Country Listing Factbook Home Page

Anguilla
(dependent territory of the UK)
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues

### Anguilla

Geography

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

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: NA%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
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

Environment—international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

People

Population: 11,147 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28% (male 1,558; female 1,511)
15-64 years: 65% (male 3,713; female 3,545)
65 years and over: 7% (male 359; female 461) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.25% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 17.04 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.47 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 20.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 20.16 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.37 years
male: 74.39 years
female: 80.43 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.98 children born/woman (1998 est.)

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.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Anguilla

Data code: AV

Dependency status: dependent territory of the UK

Government type: NA

National capital: The Valley

Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Independence: none (dependent 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 of the UK (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Alan HOOLE (since 1 November 1995)
head of government: Chief Minister Hubert HUGHES (since 16 March 1994)
cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from among the elected members of the House of Assembly
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor appointed by the queen; chief minister appointed by the governor from among the members of the House of Assembly

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats total, 7 elected by direct popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 16 March 1994 (next to be held March 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—ANA 2, AUP 2, ADP 2, independent 1

Judicial branch: High Court, judge provided by Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Anguilla National Alliance or ANA Osbourne FLEMING; Anguilla United Party or AUP Hubert HUGHES; Anguilla Democratic Party or ADP Victor BANKS

International organization participation: Caricom (observer), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS (associate), ECLAC (associate)

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (dependent 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

Economy—overview: Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends heavily on high-class tourism, offshore banking, lobster fishing, and remittances from emigrants. The economy, and especially the tourism sector, suffered a setback in late 1995 due to the effects of Hurricane Luis in September but recovered in 1996. Anguillan officials have put substantial effort into developing the offshore financing sector. A comprehensive package of financial services legislation was enacted in late 1994. In the medium term, prospects for the economy will depend on the tourism sector and, therefore, on continuing income growth in the industrialized nations.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$75 million (1996 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: 3.4% (1996 est.)

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$7,200 (1996 est.)

GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Inflation rate—consumer price index: 3.6% (1996 est.)

Labor force:
total: 4,400 (1992)
by occupation: commerce 36%, services 29%, construction 18%, transportation and utilities 10%, manufacturing 3%, agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining 4%

Unemployment rate: 7% (1992 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $13.5 million (1993)
expenditures: $17.6 million, including capital expenditures of $740,000 (1995 est.)

Industries: tourism, boat building, offshore financial services

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity—capacity: NA kW

Electricity—production: NA kWh

Electricity—consumption per capita: NA kWh

Agriculture—products: pigeon peas, corn, sweet potatoes; sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, poultry; fishing (including lobster)

Exports:
total value: $1.8 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: lobster, fish, livestock, salt
partners: NA

Imports:
total value: $52.7 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: NA
partners: NA

Debt—external: $8.5 million (1996 est.)

Economic aid: $NA

Currency: 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1—2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Fiscal year: 1 April—31 March

Communications

Telephones: 890

Telephone system:
domestic: modern internal telephone system
international: microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios: 2,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 1

Televisions: NA

Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 105 km
paved: 65 km
unpaved: 40 km (1992 est.)

Ports and harbors: Blowing Point, Road Bay

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 3 (1997 est.)

Airports—with paved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)

Military

Military—note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues

Disputes—international: none

Country Listing Factbook Home Page