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The World Factbook 2002
| Anguilla |

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.

Geography | 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: 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: | 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% other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some commercial salt ponds) (1998 est.)
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
Geography - note: | the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles

People | Anguilla

Population: | 12,446 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 25% (male 1,575; female 1,529) 15-64 years: 68.1% (male 4,356; female 4,124) 65 years and over: 6.9% (male 383; female 479) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: | 2.44% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: | 14.94 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: | 5.54 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: | 15.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.02 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 (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | 23.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 76.5 years female: 79.5 years (2002 est.) male: 73.6 years
Total fertility rate: | 1.77 children born/woman (2002 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 Peter JOHNSTONE (since NA February 2000)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor from among the members of the House of Assembly
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 - UF 4, AUM 2, 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 FLEMMING, Victor BANKS], a coalition of the Anguilla Democratic Party or ADP and the Anguilla National Alliance or ANA
Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA
International organization participation: | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS (associate), ECLAC (associate)
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 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.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 0% (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% (2001 est.)
Labor force: | 6,735 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation: | commerce 36%, services 29%, construction 18%, transportation and utilities 10%, manufacturing 3%, agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining 4%
Unemployment rate: | 8% (1999)
Budget: | revenues: $20.4 million expenditures: $23.3 million, including capital expenditures of $3.8 million (1997 est.)
Industries: | tourism, boat building, offshore financial services
Industrial production growth rate: | 3.1% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production: | 45.85 million kWh (2000)
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
Imports: | $80.9 million (1999)
Imports - commodities: | fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures, chemicals, textiles
Imports - partners: | US, Puerto Rico, UK
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 - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: | 1 April - 31 March

Communications | Anguilla

Telephones - main lines in use: | 4,974 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 1,629 (2000)
Telephone system: | general assessment: NA domestic: modern internal telephone system international: 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: | 919 (2000)

Transportation | Anguilla

Railways: | 0 km
Highways: | total: 105 km paved: 65 km unpaved: 40 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: | none
Ports and harbors: | Blowing Point, Road Bay
Merchant marine: | none (2002 est.)
Airports: | 3 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2001)

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

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002