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
total: 19,416
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
1.74% (2024 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)
Legislative branch
summary: unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats)
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
Exports
$7.9 million (2017 est.)
$3.9 million (2016 est.)
Exports - partners
Chile 74%, Hungary 7%, Kyrgyzstan 3%, US 2%, Netherlands 2% (2022)
Exports - commodities
packaged medicine, garments, vehicle parts/accessories, trucks, blank audio media (2022)
Imports
$186.2 million (2017 est.)
$170.1 million (2016 est.)
Imports - partners
Chile 48%, US 27%, Botswana 18%, Canada 1%, Japan 1% (2022)
Imports - commodities
poultry, copper ore, refined petroleum, natural gas, fish (2022)
Page last updated: Wednesday, August 21, 2024
