Anguilla
parliamentary democracy (House of Assembly)Independence none (overseas territory of the UK)
Anguilla as the 2025 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 92 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
English settlers from Saint Kitts first colonized Anguilla in 1650. Great Britain administered the island until the early 19th century, when -- against the wishes of the inhabitants -- Anguilla 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, when Anguilla became a separate British dependency. In 2017, Hurricane Irma caused extensive damage on the island, particularly to communications and residential and business infrastructure.
Geography
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
17 fieldsLand useshare of 91 sq km
Population distribution
- most of the population is concentrated in The Valley in the center of the island;
- settlement is fairly uniform in the southwest, but rather sparse in the northeast
People and Society
23 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2024 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2025 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2011 est.)
Religions(2011 est.)
Population distribution
- most of the population is concentrated in The Valley in the center of the island;
- settlement is fairly uniform in the southwest, but rather sparse in the northeast
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.83 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.93 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.88 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- total:
- 2.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- male:
- 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births
- female:
- 2.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Environment
4 fieldsLand use(2022 est.)
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 100% of total population (2023)
- rate of urbanization:
- 0.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy (House of Assembly); King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); Premier Cora RICHARDSON-HODGE (since 27 February 2025)
21 fieldsCountry name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Anguilla
- etymology:
- in 1493, Christopher COLUMBUS named the island Anguilla, meaning "eel" in Spanish, because of the island's elongated shape
Government type
parliamentary democracy (House of Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK
Capital
- name:
- The Valley
- geographic coordinates:
- 18 13 N, 63 03 W
- time difference:
- UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- etymology:
- name may derive from the capital's location among several hills
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Julia CROUCH (since 11 September 2023)
- head of government:
- Premier Cora RICHARDSON-HODGE (since 27 February 2025)
- cabinet:
- Executive Council appointed by the governor from among elected members of the House of Assembly
- election/appointment process:
- the monarchy is hereditary;
- governor appointed by the monarch;
- following legislative elections, the governor usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as premier
Legislative branch
- legislature name:
- House of Assembly
- legislative structure:
- unicameral
- number of seats:
- 11 (7 directly elected, 2 appointed, 2 ex-officio members)
- electoral system:
- plurality/majority
- scope of elections:
- full renewal
- term in office:
- 5 years
- most recent election date:
- 6/29/2020
- parties elected and seats per party:
- APM (7); AUF (4)
- percentage of women in chamber:
- 27.3%
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States;
- the ECSC is headquartered on St. Lucia and consists of the Court of Appeal -- headed by the chief justice and 4 judges -- and the High Court with 18 judges;
- the Court of Appeal travels to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts
- judge selection and term of office:
- Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the British monarch;
- other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission;
- Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65;
- High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
- subordinate courts:
- Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court
Political parties
Anguilla Progressive Movement or APM; (formerly Anguilla United Movement or AUM); Anguilla United Front or AUF
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: none (overseas territory of the UK); alternate contact is the US Embassy in Barbados [1] (246) 227-4000
International organization participation
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU
Flag
- description:
- blue, with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the Anguillan coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag;
- the coat of arms shows three orange dolphins in an interlocking circular design on a white background, with a turquoise-blue field below
- meaning:
- the white on the coat of arms stands for peace;
- the blue base for the sea, faith, youth, and hope;
- and the three dolphins for endurance, unity, and strength
National coat of arms
- the Anguillan coat of arms features three interlocking dolphins jumping out of seawater;
- they represent endurance, unity, and strength, and their circular motion stands for continuity;
- the white background symbolizes peace and tranquility, and the turquoise-blue base represents the sea, as well as faith, youth, and hope
National anthem(s)
- title:
- "God Bless Anguilla"
- lyrics/music:
- Alex RICHARDSON
- history:
- local anthem, adopted 1981; _____
- title:
- "God Save the King"
- lyrics/music:
- unknown
- history:
- official anthem, as an overseas UK territory
Economy
15 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
Budget(2017 est.)
Economic overview
- small, tourism-dependent, territorial-island economy;
- very high public debt;
- COVID-19 crippled economic activity;
- partial recovery underway via tourism, benefitting from its high amount of timeshare residences;
- considering reopening oil refinery
Exports
$7.9 million (2017 est.) · $3.9 million (2016 est.) note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
Exports - commodities
packaged medicine, garments, vehicle parts/accessories, vaccines, cars (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports - commodities
poultry, copper ore, natural gas, refined petroleum, fish (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2024 est.) · 2.7 (2023 est.) · 2.7 (2022 est.) · 2.7 (2021 est.) · 2.7 (2020 est.)
Energy
1 fieldElectrification% of population · (2020)
Communications
6 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2018–22 est.)
Broadcast media
- 1 private TV station;
- multi-channel cable TV subscription services are available;
- about 10 radio stations, one of which is government-owned (2024)
Transportation
3 fieldsMilitary and Security
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Anguilla.” The World Factbook 2025. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/anguilla.