ANGUILA

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, 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
country comparison to the world: 226
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:

Current Weather
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) (2005)
Irrigated land:

NA
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:

14,436 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 222
Age structure:

0-14 years: 24.5% (male 1,815/female 1,725)
15-64 years: 67.8% (male 4,665/female 5,125)
65 years and over: 7.7% (male 534/female 572) (2010 est.)
Median age:

total: 33 years
male: 31.6 years
female: 34.3 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:

2.272% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
Birth rate:

13.02 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
Death rate:

4.36 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Net migration rate:

14.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
Urbanization:

urban population: 100% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.022 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:

total: 3.52 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 215
male: 3.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 80.65 years
country comparison to the world: 14
male: 78.11 years
female: 83.26 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:

1.75 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
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) 90.1%, mixed, mulatto 4.6%, white 3.7%, other 1.5% (2001 census)
Religions:

Anglican 29%, Methodist 23.9%, other Protestant 30.2%, Roman Catholic 5.7%, other Christian 1.7%, other 5.2%, none or unspecified 4.3% (2001 census)
Languages:

English (official)
Literacy:

definition: age 12 and over can read and write
total population: 95%
male: 95%
female: 95% (1984 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 11 years (2006)
Education expenditures:

4% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 101

Government ::ANGUILLA
Country name:

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Anguilla
Dependency status:

overseas territory of the UK
Government type:

NA
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)
Administrative divisions:

none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence:

none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:

Anguilla Day, 30 May (1967)
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 Alistair HARRISON (since 21 April 2009)
head of government: Chief Minister Hubert HUGHES (since 16 February 2010)
cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from among the elected members of the House of Assembly
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed chief minister by the governor
Legislative branch:

unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats; 7 members elected by direct popular vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 15 February 2010 (next to be held in 2015)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AUM 4, AUF 2, APP 1
Judicial branch:

High Court (judge provided by Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court)
Political parties and leaders:

Anguilla Progressive Party or APP [Roy ROGERS]; Anguilla Strategic Alternative or ANSA [Edison BAIRD]; Anguilla United Front or AUF [Osbourne FLEMING, Victor BANKS] (a coalition of the Anguilla Democratic Party or ADP and the Anguilla National Alliance or ANA); Anguilla United Movement or AUM [Hubert HUGHES]
Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA
International organization participation:

Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU, WFTU
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 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 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.)
country comparison to the world: 215
$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.)
country comparison to the world: 208
GDP - per capita (PPP):

$12,200 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 4%
industry: 18%
services: 78% (2002 est.)
Labor force:

6,049 (2001)
country comparison to the world: 218
Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining: 4%
manufacturing: 3%
construction: 18%
transportation and utilities: 10%
commerce: 36%
services: 29% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:

8% (2002)
country comparison to the world: 84
Population below poverty line:

23% (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:

revenues: $22.8 million
expenditures: $22.5 million (2000 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):

5.3% (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
Central bank discount rate:

6.5% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 58
6.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:

9.51% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 94
9.76% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:

$21.12 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 162
$23.57 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:

$449.5 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 137
$470.1 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:

$529.6 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 121
$447.7 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:

small quantities of tobacco, vegetables; cattle raising
Industries:

tourism, boat building, offshore financial services
Industrial production growth rate:

NA%
Electricity - production:

NA kWh
Current account balance:

-$42.87 million (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
Exports:

$119.5 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
Exports - commodities:

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

$143 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 204
Imports - commodities:

fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures, chemicals, trucks, textiles
Debt - external:

$8.8 million (1998)
country comparison to the world: 192
Exchange rates:

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
note: fixed rate since 1976

Communications ::ANGUILLA
Telephones - main lines in use:

5,800 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 211
Telephones - mobile cellular:

13,100 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 210
Telephone system:

general assessment: NA
domestic: modern internal telephone system
international: country code - 1-264; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) (2007)
Broadcast media:

1 private television station; multi-channel cable TV subscription services are available; about 10 radio stations, one of which is government-owned (2007)
Internet country code:

.ai
Internet hosts:

258 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 181
Internet users:

4,500 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 204

Transportation ::ANGUILLA
Airports:

3 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 196
Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Roadways:

total: 175 km
country comparison to the world: 209
paved: 82 km
unpaved: 93 km (2004)
Ports and terminals:

Blowing Point, Road Bay

Military ::ANGUILLA
Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 3,611 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,987
females age 16-49: 3,354 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 111
female: 111 (2010 est.)
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