Antigua & Barbuda
The islands of Antigua and Barbuda, as well as the small island of Redonda, are
located between Guadeloupe and Saint Martin in the eastern arc of the Leeward
Islands of the Lesser Antilles, forming the nation of Antigua & Barbuda. They have a combined land area of
442 km². Barbuda lies 45 km north from Antigua, while Redonda (2.6 km²) is about 49 km to the west of
Antigua lying almost midway between Nevis and Montserrat.
Antigua (280 km² in area) is mountainous in the southwest, relatively flat in the central areas, while the north and east has a landscape of rolling limestone hills and valleys. The highest point is Boggy Peak at 402 m, located amongst the hilly terrain of volcanic origin that occupies the southwestern part of the island. The island has a highly indented coastline of bays and headlands, some of which form impressive natural harbours that cut deeply in to the island. Along the east, north and south coasts lies a system of fringing reefs.
The two islands of Antigua and Barbuda are the only emergent parts of a large submarine platform that extends over an area of 3,400 km² — the open sea between the two islands averages around 30 m in depth.
Antigua and Barbuda both experience tropical maritime climates that show little variation in daily or seasonal temperatures. Average monthly minimum temperatures range from 22.4°C in February to 25.4°C in August. The islands lie in the path of the northeasterly Trade Winds and experience fairly steady winds off the Atlantic ranging from the northeast to the southeast.
