Template:Short description Template:About Template:Distinguish Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox dependency Template:Coord
AnguillaTemplate:Efn is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean.<ref name="Introduction ::Anguilla">Template:Cite CIA World Factbook</ref> It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The territory consists of the main island of Anguilla, approximately Template:Convert long by Template:Convert wide at its widest point, together with a number of much smaller islands and cays with no permanent population. The territory's capital is The Valley.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Anguilla">Template:Cite CIA World Factbook</ref> The total land area of the territory is Template:Convert,<ref name="facts">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> with a population of approximately Template:UN PopulationTemplate:UN Population (Template:UN Population).
EtymologyEdit
The native Arawak name for the island was Malliouhana.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/>
In reference to the island's shape, the Italian {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, meaning "eel" (in turn, from the Latin diminutive of anguis, "snake") was used as its name.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Anguilla"/>Template:SfnpTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp Anguillan tradition holds that Christopher Columbus named the island.<ref name=Africana>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
HistoryEdit
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Anguilla was first settled by Indigenous Amerindian peoples who migrated from South America.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/> The earliest Native American artefacts found on Anguilla have been dated to around 1300 BC; remains of settlements date from AD 600.<ref>Caribbean Islands, Sarah Cameron (Footprint Travel Guides), p. 466 (Google Books Template:Webarchive)</ref><ref name=gov>Template:Citation</ref> There are two known petroglyph sites in Anguilla: Big Spring and Fountain Cavern. The rock ledges of Big Spring contain more than 100 petroglyphs (dating back to AD 600–1200), the majority consisting of three indentations that form faces.<ref>Source: The Anguilla National Trust - Preservation for Generations Template:Webarchive.</ref>
Precisely when Anguilla was first seen by Europeans is uncertain: some sources claim that Columbus sighted the island during his second voyage in 1493, while others state that the first European explorer was the French Huguenot nobleman and merchant René Goulaine de Laudonnière in 1564.<ref name=gov/> The Dutch West India Company established a fort on the island in 1631. However, the Company later withdrew after its fort was destroyed by the Spanish in 1633.<ref>Source: Atlas of Mutual Heritage Template:Webarchive.</ref>
Traditional accounts state that Anguilla was first colonised by English settlers from Saint Kitts beginning in 1650.Template:Sfnp<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The settlers focused on planting tobacco, and to a lesser extent cotton.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/> The French temporarily took over the island in 1666 but returned it to English control under the terms of the Treaty of Breda the next year.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/> Major John Scott, who visited in September 1667, wrote of leaving the island "in good condition" and noted that in July 1668, "200 or 300 people fled thither in time of war".<ref>British Colonial and State Papers 1661–1668, 16 November 1667 and 9 July 1668.</ref> The French attacked again in 1688, 1745 and 1798, causing much destruction but failing to capture the island.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/><ref name=gov/>
It is likely that the early European settlers brought enslaved Africans with them. Historians confirm that African slaves lived in the region in the early 17th century, such as slaves from Senegal living on St Kitts in the mid-1600s.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> By 1672 a slave depot existed on the island of Nevis, serving the Leeward Islands.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> While the time of African arrival in Anguilla is difficult to place precisely, archival evidence indicates a substantial African presence of at least 100 enslaved people by 1683; these seem to have come from Central Africa as well as West Africa.<ref name="Walicek, Don E 2009. pp. 349-3722">Walicek, Don E. (2009). "The Founder Principle and Anguilla's Homestead Society," Gradual Creolization: Studies Celebrating Jacques Arends, ed. by M. van den Berg, H. Cardoso, and R. Selbach. (Creole Language Library Series 34), Amsterdam: John Benjamins, pp. 349–372.</ref> The slaves were forced to work on the sugar plantations which had begun to replace tobacco as Anguilla's main crop.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla2"/> Over time, the African slaves and their descendants came to vastly outnumber the white settlers.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla2"/> The African slave trade was eventually terminated within the British Empire in 1807, and slavery outlawed completely in 1834.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Many planters subsequently sold up or left the island.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla2"/>
During the early colonial period, Anguilla was administered by the British through Antigua; in 1825, it was placed under the administrative control of nearby Saint Kitts.<ref name=gov/> Anguilla was federated with St Kitts and Nevis in 1882, against the wishes of many Anguillans.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/> Economic stagnation, and the severe effects of several droughts in the 1890s and later the Great Depression of the 1930s led many Anguillans to emigrate for better prospects elsewhere.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/>
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Full adult suffrage was introduced to Anguilla in 1952.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/> After a brief period as part of the West Indies Federation (1958–1962), the island of Anguilla became part of the associated state of Saint Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla with full internal autonomy in 1967.<ref name="britannica.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However many Anguillans had no wish to be a part of this union, and resented the dominance of St Kitts within it. On 30 May, 1967, Anguillans forcibly ejected the St Kitts police force from the island and declared their separation from St Kitts following a referendum.<ref name=DD>Anguilla, 11 July 1967: Separation from St Kitts and Nevis; Peace Committee as Government Template:Webarchive Direct Democracy Template:In lang</ref><ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/><ref>Noack, David X., Die abtrünnige Republik Anguilla, amerika21.de, 27 September 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2017. Template:Webarchive.</ref> The events, led by Atlin Harrigan<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Ronald Webster among others, became known as the Anguillan Revolution; its goal was not independence per se, but rather independence from Saint Kitts and Nevis and a return to being a British colony.
With negotiations failing to break the deadlock, a second referendum confirming Anguillans' desire for separation from St Kitts was held and the Republic of Anguilla was declared unilaterally, with Ronald Webster as president. Efforts by British envoy William Whitlock failed to break the impasse and 300 British troops were subsequently sent in March 1969.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/> British authority was restored, and confirmed by the Anguilla Act 1971 (c. 63) of July 1971.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/> In 1980, Anguilla was finally allowed to formally secede from Saint Kitts and Nevis and become a separate British Crown colony (now a British overseas territory).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Hubbard>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="britannica.com"/><ref name="Introduction ::Anguilla"/><ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/> Since then, Anguilla has been politically stable, and has seen a large growth in its tourism and offshore financing sectors.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/>
Geography and geologyEdit
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Anguilla is a flat, low-lying island of coral and limestone in the Caribbean Sea, measuring some 16 miles (26 km) long and 3.5 miles (6 km) in width.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/> It lies to the east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin, separated from that island by the Anguilla Channel.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/><ref name="CIA World Factbook- Anguilla"/> The soil is generally thin and poor, supporting scrub, tropical and forest vegetation.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Anguilla"/> The terrain is generally low-lying, with the highest terrain located in the vicinity of The Valley; Crocus Hill, Anguilla's highest peak at Template:Convert, lies in the western regions of the town.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Anguilla"/>
Anguilla is noted for its ecologically important coral reefs and beaches. Apart from the main island of Anguilla itself, the territory includes a number of other smaller islands and cays, mostly tiny and uninhabited:
- Anguillita
- Blowing Rock
- Dog Island
- Little Scrub Island
- Prickly Pear Cays
- Scrub Island
- Seal Island
- Sombrero, also known as Hat Island
- Sandy Island
- Scilly Cay
In Anguilla, forest cover is around 61% of the total land area, equivalent to 5,500 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, which was unchanged from 1990.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
GeologyEdit
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Anguilla (and the wider Anguilla Bank) is of volcanic origin, lying on the Lesser Antilles volcanic island arc, and tuffs and volcaniclastic breccias of Eocene age are exposed locally on the island.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref> The island was largely submerged during the Miocene, leading to the formation of the reefal limestone Anguilla Formation, which was subsequently tectonically uplifted and covers most of the island today.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Since the late Pleistocene, however, Anguilla has undergone tectonic subsidence at a rate of around 1–2 mm/yr.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
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File:SSS Islands Map.png Map showing the location of Anguilla relative to Sint Maarten/Saint Martin and other islands to its south |
File:Anguilla map.svg Map of Anguilla |
ClimateEdit
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TemperatureEdit
Northeastern trade winds keep this tropical island relatively cool and dry. Average annual temperature is Template:Convert.<ref name="facts" /> July–October is its hottest period, December–February, its coolest.
RainfallEdit
Rainfall averages Template:Convert annually,<ref name="facts" /> although the figures vary from season to season and year to year. The island is subject to both sudden tropical storms and hurricanes, which occur in the period from July to November. The island suffered damage from Hurricane Luis in 1995, severe flooding Template:Convert from Hurricane Lenny in 1999 and severe damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017, which remains the most powerful hurricane to hit the island.<ref name="TCR"/><ref name=CEDIM/>
GovernanceEdit
Political systemEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:See also Anguilla is an internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Anguilla"/> Its politics take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency, whereby the Premier is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Anguilla"/> A governor is appointed by the British government to represent the king.
The United Nations Committee on Decolonization includes Anguilla on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories. The territory's constitution is the Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982 (amended 1990).<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Anguilla"/> Executive power is exercised by the government, with legislative power being vested in both the government and the House of Assembly.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Anguilla"/> The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/>
DefenceEdit
As a British overseas territory, the UK is responsible for Anguilla's military defence,<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/><ref name="CIA World Factbook- Anguilla"/> although there are no active garrisons or armed forces present in the territory. Since 2020, the Royal Navy has forward-deployed the offshore patrol vessel HMS Medway long-term to the Caribbean for patrol and sovereignty protection duties.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In October 2023, the destroyer HMS Dauntless (which had temporarily replaced Medway on her normal Caribbean tasking), visited the territory in order to assist local authorities in preparing for the climax of the hurricane season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Anguilla had a small marine police force, comprising around 32 personnel, which operated one VT Halmatic M160-class Template:Convert fast patrol boat.Template:Citation needed Policing on the island is the responsibility of the Royal Anguilla Police Force.
PopulationEdit
DemographicsEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The majority of residents (90.08%) are of West African ancestry, most of whom are the descendants of enslaved people transported from Africa.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/> Minorities include whites at 3.74% and people of mixed race at 4.65% (figures from 2001 census). Of the population, 72% is Anguillan while 28% is non-Anguillan (2001 census). Of the non-Anguillan population, many are citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, St Kitts & Nevis, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The years 2006 and 2007 saw an influx of large numbers of Chinese, Indian and Mexican workers, brought in as labour for major tourist developments due to the local population not being large enough to support the labour requirements.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
ReligionEdit
Christian churches did not have a consistent or strong presence during the initial period of English colonisation; spiritual and religious practices of Europeans and Africans tended to reflect their regional origins. As early as 1813, Christian ministers formally ministered to enslaved Africans and promoted literacy among converts.<ref>Walicek, Don E. (2011). "Christianity, Literacy, and Creolization in Nineteenth-Century Anguilla". In Anansi's Defiant Webs, Contact, Continuity, Convergence, and Complexity in the Language, Literatures and Cultures of the Greater Caribbean, ed. by N. Faraclas, R. Severing, et al., Willemstad: University of Curaçao and Fundashon pa Planifikashon di Idioma, pp. 181–189.</ref> The Wesleyan (Methodist) Missionary Society of England built churches and schools from 1817.<ref>Hodge, S. Wilfred (2003). "Bethel—the road—and due west" In Wilbert Forker (Ed.), Born in Slavery: A Story of Methodism in Anguilla and Its Influence in the Caribbean (pp. 20–29). Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press.</ref>
According to the 2001 census, Christianity is Anguilla's predominant religion, with 29% of the population practising Anglicanism; another 23.9% are Methodist.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/> Other churches on the island include Seventh-day Adventist, Baptist, Roman Catholic (served by the Diocese of Saint John's–Basseterre, with the See at Saint John on Antigua and Barbuda) and a small community of Jehovah's Witnesses (0.7%).<ref name="statistics census">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Between 1992 and 2001, the number of followers of the Church of God and Pentecostals increased considerably.Template:Citation needed There are at least 15 churches on the island. Although a minority on the island, Anguilla is an important location to followers of Rastafarian religion as the birthplace of Robert Athlyi Rogers, author of the Holy Piby which had a strong influence on Rastafarian and other Africa-centre belief systems.<ref name="Introduction & Analysis">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Price2009">Template:Cite book</ref> More recently, a Muslim cultural centre has opened on the island.<ref name="statistics census"/>
| Religion | 1992 | 2001 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anglican | 40.4 | 29.0 | 22.7 |
| Methodist | 33.2 | 23.9 | 19.4 |
| Pentecostal | – | 7.7 | 10.5 |
| Seventh-day Adventist | 7.0 | 7.6 | 8.3 |
| Baptist | 4.7 | 7.3 | 7.1 |
| Catholic | 3.2 | 5.7 | 6.8 |
| Church of God | – | 7.6 | 4.9 |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | – | 0.7 | 1.1 |
| Rastafarian | – | 0.7 | |
| Evangelical | – | 0.5 | |
| Plymouth Brethren | – | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| Muslim | – | 0.3 | |
| Presbyterian | – | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Hindu | – | 0.4 | |
| Jewish | – | 0.1 | |
| None | – | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Other | 10.7 | 3.5 | |
| Not stated | 0.7 | 0.3 |
LanguagesEdit
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Today most people in Anguilla speak a British-influenced variety of standard English.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Anguilla"/> Other languages are also spoken on the island, including varieties of Spanish, Chinese and the languages of other immigrant communities. However, the most common language other than Standard English is the island's own English-lexifier Creole language (not to be confused with Antillean Creole ('French Creole'), spoken in French islands such as Martinique and Guadeloupe). It is referred to locally by terms such as "dialect" (pronounced "dialek"), Anguilla Talk or "Anguillian".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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 in terms of its structural features.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Linguists who are interested in the origins of Anguillan and other Caribbean Creoles point out that some of its grammatical features can be traced to African languages while others can be traced to European languages. Three areas have been identified as significant for the identification of the linguistic origins of those forced migrants who arrived before 1710: the Gold Coast, the Slave Coast and the Windward Coast.<ref>Singler, John. 1993. African influence upon Afro-American language varieties: A consideration of sociohistorical factors. In Africanisms in Afro-American language varieties, S. Mufwene and n. Condon (eds.), 235–253. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.</ref>
Sociohistorical information from Anguilla's archives suggest that Africans and Europeans formed two distinct, but perhaps overlapping speech communities in the early phases of the island's colonisation. "Anguillian" is believed to have emerged as the language of the masses as time passed, slavery was abolished and locals began to see themselves as "belonging" to Anguillan society.<ref name="Walicek, Don E 2009. pp. 349-3722" />
EducationEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} There are six government primary schools, one government secondary school (Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School), and two private schools.<ref name=schools>"Schools Template:Webarchive." Government of Anguilla. Retrieved 7 December 2017.</ref> There is a single library, the Edison L. Hughes Education & Library Complex of the Anguilla Public Library.<ref>"The Edison L. Hughes Education & Library Complex Template:Webarchive." Government of Anguilla. Retrieved 7 December 2017.</ref> A branch of the Saint James School of Medicine was established in 2011 in Anguilla.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It is a private, for-profit medical school headquartered in Park Ridge, Illinois.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
There is a University of the West Indies Open campus site in the island.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
CultureEdit
The island's cultural history begins with the native Taino, Arawak and Carib. Their artefacts have been found around the island, telling of life before European settlers arrived.<ref name="Hailey et al. 2011">Template:Cite book</ref>
Anguillan culture has also been built through immigration. Many European families have moved to the island and have impacted the formalities of the Anguillan people.
Similar to nearby islands, Anguillans geography and location require a cultural reliance on the ocean. The island's abundance of sea life has led to the incorporation of many fish and crustacean into daily life. They have become a part of the local cuisine, opened up opportunities for ecotourism, and introduced celebrations such as Lobster Fest and boat races.
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, or Carnival,<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla" /> the sailboat races, and Lobster Fest. British festivities, such as the King's Birthday, are also celebrated.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Music in Anguilla presents itself as an important part of its culture as well. All different genres of music are played at the celebrations mentioned above. This music represents the deep history of talent that Anguillans have displayed for decades.
The Anguilla National Trust (ANT) was established in 1989 and opened its current office in 1991 charged with the responsibility of preserving the heritage of the island, including its cultural heritage.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Heritage Collection Museum used to showcase the history and artefacts of Anguilla, but in 2024 the collection was handed over to the Anguilla National Museum.<ref name="f277">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
CuisineEdit
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Anguillan cuisine is influenced by native Caribbean, West African, Spanish, French, and English cuisines.<ref name="UsaToday">Robinson, Peg. "Foods That Are Important in Anguilla." Template:Webarchive USA Today Travel Template:Webarchive. Retrieved July 2011.</ref> Seafood is abundant, including prawns, shrimp, crab, spiny lobster, conch, mahi-mahi, red snapper, marlin, and grouper.<ref name="UsaToday"/> Salt cod is a staple food eaten on its own and used in stews, casseroles and soups.<ref name="UsaToday"/> Livestock is limited due to the small size of the island and people there use poultry, pork, goat, and mutton, along with imported beef.<ref name="UsaToday"/> Goat is the most commonly eaten meat, used in a variety of dishes.<ref name="UsaToday"/> The official national food of Anguilla is pigeon peas and rice.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
A significant amount of the island's produce is imported due to limited land suitable for agriculture production; much of the soil is sandy and infertile.<ref name="UsaToday"/> The agriculture produce of Anguilla includes tomatoes, peppers, limes and other citrus fruits, onion, garlic, squash, pigeon peas, and callaloo. Starch staple foods include imported rice and other foods that are imported or locally grown, including yams,<ref name="NewYorkTimes">Higgins, Michelle (28 January 2007). "For Foodies: Anguilla." Template:Webarchive The New York Times – Travel Template:Webarchive. Retrieved July 2011.</ref> sweet potatoes<ref name="NewYorkTimes"/> and breadfruit.<ref name="UsaToday"/>
LiteratureEdit
The Anguilla National Trust has programmes encouraging Anguillan writers and the preservation of the island's history. In 2015, Where I See The Sun – Contemporary Poetry in Anguilla A New Anthology by Lasana M. Sekou was published by House of Nehesi Publishers.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Among the forty three poets in the collection are Rita Celestine-Carty, Bankie Banx, John T. Harrigan, Patricia J. Adams, Fabian Fahie, Dr. Oluwakemi Linda Banks, and Reuel Ben Lewi.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
MusicEdit
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Various Caribbean musical genres are popular on the island, such as soca and calypso, but reggae most deeply roots itself in Anguillan society. Anguilla has produced many artists and groups in this genre.
Reggae has shown itself to be the most popular genre in Anguilla. The most successful of reggae artists originating in Anguilla come from the Banks family. Bankie "Banx" and his son Omari Banks have had many chart-topping songs listened to around the world. The two musicians continue to provide live performances across the island quite often.
British Dependency has also gained popularity throughout the 21st century. The band, who began in Anguilla, boasts the island's first female bass player. Performing alongside The Wailers on tour, British Dependency have earned attention from an American audience.
One of many musical events that take place in Anguilla is Moonsplash. Moonsplash is an annual reggae music festival that has occurred in Anguilla for 33 consecutive years and proves to be the oldest independent musical event in the Caribbean. Along with its longstanding history, it is the largest festival annually alongside carnival.
While not many soca and calypso artists have gained extreme popularity, the genres are still widely listened to across the island.
SportsEdit
Template:See also Boat racing has deep roots in Anguillan culture and is the national sport.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/> There are regular sailing regattas on national holidays, such as Carnival, which are contested by locally built and designed boats. These boats have names and have sponsors that print their logo on their sails.
As in many other former British colonies, cricket is also a popular sport. Anguilla is the home of Omari Banks, who played for the West Indies Cricket Team, while Cardigan Connor played first-class cricket for English county side Hampshire and was 'chef de mission' (team manager) for Anguilla's Commonwealth Games team in 2002. Other noted players include Chesney Hughes, who played for Derbyshire County Cricket Club in England.
Rugby union is represented in Anguilla by the Anguilla Eels RFC, who were formed in April 2006.<ref>Rugby in Anguilla! Template:Webarchive, Anguilla News</ref> The Eels have been finalists in the St. Martin tournament in November 2006 and semi-finalists in 2007, 2008, 2009 and Champions in 2010. The Eels were formed in 2006 by Scottish club national second row Martin Welsh, Club Sponsor and President of the AERFC Ms. Jacquie Ruan, and Canadian standout Scrumhalf Mark Harris (Toronto Scottish RFC).
Anguilla is the birthplace of sprinter Zharnel Hughes who has represented Great Britain since 2015, and England at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He won the 100 metres at the 2018 European Athletics Championships, the 4 x 100 metres at the same championships, and the 4 x 100 metres for England at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He also won a Template:Nowrap relay team gold at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and a silver on the Template:Nowrap relay for Great Britain at the 2020 Olympic Games.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2023 he broke the British record for the 100m sprint, with a time of 9.83 seconds.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Shara Proctor, British Long Jump Silver Medalist at the World Championships in Beijing, first represented Anguilla in the event until 2010 when she began to represent Great Britain and England. Under the Anguillan Flag she achieved several medals in the NACAC games.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Keith Connor, triple jumper, is also an Anguillan. He represented Great Britain and England and achieved several international titles including Commonwealth and European Games gold medals and an Olympic bronze medal. Connor later became Head Coach of Australia Athletics.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Natural historyEdit
WildlifeEdit
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Anguilla has habitat for the Cuban tree frogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis).<ref name="Townsend et al. 2000">Template:Cite journal</ref> The red-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria) is a species of tortoise found here, which originally came from South America.<ref name="Hailey et al. 2011"/> Hurricanes in the mid-90s led to over-water dispersal of the green iguanas (Iguana iguana) to Anguilla.<ref name="Censky et al. 1998">Template:Cite journal</ref> All three animals are introductions.<ref name="Hailey et al. 2011"/>
Five species of bats are known in the literature from Anguilla – the threatened insular single leaf bat (Monophyllus plethodon), the Antillean fruit-eating bat (Brachyphylla cavernarum), the Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis), the Mexican funnel-eared bat (Natalus stramineus), and the velvety free-tailed bat (Molossus molossus).<ref name="Genoways et al.n2007">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Notable peopleEdit
- Zharnel Hughes (born 1995), sprinter
- Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers (born 1993), politician, model and Miss Universe Great Britain 2018
- Carlos Newton (born 1976), former UFC Welterweight Champion
- Shara Proctor (born 1988), long jump athlete
EconomyEdit
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Anguilla's thin arid soil being largely unsuitable for agriculture, the island has few land-based natural resources.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Anguilla"/> Its main industries are tourism, offshore incorporation and management, offshore banking, captive insurance and fishing.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Anguilla"/><ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/>
Anguilla's currency is the East Caribbean dollar, though the US dollar is also widely accepted.<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica – Anguilla"/> The exchange rate is fixed to the US dollar at US$1 = EC$2.70.
The economy, and especially the tourism sector, suffered a setback in late 1995 due to the effects of Hurricane Luis in September. Hotels were hit particularly hard but a recovery occurred the following year. Another economic setback occurred during the aftermath of Hurricane Lenny in 2000.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Before the 2008 worldwide crisis, the economy of Anguilla was growing strongly, especially the tourism sector, which was driving major new developments in partnerships with multi-national companies. Anguilla's tourism industry received a major boost when it was selected to host the World Travel Awards in December 2014. Known as "the Oscars of the travel industry", the awards ceremony was held at the CuisinArt Resort and Spa and was hosted by Vivica A. Fox. Anguilla was voted the World's Leading Luxury Island Destination from a short list of top-tier candidates such as St. Barts, the Maldives, and Mauritius.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The economy, including the tourism sector, suffered its biggest setback in late 2017 due to the effects of Hurricane Irma in September, which was the most powerful hurricane to hit the island and which caused major material damage of $320 million. A lot of infrastructure was damaged, which was repaired in 2018/19 and the economy began to recover in 2019. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020/21, caused a setback in the economy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="TCR">Template:Cite report</ref><ref name=CEDIM>Template:Cite report</ref>
Anguilla's financial system comprises seven banks,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> two money services businesses, more than 40 company managers, more than 50 insurers, 12 brokers, more than 250 captive intermediaries, more than 50 mutual funds, and eight trust companies.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Anguilla has become a popular tax haven, having no capital gains, estate, profit, sales, or corporate taxes. In April 2011, faced with a mounting deficit, it introduced a 3% "Interim Stabilisation Levy", Anguilla's first form of income tax. Anguilla also has a 0.75% property tax.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Anguilla aims to obtain 15% of its energy from solar power to become less reliant on expensive imported diesel. The Climate & Development Knowledge Network is helping the government gather the information it needs to change the territory's legislation, so that it can integrate renewables into its grid. Barbados has also made good progress in switching to renewables, but many other Small Island Developing States are still at the early stages of planning how to integrate renewable energy into their grids. "For a small island we're very far ahead," said Beth Barry, Coordinator of the Anguilla Renewable Energy Office. "We've got an Energy Policy and a draft Climate Change policy and have been focusing efforts on the question of sustainable energy supply for several years now. As a result, we have a lot of information we can share with other islands."<ref>Fry, Carolyn. 28 June 2012. Anguilla moves towards cleaner energy Template:Webarchive</ref>
According to a Bloomberg report, due to a skyrocketing interest in artificial intelligence, Anguilla was expected to profit in 2023 from a surge in demand for web addresses ending with the country's top-level domain .ai. The total number of registrations of .ai domain names had already doubled in 2022, and according to Vince Cate, who has managed the top-level domain, Anguilla will bring in as much as $30 million in domain-registration fees for 2023.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Update inline
TransportationEdit
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AirEdit
Anguilla is served by Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (prior to 4 July 2010 known as Wallblake Airport). The primary runway at the airport is Template:Convert in length and can accommodate moderate-sized aircraft. Regional scheduled passenger services connect to various other Caribbean islands via local airlines.
In December 2021 Anguilla inaugurated its first ever international regular commercial jet service flight to and from the mainland U.S. American Eagle operating on behalf of American Airlines began nonstop Embraer 175 regional jet service to Anguilla from Miami<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> in an aviation watershed moment for Anguilla with the airport also currently attempting to attract other international air carriers.Template:Citation needed
Other airlines currently serving the airport include Tradewind Aviation and Cape Air which provide scheduled air service to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Several other small airlines serve the airport as well.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The airport can handle large narrow-body jets such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 and has growing private jet service flights with a new private jet terminal being built.Template:Citation needed
RoadEdit
Aside from taxis, there is no public transport on the island. Cars drive on the left and most roads are unsealed. There is no rail network.
BoatEdit
There are regular ferries from Saint Martin to Anguilla. It is a 20-minute crossing from Marigot, St. Martin, to Blowing Point, Anguilla.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
There is also a charter service which offers boat trips from Blowing Point, Anguilla, to Princess Juliana Airport.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
See alsoEdit
NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
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External linksEdit
GovernmentEdit
- Government of Anguilla—Official government website
General informationEdit
- Anguilla. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
- Anguilla from UCB Libraries GovPubs
- Anguilla Focus
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- battle for freedom -- youtube video compilation archived at Ghostarchive.org on 18 May 2022
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