Anguilla

Anguilla

Anguilla is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. It was first settled by Indigenous Amerindian peoples who migrated from South America. Anguilla was federated with St Kitts and Nevis in 1882. The Anguillian Revolution, led by Ronald Webster and Ronald Harrigan, declared independence from the British colony on 30 May 1967.

About Anguilla in brief

Summary AnguillaAnguilla is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. It is believed by most sources to have been named by Christopher Columbus. It was first settled by Indigenous Amerindian peoples who migrated from South America. The total land area of the territory is 35 square miles, with a population of approximately 18,090. Anguilla was federated with St Kitts and Nevis in 1882, against the wishes of many Anguillians. The Anguillian Revolution, led by Ronald Webster and Ronald Harrigan, declared independence from the British colony on 30 May 1967. The island became part of the Saint Kitts-Anguillas-Nevis union in 1967, with full internal autonomy in 1967. It became a British Overseas Territory on 1 January 1998. The name AngUilla is from the Italian anguilla, meaning ‘eel’ in reference to the island’s shape. The main island of Anguillas is approximately 16 miles long by 3 miles wide at its widest point, together with a number of much smaller islands and cays with no permanent population. The territory’s capital is The Valley, which is located in the north of the island and is the largest island in the Caribbean. It has an estimated population of around 18,000 people, with the majority of the population living in the capital of The Valley. The majority of people live on the main island, with many others living on smaller islands such as The Valley and The Valley Cays.

The capital is located on the island of Arawak, which dates back to around 1300 BC; remains of settlements date to around AD 600. Some sources claim that Columbus sighted the island during his second voyage in 1493, while others state that the first European explorer was the French Huguenot nobleman and merchant René Goulaine de Laudonnière in 1564. The French temporarily took over the island in 1666 but returned it to English control under the terms of the Treaty of Breda the next year. The early European settlers brought enslaved Africans with them. Over time the African slaves and their descendants came to vastly outnumber the white settlers. The African slave trade was eventually terminated within the British Empire in 1807, and slavery outlawed completely in 1834. Many planters subsequently sold up or left the island. In 1825, it was placed under the administrative control of nearby Saint Kitt’s. Full adult suffrage was introduced to Anguille in 1952. The current state of the state is associated with the state of Saint Kitt’s-AngUillean. The population of AngUilleans is about 18,100, with most of the people living on the central and southern islands of the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The largest island, Anguilles, is located at 18°13′38″N 63°02′56″W, and has a total landArea of 35 square miles, with a total population of 18,090 people.