Colonized by English settlers
from Saint Kitts in 1650, Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until
the early 19th century, when the island - against the wishes of the
inhabitants - was incorporated into a single British dependency, along
with Saint Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed. In
1971, two years after a revolt, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede;
this arrangement was formally recognized in 1980, with Anguilla becoming a
separate British dependency.
Geography
Anguilla
Location:
Caribbean, islands between the
Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
total: 32.3 years
male: 31.3 years female: 33.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.332% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
13.11 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
4.39 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
14.6 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91
male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.54 deaths/1,000
live births male: 4.01 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.53
years male: 78.01 years female: 83.12 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.75 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Anguillan(s)
adjective: Anguillan
Ethnic groups:
black (predominant) 90.1%,
mixed, mulatto 4.6%, white 3.7%, other 1.5% (2001 Census)
Religions:
Anglican 29%, Methodist 23.9%,
other Protestant 30.2%, Roman Catholic 5.7%, other Christian 1.7%, other
5.2%, none or unspecified 4.3% (2001 census)
Languages:
English (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 12 and
over can read and write total population: 95% male:
95% female: 95% (1984 est.)
Government
Anguilla
Country name:
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Anguilla
Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: The Valley
geographic coordinates: 18 13 N, 63 03 W time
difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the
UK)
Independence:
none (overseas territory of the
UK)
National holiday:
Anguilla Day, 30 May (1967)
Constitution:
Anguilla Constitutional Order 1
April 1982; amended 1990
Legal system:
based on English common law
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen
ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Andrew N.
GEORGE (since 10 July 2006) head of government: Chief Minister
Osbourne FLEMING (since 3 March 2000) cabinet: Executive
Council appointed by the governor from among the elected members of the
House of Assembly elections: the monarch is hereditary;
governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is
usually appointed chief minister by the governor
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Assembly
(11 seats; 7 members elected by direct popular vote, 2 ex officio members,
and 2 appointed; to serve five-year terms) elections: last held
21 February 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results:
percent of vote by party - AUF 38.9%, AUM 19.4%, ANSA 19.2%, APP 9.5%,
independents 13%; seats by party - AUF 4, ANSA 2, AUM 1
Judicial branch:
High Court (judge provided by
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court)
Political parties and leaders:
Anguilla United Movement or AUM
[Hubert HUGHES]; The Anguilla United Front or AUF [Osbourne FLEMING,
Victor BANKS] (a coalition of the Anguilla Democratic Party or ADP and the
Anguilla National Alliance or ANA); Anguilla Progressive Party or APP [Roy
ROGERS]; Anguilla Strategic Alternative or ANSA [Edison BAIRD]
blue, with the flag of the UK
in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Anguillan coat of arms centered
in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts three orange
dolphins in an interlocking circular design on a white background with
blue wavy water below
Economy
Anguilla
Economy - overview:
Anguilla has few natural
resources, and the economy depends heavily on luxury tourism, offshore
banking, lobster fishing, and remittances from emigrants. Increased
activity in the tourism industry has spurred the growth of the
construction sector, contributing to economic growth. Anguillan officials
have put substantial effort into developing the offshore financial sector,
which is small, but growing. In the medium term, prospects for the economy
will depend largely on the tourism sector and, therefore, on revived
income growth in the industrialized nations as well as on favorable
weather conditions.
East Caribbean dollars per US
dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
note: fixed rate since 1976
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Communications
Anguilla
Telephones - main lines in use:
6,200 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,800 (2002)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern internal telephone system
international: country code - 1-264; landing point for the East
Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable with links to 13 other
islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands
to Trinidad; microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe
and Netherlands Antilles) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004)
Radios:
3,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)
Televisions:
1,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.ai
Internet hosts:
319 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)
Internet users:
3,000 (2002)
Transportation
Anguilla
Airports:
3 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1 1,524 to
2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2 under
914 m: 2 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 175 km
paved: 82 km unpaved: 93 km (2004)
Ports and terminals:
Blowing Point, Road Bay
Military
Anguilla
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,538
(2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,929
(2008 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 16-49: 103
(2008 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility
of the UK
Transnational Issues
Anguilla
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South
American narcotics destined for the US and Europe
