is a island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, a dependent territory of the United Kingdom. It lies about 60 miles (100 kilometres) northwest of Saint Kitts (Saint Christopher) and is the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. Anguilla has an area of 35 square miles (91 square kilometres). The Valley is the principal town and the administrative centre of the island.

Physical and human geography

West Indies Anguilla is bare and flat and is fringed by white sand beaches. Its long thin shape (16 by 3.5 miles) gave it its name (French: anguille, "eel"). Anguilla has several small uninhabited offshore islands. The largest are Dog, Scrub, and Sombrero islands and Prickly Pear Cays.

Anguilla is of coral and limestone formation. The highest point is 213 feet (65 metres). Soil is thin, but there are small pockets of red loam, mainly in the shallow valleys. As with most coral islands, water is scarce. The climate is tropical; the average temperature is about 80 F (27 C), and rainfall averages 35 inches (900 millimetres) per year. Hurricanes can occur from July to October and occasionally are highly destructive. The vegetation is primarily low scrub, although there are some plantations of fruit trees.

The people

The majority of the population of Anguilla is of African descent. The official language is English, and the main religious denominations are Anglican and Methodist.

The economy

Agriculture is of minor importance. The main economic activities revolve around financial services and tourism. The steady increase in tourism has bolstered the construction industries and stimulated the improvement of transport facilities. Fishing was the traditional livelihood, and both deepwater fishing and fish farming have expanded. The export of fish and lobster is an important source of foreign exchange, as are remittances from émigrés working abroad.

Administration and social conditions

Executive power is in the hands of a governor (commissioner) appointed by the British monarch. The governor is in charge of external affairs, defense, internal security (including police), and public services. The Executive Council is composed of a chief minister, other ministers, and ex officio members. The House of Assembly consists of members elected by universal adult suffrage, members appointed by the governor after consultation with the chief minister, and ex officio members.

Education is free and compulsory between the ages of 5 and 14. Health conditions are generally good, but health services on the island are limited. There is a small cottage hospital on the island; specialist care, however, must be sought from larger islands nearby.

Anguilla may have been reached by Christopher Columbus in 1493. It became a British colony after being settled in 1650 and was administered as part of the Leeward Islands. From 1825 administration was largely through Saint Christopher (Saint Kitts), and Anguilla was incorporated with Saint Christopher and Nevis into a single colony in 1882, a situation to which it thereafter strenuously objected. In 1967, after the three were formed into an associated state, Anguilla complained of the domination by the Saint Christopher administration. Anguilla ejected the Saint Christopher police and set up its own council, subsequently proclaiming its independence. After negotiations failed, the British intervened in March 1969 to restore legal government with troops and a temporary commissioner. The troops were withdrawn in September 1969, and the Anguilla Act of July 1971 placed Anguilla directly under British control. Anguilla formally became a dependent territory of the United Kingdom in 1980, and a new constitution became effective in 1982.

Federation and Independence Movements

The islands of St. Kitts, Nevis, and Anguilla were united by federal act in 1882 and became an independent state in association with the United Kingdom on Feb. 27, 1967. The islands were granted full internal self-government, with the United Kingdom retaining responsibility for defense and foreign affairs.

After the islands had assumed the status of associated states, Anguilla complained of domination by the Saint Kitts administration. In May 1967 the Anguillans ejected the Saint Kitts police and established their own council. In July of the same year, they proclaimed their independence. After unsuccessful negotiations, the Anguilla Act of July 1971 placed Anguilla directly under British control. On Feb. 10, 1976, Anguilla was granted a constitution and its union with Saint Kitts and Nevis was formally severed in 1980.

A constitutional conference was held in London in 1982, and, in spite of disagreement over special provisions for Nevis, Saint Kitts and Nevis became independent on Sept. 19, 1983. A drop in world sugar prices hurt the nation's economy through the mid-1980s, and the government sought to reduce the islands' dependence on sugar production and to diversify the economy.