claim: Antigua and Barbuda was named in 1480.
evidence: Antigua and Barbuda -LRB- -LSB- ænˈtiːɡə ənd bɑːrˈbjuːdə -RSB- ;-RRB- is a twin-island country in the Americas , lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean .. island country. island country. Americas. Americas. Caribbean Sea. Caribbean Sea. Atlantic Ocean. Atlantic Ocean. Antigua. Antigua. Barbuda. Barbuda. It consists of two major inhabited islands , Antigua and Barbuda , and a number of smaller islands -LRB- including Great Bird , Green , Guinea , Long , Maiden and York Islands and further south , the island of Redonda -RRB- .. Antigua. Antigua. Barbuda. Barbuda. Great Bird. Great Bird Island, Antigua. Green. Green Island ( Antigua and Barbuda ). Guinea. Guinea Island. Long. Long Island ( Antigua and Barbuda ). Maiden. Maiden Island ( Antigua and Barbuda ). York Islands. York Island ( Antigua and Barbuda ). Redonda. Redonda. The permanent population numbers about 81,800 -LRB- at the 2011 Census -RRB- and the capital and largest port and city is St. John 's , on Antigua .. Antigua. Antigua. Separated by a few nautical miles , Antigua and Barbuda are in the middle of the Leeward Islands , part of the Lesser Antilles , roughly at 17 ° N of the equator .. Antigua. Antigua. Barbuda. Barbuda. Leeward Islands. Leeward Islands. Lesser Antilles. Lesser Antilles. equator. equator. The country 's name was given by Christopher Columbus in 1493 after discovering the island , in honor of the Virgin of La Antigua in the Seville Cathedral .. Antigua. Antigua. Christopher Columbus. Christopher Columbus. Seville Cathedral. Seville Cathedral. The country is nicknamed `` Land of 365 Beaches '' due to the many beaches surrounding the islands .. Its governance , language , and culture have all been strongly influenced by the British Empire , of which the country was formerly a part .. British Empire. British Empire