Introduction :: Anguilla

Background

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. On 7 September 2017, the island suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Irma, particularly to communications and residential and business infrastructure.

Geography :: Anguilla

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates

18 15 N, 63 10 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 91 sq km

land: 91 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area – comparative

about one-half the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

61 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 3 nm

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds

Terrain

flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone

Elevation

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

highest point: Crocus Hill 73 m

Natural resources

salt, fish, lobster

Land use

agricultural land: 0% (2016 est.)

arable land: 0% (2016 est.) /** permanent crops:** 0% (2016 est.) /** permanent pasture:** 0% (2016 est.)

forest: 61.1% (2016 est.)

other: 38.9% (2016 est.)

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

most of the population is concentrated in The Valley in the center of the island; settlmement is fairly uniform in the southwest, but rather sparce in the northeast

Natural hazards

frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October)

Environment – current issues

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

People and Society :: Anguilla

Population

18,090 (July 2020 est.)

Nationality

noun: Anguillan(s)

adjective: Anguillan

Ethnic groups

African/black 85.3%, hispanic 4.9%, mixed 3.8%, white 3.2%, East Indian/Indian 1%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.)

note: data represent population by ethnic origin

Languages

English (official)

Religions

Protestant 73.2% (includes Anglican 22.7%, Methodist 19.4%, Pentecostal 10.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.3%, Baptist 7.1%, Church of God 4.9%, Presbytarian 0.2%, Brethren 0.1%), Roman Catholic 6.8%, Jehovah’s Witness 1.1%, other Christian 10.9%, other 3.2%, unspecified 0.3%, none 4.5% (2011 est.)

Age structure

Median age

total: 35.7 years

male: 33.7 years

female: 37.6 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

1.86% (2020 est.)

Birth rate

12.2 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Death rate

4.8 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Net migration rate

11.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Population distribution

most of the population is concentrated in The Valley in the center of the island; settlmement is fairly uniform in the southwest, but rather sparce in the northeast

Urbanization

None

Major urban areas – population

1,000 THE VALLEY (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.81 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.79 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female

total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3.6 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 81.8 years

male: 79.2 years

female: 84.5 years (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.74 children born/woman (2020 est.)

Drinking water source

improved:** urban:** 97.5% of population

total: 97.5% of population

unimproved:** urban:** 2.5% of population

total: 2.5% of population (2017 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved:** urban:** 99.1% of population

total: 99.1% of population

unimproved:** urban:** 0.9% of population

total: 0.9% of population (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

HIV/AIDS – deaths

NA

Education expenditures

NA

Government :: Anguilla

Country name

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Anguilla

etymology: the name Anguilla means “eel” in various Romance languages (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French) and likely derives from the island’s lengthy shape

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Government type

parliamentary democracy (House of Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK

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)

etymology: name derives from the capital’s location between several hills

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday

Anguilla Day, 30 May (1967)

Constitution

history: several previous; latest 1 April 1982

amendments: amended 1990

Legal system

common law based on the English model

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Tim FOY (since August 2017)

head of government: Premier Dr. Ellis WEBSTER (since 30 June 2020); note – starting in 2019, the title of head of government was changed to premier from chief minister of Anguilla

cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from among elected members of the House of Assembly

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed premier by the governor

Legislative branch

description: unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats; 7 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 2 appointed by the governor, and 2 ex officio members – the attorney general and deputy governor; members serve five-year terms)

elections: last held on 29 June 2020 (next to be held in 2025)

election results: percent of vote by party – NA; seats by party – APM 7, AUF 4; composition – NA

Judicial branch

highest courts: the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC – headquartered on St. Lucia – consists of the Court of Appeal – headed by the chief justice and 4 judges – and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, travelling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, though none on Anguilla

judge selection and term of office: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62

subordinate courts: Magistrate’s Court; Juvenile Court

Political parties and leaders

Anguilla Democratic Party or ADP
Anguilla National Alliance or ANA
Anguilla Progressive Movement or APM [Dr. Ellis WEBSTER]; prior to 2019, it was known as the Anguilla United Movement or AUM
Anguilla United Front or AUF [Victor BANKS] (alliance includes ADP, ANA)
Democracy, Opportunity, Vision, and Empowerment Party or DOVE [Sutcliffe HODGE]

International organization participation

Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description

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 a turquoise-blue field below; the white in the background represents peace; the blue base symbolizes the surrounding sea, as well as faith, youth, and hope; the three dolphins stand for endurance, unity, and strength

National symbol(s)

dolphin

National anthem

name: God Bless Anguilla

lyrics/music: Alex RICHARDSON

note: local anthem adopted 1981; as a territory of the United Kingdom, “God Save the Queen” is official (see United Kingdom)

Economy :: Anguilla

Economy – overview

Anguilla has few natural resources, is unsuited for agriculture, 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 recovery of the tourism sector and, therefore, on revived income growth in the industrialized nations as well as on favorable weather conditions.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$175.4 million (2009 est.)
$191.7 million (2008 est.)
$108.9 million (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$175.4 million (2009 est.)

GDP – real growth rate

-8.5% (2009 est.)

GDP – per capita (PPP)

$12,200 (2008 est.)

GDP – composition, by end use

household consumption: 74.1% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 18.3% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 26.8% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 48.2% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -67.4% (2017 est.)

GDP – composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 3% (2017 est.)

industry: 10.5% (2017 est.)

services: 86.4% (2017 est.)

Agriculture – products

small quantities of tobacco, vegetables; cattle raising

Industries

tourism, boat building, offshore financial services

Industrial production growth rate

4% (2017 est.)

Labor force

6,049 (2001)

Labor force – by occupation

agriculture: 74.1%

industry: 3%

services: 18%

agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining: 4% (2000 est.)
manufacturing: 3% (2000 est.)

construction: 18% (2000 est.)

transportation and utilities: 10% (2000 est.)

commerce: 36% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate

8% (2002)

Population below poverty line

23% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Budget

revenues: 81.92 million (2017 est.)

expenditures: 80.32 million (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

46.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt

20.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
20.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

Fiscal year

1 April – 31 March

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.3% (2017 est.)
-0.6% (2016 est.)

Current account balance

-$23.2 million (2017 est.)
-$25.3 million (2016 est.)

Exports

$7.9 million (2017 est.)
$3.9 million (2016 est.)

Exports – commodities

lobster, fish, livestock, salt, concrete blocks, rum

Imports

$186.2 million (2017 est.)
$170.1 million (2016 est.)

Imports – commodities

fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures, chemicals, trucks, textiles

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$76.38 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$48.14 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Debt – external

$41.04 million (31 December 2013)
$8.8 million (1998)

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar –
2.7 (2017 est.)
2.7 (2016 est.)
2.7 (2015 est.)
2.7 (2014 est.)
2.7 (2013 est.)

Communications :: Anguilla

Telephones – fixed lines

total subscriptions: 6,000

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (July 2016 est.)

Telephones – mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 26,000

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 158 (July 2016 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: modern internal telephone system with fiber-optic trunk lines; telecom sector provides a relatively high contribution to overall GDP; numerous competitors licensed, but small and localized; major growth sectors include the mobile telephony and data segments (2020)

domestic: fixed-line teledensity is about 37 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 158 per 100 persons

international: country code – 1-264; landing points for the SSCS, ECFS, GCN and Southern Caribbean Fiber with submarine cable links to Caribbean islands and to the US; microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin/Sint Maarten (2019)

note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic’s effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry – mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite – has moderated

Broadcast media

1 private TV station; multi-channel cable TV subscription services are available; about 10 radio stations, one of which is government-owned

Internet country code

.ai

Internet users

total: 14,211

percent of population: 81.57% (July 2018 est.)

Military and Security :: Anguilla

Military – note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transportation :: Anguilla

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3 (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VP-A (2016)

Airports

1 (2020)

Airports – with paved runways

total: 1 (2020)

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

Roadways

total: 175 km (2004)

paved: 82 km (2004)

unpaved: 93 km (2004)

Merchant marine

total: 2

by type: other 2 (2019)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Blowing Point, Road Bay

Transnational Issues :: Anguilla

Disputes – international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe

Source: https://www.cia.gov