Indian Ocean (2004) | Anguilla (2005) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 23.2% (male 1,561/female 1,517)
15-64 years: 69.9% (male 4,767/female 4,501) 65 years and over: 6.9% (male 405/female 503) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | small quantities of tobacco, vegetables; cattle raising |
Airports | - | 3 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 68.556 million sq km
note: includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Flores Sea, Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Java Sea, Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Strait of Malacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies |
total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 5.5 times the size of the US | about half the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important access waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb (Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Indian Ocean south of 60 degrees south. | 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 | - | 14.26 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $22.8 million
expenditures: $22.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | - | The Valley |
Climate | northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and January/February in the southern Indian Ocean | tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds |
Coastline | 66,526 km | 61 km |
Constitution | - | Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982; amended 1990 |
Country name | - | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Anguilla |
Death rate | - | 5.43 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $8.8 million (1998) |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | some maritime disputes (see littoral states) | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $9 million (2004 est.) |
Economy - overview | The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. It carries a particularly heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum products from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia. Its fish are of great and growing importance to the bordering countries for domestic consumption and export. Fishing fleets from Russia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly for shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped in the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and western Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and offshore placer deposits are actively exploited by bordering countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. | 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 |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Java Trench -7,258 m
highest point: sea level 0 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crocus Hill 65 m |
Environment - current issues | endangered marine species include the dugong, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea | 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 1.6% (2001 Census) |
Exchange rates | - | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000)
note: fixed rate since 1976 |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Alan Eden HUCKLE (since 28 May 2004)
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 | - | $2.6 million (1999) |
Exports - commodities | - | lobster, fish, livestock, salt, concrete blocks, rum |
Exports - partners | - | UK, US, Puerto Rico, Saint-Martin (2000) |
Fiscal year | - | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | - | 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 - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $7,500 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 2.8% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 20 00 S, 80 00 E | 18 15 N, 63 10 W |
Geography - note | major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait | the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles |
Highways | - | total: 105 km
paved: 65 km unpaved: 40 km (1997) |
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 | - | $80.9 million (1999) |
Imports - commodities | - | fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures, chemicals, trucks, textiles |
Imports - partners | - | US, Puerto Rico, UK (2000) |
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: 21.03 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 27.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 2.3% |
International organization participation | - | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS (associate), UPU |
Irrigated land | - | 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 |
Land use | - | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some commercial salt ponds) (2001) |
Languages | - | English (official) |
Legal system | - | 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: 77.11 years
male: 74.18 years female: 80.12 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 12 and over can read and write
total population: 95% male: 95% female: 95% (1984 est.) |
Location | body of water between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia, and Australia | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Political Map of the World | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | - | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
National holiday | - | Anguilla Day, 30 May |
Nationality | - | noun: Anguillan(s)
adjective: Anguillan |
Natural hazards | occasional icebergs pose navigational hazard in southern reaches | frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October) |
Natural resources | oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules | salt, fish, lobster |
Net migration rate | - | 8.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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 | - | 13,254 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | 23% (2002) |
Population growth rate | - | 1.77% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Chennai (Madras; India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban (South Africa), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kolkata (Calcutta; India) Melbourne (Australia), Mumbai (Bombay; India), Richards Bay (South Africa) | Blowing Point, Road Bay |
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: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2005 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 | surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique reversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low atmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge | flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone |
Total fertility rate | - | 1.73 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 8% (2002) |