| Kingdom of Redonda | |
|---|---|
| Unrecognized micronation | |
 A view of the small island of Redonda from the southeast in 2012 | |
| Dates claimed | 1929 to present |
| Area claimed | Redonda, Antigua and Barbuda |
The Kingdom of Redonda is a micronation associated with the tiny uninhabited Caribbean island of Redonda.
The island lies between the islands of Nevis and Montserrat, within the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain, in the West Indies. Redonda is a dependency of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. The island is just over one mile (1.6 km) long and one-third mile (0.54 km) wide, rising to a 971-foot (296 m) peak. The island teems with bird life, but is more or less uninhabitable by humans because there is no source of freshwater other than rain, and most of the island is extremely steep and rocky, with only a relatively small, sloping plateau area of grassland at the summit. Landing on the island is a very challenging process, possible only via the leeward coast on days when the seas are calm. Climbing to the top of the island is also very arduous. Despite these difficulties, from 1865 until 1912 Redonda was part of a lucrative trade in guano mining, and many thousands of tons of phosphates were shipped from Redonda to Britain. The ruins associated with the mineworkings can still be seen on the island.
Various parties claim Redonda as a micronation. An account told by the fantasy writer M. P. Shiel in 1929 claimed that Redonda was established as an "independent kingdom" decades earlier in the 19th century. The title to the supposed kingdom is still contested to this day in a half-serious fashion. The "Kingdom" is also often associated with a number of supposedly aristocratic members, whose titles are awarded by whoever is currently the "King". There are a number of individuals in different countries who claim to be the "King" of Redonda.