World Countries Info 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 of Anguilla
|
Location:
|
Caribbean, islands between
the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
|
Geographic coordinates:
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18 15 N, 63 10 W |
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Area:
|
total: 102 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 102 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
about half the size of
Washington, DC |
|
Land boundaries:
|
0 km |
|
Coastline:
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61 km |
|
Maritime claims:
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exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
|
Climate:
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tropical; moderated by
northeast trade winds |
|
Terrain:
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flat and low-lying island
of coral and limestone |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crocus Hill 65 m |
|
Natural resources:
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salt, fish, lobster |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some
commercial salt ponds) (1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
frequent hurricanes and
other tropical storms (July to October) |
|
Environment - current issues:
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supplies of potable water
sometimes cannot meet increasing demand largely because of poor
distribution system |
|
Geography - note:
|
the most northerly of the
Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles
|
Population of Anguilla
|
Population:
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13,008 (July 2004 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 23.8% (male 1,569;
female 1,523)
15-64 years: 69.4% (male 4,641; female 4,385)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 396; female 494) (2004 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 30.4 years
male: 30.4 years
female: 30.3 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
1.98% (2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
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14.45 births/1,000 |
|
Death rate:
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5.46 deaths/1,000 |
|
Net migration rate:
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10.76 migrant(s)/1,000 |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 21.91 deaths/1,000 live
births
female: 14.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 28.72 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 76.9 years
male: 73.99 years
female: 79.91 years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
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1.74 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Anguillan(s)
adjective: Anguillan |
|
Ethnic groups:
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black (predominant), mulatto, white |
|
Religions:
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Anglican 40%, Methodist 33%, Seventh-Day
Adventist 7%, Baptist 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, other 12% |
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Languages:
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English (official) |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 12 and over can read
and write
total population: 95%
male: 95%
female: 95% (1984 est.)
|
Government
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Country name:
|
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Anguilla |
|
Dependency status:
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overseas territory of the UK |
|
Government type:
|
NA |
|
Capital:
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The Valley |
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Administrative divisions:
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none (overseas territory of the UK) |
|
Independence:
|
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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National holiday:
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Anguilla Day, 30 May |
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Constitution:
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Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982;
amended 1990 |
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Legal system:
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based on English common law |
|
Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II
(since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Peter JOHNSTONE (since NA February 2000);
note - Alan HUCKLE will succeed in May 2004
elections: none; 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
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 |
|
Legislative branch:
|
unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats
total, 7 elected by direct popular vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed; members
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 March 2000 (next to be held NA June 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ANA 3, AUM 2,
ADP 1, independent 1 |
|
Judicial branch:
|
High Court (judge provided by Eastern
Caribbean Supreme Court) |
|
Political parties and leaders:
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Anguilla United Movement or AUM [Hubert
HUGHES]; The United Front or UF [Osbourne FLEMING, Victor BANKS], a coalition of the
Anguilla Democratic Party or ADP and the Anguilla National Alliance or ANA; Anguilla
Patriotic Movement or APM [Quincy GUMBS]; Movement for Grassroots Democracy or MFGD [Joyce
KENTISH, John BENJAMIN] |
Economy
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, which has spurred the
growth of the construction sector, has contributed 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.
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power parity - $104 million
(2001 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
2.8% (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $8,600 (2001
est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 4%
industry: 18%
services: 78% (1997 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
2.3% |
|
Labor force:
|
6,049 (2001) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
commerce 36%, services 29%, construction
18%, transportation and utilities 10%, manufacturing 3%,
agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining 4% (2000 est) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
6.7% (2001) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $22.8 million
expenditures: $22.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.) |
|
Industries:
|
tourism, boat building, offshore financial
services |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
3.1% (1997 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
NA |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA%
other: NA%
nuclear: NA% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
42.6 million kWh |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
small quantities of tobacco, vegetables;
cattle raising |
|
Exports:
|
$2.6 million (1999) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
lobster, fish, livestock, salt, concrete
blocks, rum |
|
Exports - partners:
|
UK, US, Puerto Rico, Saint-Martin (2000) |
|
Imports:
|
$80.9 million (1999) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures, chemicals,
trucks, textiles |
|
Imports - partners:
|
US, Puerto Rico, UK (2000) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$8.8 million (1998) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$3.5 million (1995) |
|
Currency:
|
East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
|
Currency code:
|
XCD |
|
Exchange rates:
|
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.70
(fixed rate since 1976) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State
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