Anguilla

Country Summary

Introduction

Background

Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650, Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th century, when the island 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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$175.4 million (2009 est.)
$191.7 million (2008 est.)
$108.9 million (2004 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$12,200 (2008 est.)

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, December 06, 2023