Anguilla

Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory situated in the Caribbean region of the North Atlantic Ocean. As one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, the territory lies east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and directly north of Saint Martin.

How does the landscape shape the territory?

The territory consists of a main island approximately 16 miles long by 3 miles wide at its widest point, alongside a number of much smaller islands and cays with no permanent population. The total land area measures 35 square miles, supporting a population of approximately 15,753 in 2021.

What defines the climate and soil conditions?

The island features thin, arid soil that is largely unsuitable for agriculture, as much of the local earth is sandy and infertile. Because of these limited land resources and agricultural constraints, a significant amount of the territory's produce must be imported.

Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory situated in the Caribbean region of the North Atlantic Ocean. As one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, the territory lies east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin.

What are the geographic dimensions of Anguilla?

The territory consists of the main island of Anguilla, which measures approximately 16 miles or 26 kilometres long by 3 miles or 5 kilometres wide at its widest point. This main island is accompanied by a number of much smaller islands and cays with no permanent population. The total land area of the territory is 35 square miles or 91 square kilometres.

What is the nature of Anguilla's landscape and soil?

The island features thin, arid soil that is largely unsuitable for agricultural production, as much of the soil is sandy and infertile. Consequently, the territory has few land-based natural resources, and a significant amount of the island's produce must be imported.

Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory situated in the Caribbean region of the North Atlantic Ocean. As one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, the territory lies east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin.

How does the landscape shape the territory?

The territory consists of the main island of Anguilla, which measures approximately 16 miles long by 3 miles wide at its widest point, alongside a number of much smaller islands and cays that have no permanent population. In total, the land area of the territory is 35 square miles. The terrain features thin arid soil that is largely unsuitable for agriculture, leaving the island with few land-based natural resources.

What challenges does the local climate present?

The landscape and infrastructure have historically faced significant challenges from severe weather events. In late 1995, the economy and tourism sector suffered a setback due to Hurricane Luis. Another setback occurred following Hurricane Lenny in 2000. Later, in September 2017, Hurricane Irma struck as the most powerful hurricane to hit the island, causing major material damage totaling $320 million and heavily impacting infrastructure before repairs took place in 2018 and 2019. More details on the region can be found via Anguilla and the GeoNames record for Anguilla.

Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory situated in the Caribbean region of the North Atlantic Ocean. The territory functions as an internally self-governing parliamentary representative democratic dependency.

What is the political structure of Anguilla?

Executive power in Anguilla is exercised by the government, with the Premier serving as head of government. A governor is appointed by the British government to represent the King. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the House of Assembly, while the judiciary operates independently of the executive and the legislature. The constitutional framework is established by the Anguilla Constitutional Order of 1 April 1982, which was amended in 1990.

How does the territory's geography shape its administration?

The territory consists of the main island of Anguilla, which measures approximately 16 miles (26 kilometres) long by 3 miles (5 km) wide at its widest point, alongside a number of much smaller islands and cays that carry no permanent population. The total land area is recorded at 35 square miles (91 km2), with the capital located at The Valley. These geographical features and regional location within the North Atlantic Ocean frame its status as a non-self-governing territory monitored by the United Nations Committee on Decolonization.

Further information is available through the Anguilla resource.

Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory located in the Caribbean region of the North Atlantic Ocean. As one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, the territory lies east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin.

How does the island's landscape affect its economy?

Anguilla possesses thin arid soil that is largely unsuitable for agriculture, leaving the island with few land-based natural resources. Because traditional farming is constrained by these geographic conditions, the economy relies heavily on industries such as tourism, offshore incorporation and management, offshore banking, captive insurance, and fishing. The landscape and local climate have also faced severe tests from extreme weather events. The economy and its tourism sector suffered setbacks from hurricanes, including Hurricane Luis in September 1995, Hurricane Lenny in 2000, and Hurricane Irma in September 2017, the latter of which caused major material damage amounting to $320 million and damaged substantial infrastructure before repairs took place in 2018 and 2019.

Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean region of the North Atlantic Ocean.

The capital is The Valley and the island covers about 102 km².

What are the earliest known human traces on Anguilla?

Indigenous Arawakan peoples left artefacts dated to roughly 1300 BC and settlement evidence from AD 600, including the petroglyph sites Big Spring and Fountain Cavern that together hold more than one hundred carvings.

Which European powers contested the island and when?

European contact is uncertain; Columbus may have sighted the island in 1493, while the French explorer René Goulaine de Laudonnière is recorded in 1564. The Dutch West India Company built a fort in 1631 that the Spanish destroyed in 1633. English settlers arrived from Saint Kitts in 1650, the French briefly seized the island in 1666, returned it under the 1667 Treaty of Breda, and launched further attacks in 1688, 1745 and 1796.

How did slavery shape the island’s early economy?

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What safety information is available for Anguilla?

Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It lies in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico and directly north of Saint Martin.

Static safety entries can outline durable factors such as geography, climate, and historic exposure to natural hazards, but they cannot convey current crime trends, health‑service capacity, or temporary alerts. This entry contains no specific safety statistics for Anguilla because the permanent source material does not provide them.

Readers should treat the text as a baseline orientation and consult the dated safety calculator in the live layer for up‑to‑date risk levels. Verification should be made with official government websites and current travel‑advisory publications.

When local evidence is unavailable, the prudent approach is to assume conditions may differ from the historic baseline and to obtain recent reports before travel.

Static sections typically address:

Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean region of the North Atlantic Ocean. The island’s capital is The Valley and its ISO codes are AI (ISO‑2) and AIA (ISO‑3).

What does Anguilla’s landscape look like and how does its climate shape daily life?

The main island stretches about 16 miles (26 km) long and up to 3 miles (5 km) wide, forming a narrow, elongated shape that has inspired its Italian name meaning “eel.” Official records list a total land area of 102 km², while descriptive accounts give a size of roughly 91 km² (35 sq mi). It lies east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, directly north of Saint Martin, and is one of the most northerly members of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles.

Beyond the principal landmass, Anguilla includes a number of smaller, uninhabited cays that contribute to a coastline of white sand beaches and shallow lagoons. The terrain is generally low‑lying, with the highest points only a few metres above sea level, allowing extensive beachfront that supports both local fishing and tourism‑related activities.

Being part of the Caribbean region, Anguilla experiences the warm, maritime conditions typical of the Leeward Islands, moderated by prevailing trade winds that help keep temperatures relatively stable throughout the year.

Item	Detail
Name	Anguilla
Official name	Anguilla
Capital	The Valley
Region	North America
Population	13 254
Area (km²)	102
Currency	XCD
Official language	English (en‑AI)

For a fuller description of Anguilla’s geography and history, see the Anguilla article.