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.
Capital:
The Valley
Currency: 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Geography of Anguilla
Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, 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
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 61 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds
Terrain: 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: salt, fish, lobster
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some commercial salt
ponds)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
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
People of Anguilla
Population: 13,254 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.55% (male 1,574; female 1,526)
15-64 years: 67.47% (male 4,200; female 3,985)
65 years and over: 6.98% (male 376; female 471)
Population growth rate: 2.68%
Birth rate: 15.17 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 5.61 deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: 17.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate: 24.56 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.31 years
male: 73.41 years
female: 79.29 years
Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Anguillan(s)
adjective: Anguillan
Ethnic groups: black
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.)
SOURCE: The World Factbook |