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(Anguilla) Ltd The Hallmark Building, Old Airport Road Scott Hauser, MSc / MIT -- Director |
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(Anguilla) Ltd The Hallmark Building, Old Airport Road Scott Hauser, MSc / MIT -- Director |
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LOCATION AND SIZE
Anguilla is the most northerly of the Leeward Islands
in the Lesser Antilles--small, serene and tranquil. Visitors
seeking peace and quiet will appreciate the absence of casinos,
theaters and bustling high rise hotels. Accommodations range
from small supper-luxury resorts to moderately priced guest houses.
From the south shores of Anguilla you have views of St. Maarten / St. Martin, as well as tranquil and stylish St. Barths slightly further east. One can also see Statia and Saba, and on a clear day St. Kitts, which is approximately 70 miles away. A twenty minute ferry ride will take you across to St. Martin, the French side of the island (St. Maarten / St. Martin has been half French and half Dutch since 1648; border crossing is unrestricted). Today the island is one the major tourist destinations in the Caribbean and a shoppers paradise because of it's duty free status.
Anguilla is part of the British West Indies and is
located in the eastern Caribbean, approximately 190 miles (300
km) east of Puerto Rico, 120 miles (200 km) east of the U. S.
Virgin Islands and 6 miles (10 km) north of St. Maarten / St.
Martin, roughly at 63 degrees west longitude and 18.2 degrees
north latitude. The island is 16 miles (25 km) long and 3 miles
(5 km) wide with total area of 35 square miles (90 km) of flat
coral limestone.
The international airports serving Anguilla are St.
Maarten, San Juan and Antigua, with scheduled feeder line air
service to from St. Kitts and St. Thomas. The primary carriers
into Anguilla are American Eagle, LIAT, and WINAIR. Air charters
are always available, and frequent ferry service to and from St.
Maarten runs daily.
TOPOGRAPHY
The shoreline is mostly beach with over 30 white
coral sand beaches located in between rocky foreshore. Limestone
and granite rock covered mostly by scrub and indigenous plant
life, give way to red dirt bottoms and white clay flatland, hardly
cultivated any longer. The tallest spot on the island is Crocus
Hill, 213 ft. (65m) above sea level.
Anguilla claims some of the finest beaches in the
Caribbean and has many accessible reefs for snorkeling and scuba
diving. Anguilla's beautiful and uncrowded white coral sand beaches
offer everything a visitor to a tropical island is hoping to find--crowd-free
beaches stretching for miles with beautiful turquoise colored
water protecting living coral reefs all around the island
Anguilla's virtually crime free environment allows you can wander off and find your own private spot or you can spread your beach towel near one of the small beach bars and bistros, where a 'cool one' can be enjoyed at a very reasonable cost. On some of the beaches you are unlikely to meet anyone or anything but soft powdery sand and clear water--it is the perfect place to escape civilization.
The waters around Anguilla offer an undersea world
that satisfies the most demanding divers and snorkelers, where
a you can explore intact shipwrecks and reef systems that nature
Anguilla's abundant marine life--even a novice will enjoy exploring
Anguilla's undersea world teaming with life. Off-shore cays are
ideal for a picnic lunch, swimming and snorkeling adventures.
THE PEOPLE
Anguilla is an independent British Crown Colony that
is home to over 9,000 citizens, primarily descendants of Africans
and Irish.
Although the majority of the population of Anguilla
is of African descent, an increasing number of Americans, Canadians,
British and Europeans are making Anguilla their "home away
from home." Due to the fact that the island has a perfect
climate and a low cost of living, it makes the perfect retirement
or vacation spot for those looking for peace and tranquillity.
Racial tension is fundamentally non-existent.
HISTORY
Archeologists have found that at one time there were
large settlements of the peace loving Arawak Indians living on
Anguilla. They called the island Malliouhana. The Spaniards
who followed Christopher Columbus to the New World are said to
have given the island its present name, because of its long and
eel-like shape.
Anguilla was sighted by Columbus in 1493 and was
colonized by English settlers from St. Kitts in 1650. Anguilla
enjoyed self-rule until the early 1800s when it began to be administered
from the neighbouring island of St. Kitts. After a long struggle,
culminating in a British paratroopers landing in 1967 to Anguillians
singing "God Save the Queen", Anguilla was officially
separated from St. Kitts in 1980.
GOVERNMENT
Today, Anguilla has a British Governor and a Deputy
Governor who are responsible for public order, good government,
the Public Service, and international finance, among other things.
There are seven elected, one ex-officio, and two
nominated members plus a Speaker in the Legislative Assembly which
runs for five years.
The executive council is made up of the members of
the government (presently four) plus the Governor (British) who
presides, the Deputy Governor (British) and the Attorney General.
The Ministers of Government have direct responsibility for all
internal affairs.
CLIMATE
Salubrious breezes constantly bathe the island where
the average temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius)
and the average relative humidity is just over 70%. Rainfall
is low and erratic, averaging around 35 inches (89 cm) per year.
Despite this, the island maintains its lush look since tap-rooted
tropical trees draw on the abundant subterranean water. Tropical
rains last mere minutes; and, a cloudy early morning sky usually
clears up by midmorning.
RELIGIOUS SERVICES
Church services are held by a number of denominations
such as: Anglican, Methodist, Seventh Day Adventists, Baptist,
Church of God of Holiness, Church of God of Prophecy, Roman Catholic,
Apostolic Faith, Jehovah's Witness (Kingdom Hall) and Bethany
Gospel Hall (Plymouth Brethren).
EDUCATION
The educational system is British. The six elementary
schools accept children, mainly preschool, and send 11 year olds
on to the one comprehensive school which is centrally located
in the Valley, the central business district. Students sit overseas
examinations, Caribbean and British, to obtain Grade 12 and 13
equivalencies, respectively. More and more emphasis is being
placed on vocational training and instruction.
MEDICAL SERVICES
A new 36 bed hospital opened in 1994, complete with
well trained staff and modern equipment, with a new private hospital
scheduled to open in 1997.
The island is served by Government appointed medical
practitioners, private doctors, and a fully qualified nursing
staff . There is also a dental surgeon and two dental auxiliaries
with a separate dental surgery unit on Island. There a five health
clinics at different locations on the island.
Air charters are available for major emergencies
requiring transportation abroad. There are no serious epidemic
diseases and no malarial-carrying mosquitoes on Anguilla.
DINING
Anguilla is a world of dining pleasure. American,
French, West Indian, Continental and Italian cuisine of the highest
standard can be found at the many charming beach-side restaurants.
Or try one of Anguilla's small local restaurants where a tasty
meal is often accompanied by a charming account of island history.
MUSEUMS
The Anguilla Archeological and Historical Society
is actively involved in establishing the National Museum, now
under construction. It will, among other things, house finds,
surface surveys, salvage work and controlled digs of Amerindian
sites.
ELECTRICITY
The Anguilla Electric Co. Ltd. provides reliable
120/240 volt, 60 cycles, service (same as in USA and Canada).
Electrical outlets are also the same as in USA and Canada.
DRINKING WATER
Bottled water is available, but rainwater collected
and stored in cisterns is the most common source of drinking water.
Desalinated water, mostly used for non-drinking purposes, is
also available. Island wide public water is available for construction
purposes.
NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES
Two newspapers are published locally, The Light (weekly)
and What We Do In Anguilla (monthly). In addition, one quarterly
magazine features the Island, Anguilla Life. There are also newspapers
published in the region covering Anguilla events, most notably
the Chronicle and the Herald.
CURRENCY
Both the US Dollar and the East Caribbean Dollar
are used. The exchange rate is US$1.00=EC$2.68.
TIME
Atlantic Standard Time which is four hours behind
Britain, one hour ahead of eastern standard time. Anguilla does
not have daylight saving time.
BUSINESS CLIMATE
There are four commercial banks on the island: Barclays
Bank International PLC, National Bank of Anguilla, Caribbean Commercial
Bank and Scotia Bank.
Service clubs such as Rotary, Lions, Optimists and
Soroptimists are all active in the community, and there is a vibrant
Chamber of Commerce.
A growing number of high net worth individuals and
institutions are finding Anguilla an excellent place to invest
because of its political stability, the economic opportunity,
the absence of exchange controls, and the fact that Anguilla
is a tax free environment.
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