1st November: Antigua and Barbuda Independence Day

It's Antigua and Barbuda Independence Day. This country became independent in 1981 from the UK.

1. It consists of two major inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands including Great Bird, Green, Guinea, Long, Maiden, York, Redonda and Prickly Pear.
2. The capital and largest port and city is St. John's, on Antigua. The capital of Barbuda is Codrington.
3. There is a Frigate Bird Sanctuary in the Codrington Lagoon.
4. The total land area of Antigua and Barbuda is 171 square miles (442 square kilometres), which is about four times the size of the British city of Bristol. Antigua and Barbuda’s population was 92,436 in 2015 - less than a quarter of the population of Bristol.
5. Antigua is Spanish for "ancient" and Barbuda is Spanish for "bearded".
6. The country is nicknamed "Land of 365 Beaches", reflecting the fact that the country's economy is dominated by tourism.
7. The Flag was adopted in 1967 and was the winner of a design competition. The winner was Sir Reginald Samuel. The flag consists of a Red field with an inverted isosceles triangle at the top edge. The triangle contains a horizontal tricolor of Black, light Blue and White with a rising sun centered on top of the black band. The rising sun symbolises the dawning of a new era. The colour black is for the African ancestry of the people, blue for hope, red for the energy and dynamism of the people. The Yellow, blue, and white stands for sun, sea, and sand. The V-shape is the symbol of victory.
8. The highest point was known as Boggy Peak until August 4, 2009, when it was renamed Mount Obama after Barack Obama, the 44th President of the USA. Mount Obama is 402 metres (1,319 ft) high.
9. For decades Antigua and Barbuda's politics was dominated by the Bird family, with Vere Bird being the country's prime minister from independence in 1981 until 1994, when he was succeeded by his son, Lester, who spent a decade in office.
10. The national sport in Antigua and Barbuda is cricket. Sir Viv Richards is from Antigua.