name present in soca music culture.