Antigua & Barbuda is a state consisting of two main sister islands as well as several smaller islands located in the Eastern Caribbean, in the midst of the Leeward Islands. The English settled on the two islands before they achieved Commonwealth status, and thus, English remains the official language. Elizabeth II of England is recognized as the Queen of Antigua & Barbuda, and is represented by a Governor-General, although the Prime Minister is the head of the state government.
Antigua has a total area of 108 square miles and Barbuda, 68 square miles. The islands are the sunniest in the East Caribbean, with average temperatures that range from the mid-eighties during summer and the mid-seventies in winter. Their shorelines feature natural harbors, beaches and lagoons, as well as being rimmed by shoals and reefs. A third uninhabited island, Redonda, measures just 0.6 square miles and currently used as a nature preserve.