eat 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.

Geography
Anguilla

Location:

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic
Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates:

18 15 N, 63 10 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

about half the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

61 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds

Terrain:

flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crocus Hill 65 m

Natural resources:

salt, fish, lobster

Land use:

arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some
commercial salt ponds) (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Natural hazards:

frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October)

Environment - current issues:

supplies of potable water sometimes cannot meet increasing demand
largely because of poor distribution system

Geography - note:

the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles

People
Anguilla

Population:

14,108 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 24.8% (male 1,795/female 1,706)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male 4,569/female 4,970)
65 years and over: 7.6% (male 510/female 558) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 32.3 years
male: 31.3 years
female: 33.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.332% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

13.11 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

4.39 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

14.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality