Overview
English settlers from Saint Kitts first colonized Anguilla in 1650. Great Britain administered the island until the early 19th century, when -- against the wishes of the inhabitants -- Anguilla 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, when Anguilla became a separate British dependency. In 2017, Hurricane Irma caused extensive damage on the island, particularly to communications and residential and business infrastructure.
Geography
- Location
- Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
- Total Area
- 91 sq km
- Climate
- tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds
- Terrain
- flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone
- Natural Resources
- salt, fish, lobster
- Coastline
- 61 km
- Land Borders
- 0 km
People & Society
- Population
- 19,416 (2024 est.)
- 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%, Presbyterian 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.)
- 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.)
- Life Expectancy
- 82.6 years (2024 est.)
- Urbanization
- 100% of total population (2023)
Government
- Government Type
- parliamentary democracy (House of Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK
- Capital
- The Valley
- Independence
- none (overseas territory of the UK)
- Constitution
- several previous; latest 1 April 1982
- Legal System
- common law based on the English model
- Executive Branch
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Julia CROUCH (since 11 September 2023)
Economy
- Economic Overview
- small, tourism-dependent, territorial-island economy; very high public debt; COVID-19 crippled economic activity; partial recovery underway via tourism, benefitting from its high amount of timeshare residences; considering reopening oil refinery
- GDP (Official Rate)
- $452.73 million (2024 est.)
- Major Industries
- tourism, boat building, offshore financial services