World Country Guide

General Information

Area
Anguilla: 91 sq km (35 sq miles). Sombrero: 5 sq km (2 sq miles). Total: 96 sq km (37 sq miles).

Population
11,430 (official estimate 2002).

Population density
124.2 per sq km (2002).

Capital
The Valley. Population: 1,169 (2001).

Geography
Anguilla, the northernmost of the Leeward Islands, also comprises the island of Sombrero, lying 48km (30 miles) north of Anguilla, and several small islets or cays. The nearest islands are St Maarten, 8km (5 miles) south of Anguilla, and St Kitts and Nevis, 113km (70 miles) to the southeast. The islands are mainly flat – the highest point, Crocus Hill, is only 60m (213ft) above sea level – with, arguably, some of the best beaches in the world.

Government
United Kingdom Overseas Territory since 1980. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor Peter Johnstone since 2000. Head of Government: Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming since 2000.

Language
English is the official and commercial language.

Religion
Roman Catholic, Anglican, Baptist, Methodist and Moravian, with Hindu, Jewish and Muslim minorities.

Time
GMT - 4.

Electricity
110/220 volts AC, 60Hz.

Communications

Telephone
Full IDD is available. Country code: 1 264. Outgoing international code: 011.

Mobile telephone
GSM800 and TDMA network. Network operators include Cable & Wireless Caribbean Cellular (website: www.caribcell.com). Unregistered roaming is available – visitors with TDMA handsets can make calls without registering, provided they can give a credit card number.

Fax
Cable & Wireless operates fax services.

Internet
ISPs include Cable & Wireless (website: www.cwwionline.com).

Telegram
Cables may be sent from Cable & Wireless (West Indies) Ltd Public Booth, The Valley, which controls all British-owned cables in the area.

Post
The General Post Office is in The Valley, open Mon-Fri 0800-1530 and closed at weekends. There is a ‘travelling service’ to other districts on Anguilla. Airmail to Europe takes from four days to two weeks

Press
The Light is a weekly newspaper and Anguilla Life Magazine is published three times a year. What We Do In Anguilla, an official tourism guide, is published monthly.

Radio
BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.