Protectorate of Redonda
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See also: Bethania and Dependent Territories of Bethania
Protectorate Kingdom of Redonda
(Protectorate of Bethania) | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Motto: All Men and Women Are Equal | |
| Anthem: Union | |
 | |
| Capital | Matthew Town |
| Official languages | English, Antiguan Creole |
| Demonym(s) | Redondan |
| Government | Absolute Monarchy with Protectorate status within the Republic of Bethania |
• King of Redonda | Emilio I |
The Protectorate Kingdom of Redonda, the Kingdom of Redonda, Protectorate of Redonda, or just Redonda is a protectorate of the Republic of Bethania and an island in the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. It was the sight of much micronational activity being one of the first micronations, starting with Matthew Dowdy Shiell from the island of Montserrat, which is South of Redonda. There is a Spanish micronation claiming the island also, but the claims have been ignored by the Bethanian government under the guise that since the island is uninhabited, it is "up for grabs". The settlement on the island would be called Matthew Town, after the first king of the island. The protectorate has the right to secede from the country at any time but will lose all benefits of being a protectorate of Bethania.
History
Christopher Columbus sighted Redonda from his ship in 1493 but did not land there because of the very high cliffs that make up the island's coastline. He named the island Santa María la Redonda, meaning Saint Mary the Round in Spanish. In the 1860's, the island became a British possession, part of Antigua and Barbuda. Phosphate deposits were discovered on the island in the 1870's and the island was inhabited by workers until World War II, when mining operations were canceled for safety reasons. Two stone cottages still stand from the time when the island was inhabited. Today the population is made up of feral goats and seabirds.
Today, the island is claimed by Antigua and Barbuda but used by the United Kingdom to monitor the Soufriére Hills, a volcano on Montserrat for activity.