Anguilla Population: 17,422
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History | |
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 | |
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Location: | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
Geographic coordinates: | 18 15 N, 63 10 W |
Area: | total: 91 sq km land: 91 sq km water: 0 sq km Size comparison: 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 |
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) |
Natural hazards: | frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October) |
Current Environment Issues: | supplies of potable water sometimes cannot meet increasing demand largely because of poor distribution system |
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People | |
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.) |
Population: | 17,422 (July 2018 est.) |
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 22.01% (male 1,954 /female 1,880) 15-24 years: 14.06% (male 1,231 /female 1,219) 25-54 years: 43.27% (male 3,386 /female 4,152) 55-64 years: 11.54% (male 918 /female 1,092) 65 years and over: 9.13% (male 786 /female 804) (2018 est.) |
Median age: | total: 35.1 years male: 33.2 years female: 37 years (2018 est.) |
Population growth rate: | 1.92% (2018 est.) |
Birth rate: | 12.4 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
Death rate: | 4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
Net migration rate: | 11.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
Urbanization: | urban population: 100% of total population (2018) rate of urbanization: 0.9% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) |
Major urban areas - population: | 1,000 THE VALLEY (capital) (2018) |
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.82 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.84 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2018 est.) |
Infant mortality rate: | total: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) |
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 81.6 years male: 79 years female: 84.3 years (2018 est.) |
Total fertility rate: | 1.74 children born/woman (2018 est.) |
Drinking water source: | improved: urban: 94.6% of population total: 94.6% of population unimproved: urban: 5.4% of population total: 5.4% of population (2015 est.) |
Sanitation facility access: | improved: urban: 97.9% of population (2015 est.) total: 97.9% of population (2015 est.) unimproved: urban: 2.1% of population (2015 est.) total: 2.1% of population (2015 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | n/a |
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | n/a |
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | n/a |
Education expenditures: | n/a |
Literacy: | |
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Government | |
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 |
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 (2018) |
Legal system: | common law based on the English model |
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: Chief Minister Victor BANKS (since 23 April 2015) 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 chief minister 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 22 April 2015 (next to be held in 2020) election results: percent of vote by party - AUF 54.4%, AUM 38.3%, DOVE 1.4%, independent 5.9%; seats by party - AUF 6, independent 1; composition - men 8, women 3, percent of women 27.3% |
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 United Front or AUF [Victor BANKS] (alliance includes ADP, ANA) Anguilla United Movement or AUM [Dr. Ellis WEBSTER] Democracy, Opportunity, Vision, and Empowerment Party or DOVE [Sutcliffe HODGE] |
International organization participation: | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU |
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) |
Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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Economy | |
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.) (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%: n/a highest 10%: n/a |
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.) |
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Energy | |
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Communications | |
Cellular Phones in use: | total subscriptions: 26,000 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 158 (July 2016 est.) |
Telephone system: | general assessment: modern internal telephone system with fiber-optic trunk lines; telecom sector provides a realatively high contribution to overall GDP; numerous competitors licensed, but small and localized 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 point 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 |
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: 13,665 percent of population: 81.6% (July 2016 est.) |
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Transportation | |
Airports: | 2 (2013) |
Airports (paved runways): | total 1 (2017) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017) |
Airports (unpaved runways): | total 1 (2013) under 914 m: 1 (2013) |
Roadways: | total 175 km (2004) paved: 82 km (2004) unpaved: 93 km (2004) |
Merchant marine: | total 1 by type: other 1 (2018) |
Ports and terminals: | major seaport(s): Blowing Point, Road Bay |
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Military | |
Defense is the responsibility of the UK | |
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Transnational Issues | |
Disputes - International: | none |
Illicit drugs: | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
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Source: CIA - The World Factbook