Anguilla | |
---|---|
Motto: "Unity, Strength and Endurance" | |
Anthem:
| |
Status | British Overseas Territory |
Capital and largest city | The Valley |
Official languages | English |
Ethnic groups ([1]) |
|
Religion | 90.3 % Christian 9.7 % Others |
Demonym(s) | Anguillian |
Government | Parliamentary dependency under a constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Charles III |
• Governor | Tim Foy |
• Deputy Governor | Perin A. Bradley |
Victor Banks | |
• Responsible Ministerb (UK) | Alan Duncan MP |
Legislature | House of Assembly |
Establishment | |
• Overseas territory | 1980 |
Area | |
• Total | 91 km2 (35 sq mi) (unranked) |
• Water (%) | negligible |
Population | |
• 2021 estimate | 15,753[2][3] |
• 2011 census | 13,452 |
• Density | 132/km2 (341.9/sq mi) (n/a) |
GDP (PPP) | 2014 estimate |
• Total | $311 million[4] |
• Per capita | $29,493.3 |
Currency | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
Time zone | UTC-4 |
Driving side | left |
Calling code | +1-264 |
ISO 3166 code | AI |
Internet TLD | .ai |
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Anguilla is a group of five islands in the Caribbean Sea. The islands are ruled by the United Kingdom.
Anguilla was colonized by the British Empire and used to be part of what is now Saint Kitts and Nevis, but broke away in 1980 so it could stay part of Great Britain. Saint Kitts and Nevis wanted to be independent.
It is named after the Spanish word for "eel", because it has such a shape.
Anguilla was first settled by Arawakan-speaking Indians who called it Malliouhana.
The King or Queen of the United Kingdom is the ruler of Anguilla, but she works through a governor. He or she names, or appoints the governor, and he is just working there in place of the monarch. The legislature is elected by the people, has 11 members, and is called the House of Assembly.
Anguilla has mostly been part of the British Empire since the 17th century. The British brought thousands of slaves from Africa and forced them to work, like they did all over the Caribbean and North America. Many of the slaves decided to run away rather than be forced to work.[5] When the British decided to abolish slavery they paid all the slave owners a lot of money,[6] but didn't give anything to the slaves. Now Anguilla gets most of its money from fishing and tourism.
Most people in Anguilla are Protestants, and speak English.