Ashmore and Cartier Islands (2002) | Anguilla (2006) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 22.8% (male 1,557/female 1,510)
15-64 years: 70.4% (male 4,878/female 4,608) 65 years and over: 6.9% (male 412/female 512) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | small quantities of tobacco, vegetables; cattle raising |
Airports | - | 3 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2006) |
Area | total: 5 sq km
land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island |
total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | about half the size of Washington, DC |
Background | These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983 it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, is now a marine reserve. | 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. |
Birth rate | - | 14.17 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $22.8 million
expenditures: $22.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | - | name: The Valley
geographic coordinates: 18 13 N, 63 04 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical | tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds |
Coastline | 74.1 km | 61 km |
Constitution | - | Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982; amended 1990 |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Anguilla |
Death rate | - | 5.34 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $8.8 million (1998) |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | - | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $9 million (2004 est.) |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 42.6 million kWh |
Electricity - production | - | NA kWh |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 3 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crocus Hill 65 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | supplies of potable water sometimes cannot meet increasing demand largely because of poor distribution system |
Ethnic groups | - | black (predominant) 90.1%, mixed, mulatto 4.6%, white 3.7%, other 1.5% (2001 Census) |
Exchange rates | - | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)
note: fixed rate since 1976 |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Andrew N. GEORGE (since 10 July 2006)
head of government: Chief Minister Osbourne FLEMING (since 3 March 2000) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from among the elected members of the House of Assembly elections: none; 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 |
Exports | - | $14.56 million (2005 est.) |
Exports - commodities | - | lobster, fish, livestock, salt, concrete blocks, rum |
Exports - partners | - | UK, US, Puerto Rico, Saint-Martin (2004) |
Fiscal year | - | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | 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 |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 4%
industry: 18% services: 78% (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 10.2% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 12 14 S, 123 05 E | 18 15 N, 63 10 W |
Geography - note | Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983 | the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | - | $129.9 million (2005 est.) |
Imports - commodities | - | fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures, chemicals, trucks, textiles |
Imports - partners | - | US, Puerto Rico, UK (2004) |
Independence | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | 3.1% (1997 est.) |
Industries | - | tourism, boat building, offshore financial services |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 20.32 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.67 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 5.3% |
International organization participation | - | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS (associate), UPU |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
Judicial branch | - | High Court (judge provided by Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court) |
Labor force | - | 6,049 (2001) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining 4%, manufacturing 3%, construction 18%, transportation and utilities 10%, commerce 36%, services 29% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some commercial salt ponds) (2005) |
Languages | - | English (official) |
Legal system | the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply | based on English common law |
Legislative branch | - | 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 2005 (next to be held 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - AUF 38.9%, ANSA 19.2%, AUM 19.4%, APP 9.5%, independents 13%; seats by party - AUF 4, ANSA 2, AUM 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 77.28 years
male: 74.35 years female: 80.3 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 12 and over can read and write
total population: 95% male: 95% female: 95% (1984 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Australia | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2006) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
National holiday | - | Anguilla Day, 30 May |
Nationality | - | noun: Anguillan(s)
adjective: Anguillan |
Natural hazards | surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards | frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October) |
Natural resources | fish | salt, fish, lobster |
Net migration rate | - | 6.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
People - note | the landing of illegal immigrants from Indonesia's Rote Island has become an ongoing problem | - |
Political parties and leaders | - | Anguilla United Movement or AUM [Hubert HUGHES]; The Anguilla United Front or AUF [Osbourne FLEMING, Victor BANKS], a coalition of the Anguilla Democratic Party or ADP and the Anguilla National Alliance or ANA; Anguilla Progressive Party or APP [Roy ROGERS]; Anguilla Strategic Alternative or ANSA [Edison BAIRD] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh waster at Ashmore Reef's West Island |
13,477 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | 23% (2002) |
Population growth rate | - | 1.57% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | - |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Religions | - | 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) |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: NA
domestic: modern internal telephone system international: country code - 1-264; microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 6,200 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 1,800 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | low with sand and coral | flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone |
Total fertility rate | - | 1.73 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 8% (2002) |
Waterways | none | - |