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: 30.4 years
male: 30.4 years female: 30.3 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.98% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
14.45 births/1,000 population
(2004 est.)
Death rate:
5.46 deaths/1,000 population
(2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
10.76 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8
male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004
est.)
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:
1.74 children born/woman (2004
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), mulatto,
white
Religions:
Anglican 40%, Methodist 33%,
Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, Baptist 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, other 12%
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:
The Valley
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the
UK)
Independence:
none (overseas territory of the
UK)
National holiday:
Anguilla Day, 30 May
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 Alan Eden
HUCKLE (since 28 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:
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]
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, 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.)
East Caribbean dollars per US
dollar - 2.70 (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; microwave radio relay to
island of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 5, FM 6, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
3,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)
Televisions:
1,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.ai
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)
Internet users:
3,000 (2002)
Transportation
Anguilla
Highways:
total: 105 km
paved: 65 km unpaved: 40 km (1997)
Ports and harbors:
Blowing Point, Road Bay
Merchant marine:
none
Airports:
3 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1 914 to
1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2 under
914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Military
Anguilla
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