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Motto:
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Strength and
Endurance
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History
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Colonized by
English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650, Anguilla was
administered by Great Britain until the early 19th century, when
the island (against the wishes of the inhabitants) 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, with
Anguilla becoming a separate British dependency.
Columbus gave
this long, thin island its name - Spanish for "eel". Anguilla is
a late bloomer in tourism, with a bloom perhaps all the lovelier
for its delay. The raw material for tropical perfection was
already there: a soft dry climate, colorfully inhabited reefs,
and a shoreline bountiful in sand that is to beachcombers what
Aspen's slopes are to skiers. There were already a few lazy
gingerbread inns, though meals and recreation were primitive.
But in the Seventies the government decided to choreograph an
ambitious yet controlled growth in the hospitality industry.
Following the hoteliers, talented chefs flocked here as well,
offering gourmet French, Italian, and nouvelle West Indian fare.
Archaeology lovers will find ample diversion:
aboriginal sites dating back 4,000 years, plus the museum and
park at The Fountains, where underground caves display ancient
fossils. Several tiny offshore isles provide additional beaches
and stepping stones to dive sites beyond Anguilla's convenient
snorkeling reefs (seven underwater shipwrecks are within easy
boating reach). De rigueur is a jaunt to Scilly Cay, where the
sunbathing is divine, surpassed only by the midday grilled
seafood.
Today the
island contentedly remains a Crown Colony and, as such,
preserves certain stiff-upper-lip attitudes. Nude bathing is
prohibited, and despite the languorous backwater feel to daily
life, the evening dress code may strike some as stuffy. This is
also an expensive island but its sunny pleasures are well worth
the price.
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Geography: |
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Location:
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The most northerly of the Leeward
Islands in the Lesser Antilles |
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Caribbean, islands between the
Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
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Geographic coordinates:
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18 15 N, 63 10 W
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Map references:
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Central
America and the Caribbean
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Area:
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Total:
91 sq km
Land: 91 sq km
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Coastline:
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61 km
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Maritime claims:
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Territorial
sea:
3 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
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Climate:
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Tropical; moderated by northeast
trade winds
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Terrain:
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Flat and low-lying island of
coral and limestone
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Elevation
Extremes
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Lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
Highest point: Crocus Hill 65 m
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Natural
Resources:
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Salt, fish, lobster,
pleasant
climate fosters tourism
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Land use:
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Arable land:
0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some
commercial salt ponds) (2005)
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Natural hazards:
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Frequent hurricanes and other
tropical storms (July to October)
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Environment - current issues:
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Supplies of potable water sometimes cannot meet increasing
demand largely because of poor distribution system
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Geography
Note: |
The
most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles |
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People: |
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Population:
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14,764 (July 2010 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
24.3% (male 1,839/female 1,745)
15-64 years: 68.% (male 4,763/female 5,276)
65 years and over: 7.7% (male 551/female 590) (2010 est.)
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Population growth rate: |
2.208% (2010
est.) |
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Birth rate: |
12.94 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) |
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Death rate: |
4.4 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
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Net migration rate: |
13.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
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Sex ratio: |
At
birth: 1.032 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2010 est.) |
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Nationality: |
Noun: Anguillan(s)
Adjective: Anguillan |
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Ethnic groups: |
Black (predominant) 90.1%, mixed, mulatto 4.6%,
White 3.7%,
other 1.5% (2001 Census) |
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Religions: |
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Anglican
29%, Methodist 23.9%, other Protestant 30.2%, Roman
Catholic 5.7%, other Christian 1.7, other 5.2%, none or
unspecified 4.3% (2001 Census) |
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Languages: |
English (official) |
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Government: |
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Country name: |
Anguilla |
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Dependency status: |
Overseas territory of the UK
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Government Type: |
NA |
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Capital: |
The Valley |
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National holiday: |
Anguilla Day, 30 May (1967) |
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Constitution: |
Anguilla Constitutional Order 1
April 1982; amended 1990 |
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Legal system: |
Based on
English Common Law |
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Executive branch: |
Chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by
Governor Alistair HARRISON (since 21 April 2009)
head of government: Chief Minister Hubert Hughes. (Since
16 February2010)
Cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from among
the elected members of the House of Assembly
elections:
The monarch is hereditary; governor appointed
by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of
the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is
usually appointed chief minister by the governor |
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Legislative branch: |
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Unicameral House
of Assembly (11 seats total, 7 elected by direct popular
vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed; members serve
five-year terms)
Elections:
last
held 21 February 2010 (next to be held 2015)
Election results: percent of vote by party -N/A;
Seats by party AUM 4, AUF 2, APP1.
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Judicial branch: |
High Court (judge provided by
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court) |
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Political parties and leaders: |
Anguilla Progressive Party or APP
Roy Rogers);Anguilla Strategic Alternative or ANSA(Edison
Baird);Anguilla United Front or AUF(Osbourne Fleming or Victor
Banks) (A coalition of the Anguilla Democratic Party or ADP and
the Anguilla National Alliance or ANA); Anguilla United Movement
or AUM (Hubert Hughes); (2010)
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International organization participation: |
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS
(associate), UPU WFTU |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
None
(Overseas territory of the UK) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
None |
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Caricom Associate Member: |
4 July 1999 |
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Flag description: |
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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 |
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Economy: |
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Overview: |
Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends
heavily on luxury tourism, offshore banking, lobster fishing,
and remittances from emigrants. Increased activity in the
tourism industry, which has spurred the growth of the
construction sector, has contributed to economic growth.
Anguillan officials have put substantial effort into developing
the offshore financial sector, which is small, but growing. In
the medium term, prospects for the economy will depend largely
on the tourism sector and, therefore, on revived income growth
in the industrialized nations as well as on favorable weather
conditions. |
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GDP (purchasing
power parity): |
$175.4 million (2009 est.) |
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GDP -real growth rate: |
-8.5% (2009 est) |
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GDP per capita (PPP): |
$12,200 (2008 est) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
Agriculture:
4%
Industry: 18%
Services: 78% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: |
23% (2002) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
5.3% (2006 est.) |
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Labor force: |
6,049 (2001) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
Agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining 4%, manufacturing
3%,
construction 18%, transportation and utilities 10%,
commerce 36%, services 29% (2000 est.) |
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Unemployment rate: |
8% (2002) |
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Budget: |
Revenues: $22.8 million
Expenditures: $22.5 million; including capital Expenditures of
$NA (2000 est.) |
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Agriculture: |
small quantities of tobacco,
vegetables; cattle raising |
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Industries: |
Tourism, boat building, offshore
financial services |
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Agriculture - products: |
Small quantities of tobacco,
vegetables; cattle raising |
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Exports: |
$119.5 million (2009 est.) |
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Exports - commodities: |
Lobster, fish, livestock, salt,
concrete blocks, rum |
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Imports: |
$143 million (2006 est.)
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Imports - commodities: |
Fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures,
chemicals, trucks, textiles |
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Debt - external: |
$8.8 million (1998) |
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Exchange rates: |
East Caribbean dollar (XCD) per
US dollar,
2.7 (2007) |
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Fiscal year: |
1
April - 31 March |
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Communications: |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
5,800 (2008 |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
13,100 (2005) |
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Telephone System: |
domestic: modern internal
telephone system
international: country code - 1-264; landing point for the
East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to
13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the
British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay to
island of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles)
(2007) |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 3, FM11, shortwave 2 (2009)
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Television broadcast stations: |
1(1997) |
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Internet country Code: |
.ai |
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Internet hosts: |
258(2009) |
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Internet users: |
4500 (2008) |
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Transportation: |
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Airports: |
3 (2009); Main
airport is Wall Blake Airport |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009) |
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Airports - with unpaved
runways: |
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2009 ) |
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Roadways: |
Total:
175 km
Paved: 82 km
Unpaved: 93 km (2004) |
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Ports and
Terminals: |
Blowing Point, Road Bay
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Main Source of Information: the Central Intelligence Agency
World Factbook |
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Items of Interest: |
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Anthem: |
The official Anthem is God Save
The Queen
God Save the Queen
God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save The Queen.
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save The Queen.
O Lord our God, arise,
Scatter our enemies,
And make them fall;
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks;
On thee our hopes we fix:
God save us all.
Thy choicest gifts in store
On her be pleased to pour,
Long may she reign.
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice,
God save The Queen.The National Song is
God Bless Anguilla
God bless Anguilla
Nurture and keep her
Noble and beauteous
She stands midst the sea
Oh land of the happy
A haven we'll make thee
Our lives and love
We give unto thee
Chorus
With heart and soul
We'll build a nation
Proud, strong and free
We'll love her hold her
Dear to our hearts for eternity
Let truth and right
our banner be
We'll march ever on
Mighty we'll make
Long may she prosper
God grant her leaders
wisdom and grace
May glory and honour
Ever attend her
Firm shall she stand
Throughout every age |
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Favorite Local
Cuisine: |
Rice and Peas and
Fish |
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Government
website: |
http://www.gov.ai |
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