Introduction
Background
English settlers from Saint Kitts first colonized Anguilla in 1650. Great Britain administered the island until the early 19th century, when Anguilla was incorporated into a single British dependency along with Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 1980, Anguilla became a separate British dependency.
Geography
Area
total: 91 sq km
land: 91 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Climate
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds
Natural resources
salt, fish, lobster
People and Society
Population
19,079 (2023 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.)
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.)
Population growth rate
1.77% (2023 est.)
Government
Government type
parliamentary democracy (House of Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK
Capital
name: The Valley
Executive branch
chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Julia CROUCH
(since 11 September 2023)
head of government: Premier Dr. Ellis WEBSTER (since 30 June 2020); note - starting in 2019, the title of head of government was changed to premier from Chief Minister of Anguilla
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)
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
Agricultural products
small quantities of tobacco, vegetables; cattle raising
Industries
tourism, boat building, offshore financial services
Exports
$7.9 million (2017 est.)
$3.9 million (2016 est.)
Exports - commodities
packaged medicines, vaccines and cultures, used clothing, orthopedic appliances, blank audio media (2021)
Imports
$186.2 million (2017 est.)
$170.1 million (2016 est.)
Imports - commodities
fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures, chemicals, trucks, textiles
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
2.7 (2017 est.)
2.7 (2016 est.)
2.7 (2015 est.)
2.7 (2014 est.)
2.7 (2013 est.)
Page last updated: Wednesday, April 24, 2024
