Redonda in the distance, as seen from a boat. The northern tip of the island is to the right.

Redonda is a very small, uninhabited Caribbean island or islet which is politically a part of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda^[1], in the Leeward Islands, West Indies. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant For human anatomy see Islets of Langerhans An islet is a small Island. Antigua and Barbuda ( Spanish for "Ancient" and "Bearded" is an Island nation located on the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands part of the West Indies. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting

This small island lies 56. 2 km (34. 9 miles) southwest of Antigua, in the waters between the islands of Nevis and Montserrat. Antigua (ænˈtiːgə an-TEE-gah) is an Island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region the main NEVIS, or New Exhaust Valve & Intake System, is a type of Internal combustion engine developed by Cesare Bortone in cooperation with the University Montserrat (ˌmɒntsəˈræt is British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles Redonda is closer to Montserrat than to any other island, it is located at 22. 5 km (14 miles) northwest of Monserrat, and 32 km (20 miles) southeast of Nevis.

The island is a remnant of the cone of an extinct volcano, and it protrudes steeply from the sea, mostly as sheer cliffs. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the The land area measures somewhere between 1. 6 km² (400 acres) and 2. 6 km² (640 acres). The highest point is 296 m (971 feet).

History

Christopher Columbus discovered Redonda in 1493 on his second journey. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer He claimed it for the Spanish crown, but did not land there. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. He named the island Santa María la Redonda, meaning Saint Mary the Round, reflecting the island's apparent profile when viewed from the side. In the 1860s, the island became a British possession. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands

The tiny island of Redonda is internationally known, in a minor way, for a curious on-going myth of the "Kings of Redonda", a story which interweaves fact and fiction. History of the "Kingdom" The history of the "Kingdom" of Redonda is shrouded in doubt and legend and it is difficult to separate fact from fiction According to a (possibly imaginary) version of events, first recounted decades later by M.P. Shiel, a minor author of fantasy novels: in the year of his birth, 1865, his father Matthew Dowdy Shiell, from Montserrat, decided to celebrate his first male child by arranging (supposedly legitimately) for the boy to be crowned King of Redonda at the age of 15, in a ceremony purportedly carried out on the small island by a bishop. Matthew Phipps Shiel (his surname was originally spelled Shiell ( July 21 1865 &ndash February 17 1947) was a prolific British writer History of the "Kingdom" The history of the "Kingdom" of Redonda is shrouded in doubt and legend and it is difficult to separate fact from fiction Montserrat (ˌmɒntsəˈræt is British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles A king is a male Monarch, or a Head of state, who may or may not depending on the style of government of a nation exercise monarchal powers over a territory usually

M. P. Sheil, the son and author, was the first person to ever mention the idea of the "Kingdom of Redonda" and that was in a promotional leaflet for his books. Since then, the title has been passed down, and continues to the present day. For a period of time the "Royal" lineage of Redonda had a more or less solely literary theme, with the title being given to writers and the like, such as John Gawsworth and Jon Wynne-Tyson (who later tired of the trouble the position caused him). John Gawsworth ( June 29 1912 - September 23 1970) a Pseudonym of Terence Ian Fytton Armstrong (also referred to as T However, the title of "King" of Redonda is currently disputed by at least four different people, some of whom do not have any special literary connection to the original "King".

During the decades after the 1860s, the rich guano (phosphine oxide) deposits of Redonda were mined for fertiliser, with an annual yield of up to 7,000 tons. Guano (from the Quechua 'wanu' via Spanish) is the Feces of Seabirds Bats and seals Phosphine oxide, Organophosphorus compounds with the formula - OPR3 Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body Fertilizers ( also spelt fertiliser are chemical compounds given to Plants to promote growth they are usually applied either through the soil for uptake by plant Units of mass There are three similar units of Mass called the ton: Long ton (simply ton in countries such as the United Only during this time was the island inhabited by workers; (the population was 120 in 1901).

During the First World War, the mining operations ceased, and the workers left the island, which has remained uninhabited since then. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All It became a dependency of Antigua and Barbuda in 1967. Antigua and Barbuda ( Spanish for "Ancient" and "Bearded" is an Island nation located on the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea

In 2007, the Wellington Arms pub in Southampton, England, attempted to declare themselves an embassy of the "nation" of Redonda, in order to gain diplomatic immunity from a nationwide ban on smoking in enclosed workplaces, including pubs. Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Smoking bans are public policies including Criminal laws and Occupational safety and health Regulations which prohibit Tobacco smoking ^[2][3]

The island is currently uninhabited but for wildlife and a flock of feral goats, who manage to survive on the poor grazing on top of the island.

References

• This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain. The Country Studies are works published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress ( USA) freely available for use by researchers The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
• This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a U. The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the S. government publication, is in the public domain. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

External links

• Antigua and Barbuda Museum
• Day trip to Redonda