Anguilla is a small British dependency located at the northern end of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Sea. It is a low-lying, semiarid coral island with an area of 91 sq km (35 sq mi) and a maximum elevation of 61 m (200 ft). Its dry climate and thin soil hamper commercial agricultural development. Anguilla has a number of scenic beaches, and tourism and British aid are important to the economy. Most residents are involved in fishing and subsistence farming, raising such crops as pigeon peas, sweet potatoes, Indian corn, and beans. Anguilla has a population of 6,875 (1988 est.), which is predominantly black.
Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493, Anguilla was made a British colony in 1650. It was governed as part of Saint Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla from the early 18th century. Rebellion and secession occurred in 1967; following British intervention in 1969, Anguilla became a separate dependency with internal self-government. This status was formalized by the Anguilla Act of 1980. |