Anguilla

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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.

Location:

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

Geographic coordinates:

18 15 N, 63 10 W

Area - comparative:

about half the size of Washington, DC

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 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) (2001)

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

Population:

13,008 (July 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.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 76.9 years
male: 73.99 years
female: 79.91 years (2004 est.)

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.)

Dependency status:

overseas territory of the UK

Capital:

The Valley

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

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:

2.8% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita:

purchasing power parity - $8,600 (2001 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2.3%

Labor force:

6,049 (2001)

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:

6.7% (2001)

Budget:

revenues: $22.8 million
expenditures: $22.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:

small quantities of tobacco, vegetables; cattle raising

Industries:

tourism, boat building, offshore financial services

Industrial production growth rate:

3.1% (1997 est.)

Exports - commodities:

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

Currency:

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Exchange rates:

East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)

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)

Ports and harbours:

Blowing Point, Road Bay

Illicit drugs:

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