Anguilla
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| Anguilla | ||||||
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| Motto: "Strength and Endurance" | ||||||
| Anthem: God Save the Queen National song: God Bless Anguilla 1 |
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| Capital | The Valley | |||||
| Official languages | English | |||||
| Demonym | Anguillan | |||||
| Government | British Overseas Territory | |||||
| - | Queen | HM Queen Elizabeth II | ||||
| - | Governor | Andrew George | ||||
| - | Chief Minister | Osbourne Fleming | ||||
| Establishment | ||||||
| - | UK overseas territory | 1980 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 102 km² (220th) 39.4 sq mi |
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| - | Water (%) | negligible | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2006 estimate | 13,477 (212th) | ||||
| - | Density | 132/km² (n/a) 342/sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) | 2004 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $108.9 million | ||||
| - | Per capita | $8,800 | ||||
| Currency | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
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| Time zone | (UTC-4) | |||||
| Internet TLD | .ai | |||||
| Calling code | +1 264 | |||||
| 1 | National Song of Anguilla. Official Website of the Government of Anguilla. Retrieved on 12 October, 2005. | |||||
Anguilla (English pronunciation ang-GWILL-ah, IPA: /æŋˈɡwɪlə/) is a British overseas territory in the Caribbean, one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. It consists of the main island of Anguilla itself, approximately 26 km (16 miles) long by 5 km (3 miles) wide at its widest point, together with a number of much smaller islands and cays with no permanent population. The island's capital is The Valley. The total land area of the territory is 102 km² (39.4 square miles), with a population of approximately 13,500 (2006 estimate).
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[edit] History
Anguilla was first settled in history by Amerindian tribes who migrated from South America. The date of European discovery is uncertain: some sources claim that Columbus sighted the island in 1493, while others state that the island was first discovered by the French in 1564 or 1565.[1] The name Anguilla derives from the word for "eel" in any of various Romance languages (modern Spanish: anguila; French: anguille; Italian: anguilla), probably chosen because of the island's eel-like shape.
Anguilla was first colonised by English settlers from Saint Kitts, beginning in 1650. Other early arrivals included Europeans from Antigua and Barbados. It is likely that some of these early Europeans brought enslaved Africans with them. Historians confirm that African slaves lived in the region in the early seventeenth century. For example, Africans from Senegal lived in St. Christopher (today St. Kitts) in 1626. By 1672 a slave depot existed on the island of Nevis. It served the Leeward Islands. While the time of African arrival in Anguilla is difficult to place precisely, archival evidence indicates that a substantial African presence (at least 100) on the island by 1683.
The island was administered by England, and later the United Kingdom until the early nineteenth century, when – against the wishes of the inhabitants – it was incorporated into a single British dependency along with Saint Kitts and Nevis. After two rebellions in 1967 and 1969 and brief period as a self-declared independent republic headed by Ronald Webster, British rule was fully restored in 1969. It became a separate British dependency (now termed a British overseas territory) in 1980.
[edit] Politics
Anguilla is an internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom.
Its politics takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency, whereby the Chief Minister is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system.
The United Nations Committee on Decolonisation includes Anguilla on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. The territory's constitution is Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982 (amended 1990). Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the House of Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Military defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom.
[edit] Geography
Anguilla is a flat, low-lying island of coral and limestone in the Caribbean Sea, east of Puerto Rico. The soil is generally thin and poor, supporting only scrub vegetation.
Anguilla is noted for its spectacular and ecologically important coral reefs. Apart from the main island of Anguilla itself, the territory includes a number of other smaller islands and cays, mostly tiny and uninhabited. Some of these are:
- Anguillita
- Dog Island
- Prickly Pear Cays
- Scrub Island
- Seal Island
- Sombrero, also known as Hat Island
- Sandy Island
[edit] Climate
Anguilla has a tropical though rather dry climate, moderated by northeast trade winds. Temperatures vary little throughout the year. Average daily maxima range from about 27 °C (80 °F) in December to 30 °C (86 °F) in July. Rainfall is erratic, averaging about 90 cm (35 in) per year, the wettest months being September and October, and the driest February and March. Anguilla is vulnerable to hurricanes from June to November, peak season August to mid-October.
[edit] Economy
Anguilla's thin arid soil is largely unsuitable for agriculture, and the island has few land-based natural resources. Its main industries are tourism, offshore incorporation and management, offshore banking, and fishing. Many insurance and financial business are headquartered in Anguilla.
The economy of Anguilla is expanding rapidly, especially the tourism sector which is driving major new developments in partnerships with multi-national companies. This boom, beginning gently during 2005-2006, is accelerating through 2007 and is expected to continue for years. In an effort to prevent overheating, there is currently a moratorium on "non-belongers" (foreigners) buying land in Anguilla. Anguilla's currency is the East Caribbean dollar, though the US dollar is also widely accepted. The exchange rate is fixed to the US dollar at US$1 = EC$2.70.
[edit] Demographics
The majority of residents (90.08%) are black, the descendants of slaves transported from Africa. Growing minorities include whites at 3.74% and people of mixed race at 4.65% (figures from 2001 census).
72% of the population is Anguillian while 28% is non-Anguillian (2001 census). Of the non-Anguillian population, many are citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, St Kitts & Nevis, the Dominican Republic, or Jamaica and a very few Nigerians ranging from 7-15.
2006 and 2007 have seen an influx of large numbers of Chinese, Indian, and Mexican workers, brought in as labor for major tourist developments due to the local population not being large enough to support the labor requirements.
[edit] Culture
The Anguilla National Trust (ANT) was established in 1993 to preserve the heritage of the island, including its cultural heritage. The Trust has programmes encouraging Anguillan writers and the preservation of the island's history.
The island's cultural history begins with the Arawak Indians. Artifacts have been found around the island, telling of life before European settlers arrived.
As throughout the Caribbean, holidays are a cultural fixture. Anguilla's most important holidays are of historic as much as cultural importance – particularly the anniversary of the emancipation (previously August Monday in the Park), celebrated as the Summer Festival. British holidays, such as the Queen's birthday, are also celebrated.
[edit] Religion
Christianity is Anguilla's predominant religion, with 40 percent of the population practising Anglicanism. Another 33 percent are Methodist. Other churches on the island include Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses,Seventh-day Adventist and Baptist. There are at least fifteen churches on the island, several of architectural interest. [1] Although a minority on the island, it is an important location to followers of Rastafarian religion - Anguilla is the birthplace of Robert Athlyi Rogers, author of The Holy Piby which has had a strong influence on Rastafarian beliefs. Various other religions are practised as well.[2]
[edit] Language
Today most people in Anguilla speak a British-influenced variety of "Standard" English. Other languages are also spoken on the island, including varieties of Spanish, Chinese and the languages of other immigrants. However, the most common language other than Standard English is the island's own English-lexifier Creole language (not to be confused with French Creole spoken in islands such as Haiti and St. Lucia). It is referred to locally by terms such as "dialect" (pronounced "dialec"), or "Anguillian". It has its main roots in early varieties of English and West African languages, and is similar to the dialects spoken in English-speaking islands throughout the Eastern Caribbean.
[edit] Music
[edit] Sailing
Sailing has deep roots in Anguillian culture, and is the national sport. In this sense Anguilla is unique as it is one of the former British Colony (the other being India that lists Field Hockey) does not consider Cricket as the national sport (Which is a popular sport nonetheless - Anguilla is the home of Omari Banks, who played for the West Indies Cricket Team). There are regular regattas on national holidays which are run by locally built and designed boats. These regattas do not conform to international sailing rules with regard to right of way. Instead, there is only one rule, known as the "Hard Lee" rule. (The name of this rule is derived from the motion required to tack a tiller boat, which is to push the tiller "hard to leeward") In the event of two boats on opposite tacks being on a collision course, one or both of the captains may elect to call "Hard lee" to the other. When this call is made, both boats must tack regardless of whether it is advantageous or not. The objective of this maneuver is to attempt to gain as much distance upwind as possible before having to tack to avoid a collision. Alternatively, one captain may decide to "draw" and either tack earlier or change his point of sail to avoid this manoeuvre. This means a loss in height, but it may be preferable to tacking towards a shallow reef or other unfavourable position.
[edit] See also
Wikimedia Atlas of Anguilla, holding maps related to Anguilla.
[edit] References
- ^ Anguilla's History, Government of Anguilla website
- ^ Statistics Department of Anguilla (2001). "Citizenship, Ethnicity and Religion". A Census 2001 Publication. Available online in pdf format. Retrieved 25 December. 2006.
[edit] External links
Official sites
- Government of Anguilla - Official government web site
- The Anguilla Experience - Official publication of Anguilla Tourism Board
- The Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association - Official site of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association
- Anguilla Guide - Official publication of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association
News and media
- The Anguillian - Weekly newspaper of Anguilla
- Anguilla Life News Talk - Online news source in Anguilla
Portals
- Anguilla - Library of Congress Portals on the World
- CIA World Factbook entry on Anguilla
- Anguilla travel guide from Wikitravel
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