Anguilla

Anguilla is an island in the Caribbean Sea.

It is long, thin and flat. The main town is called The Valley.

Anguilla lies in the eastern Caribbean Sea, about 19 kilometers north of the island of Saint Martin. It is the most northerly of the Leeward Islands, part of the long curve of the Lesser Antilles.

The island is about 26 kilometers long but only 6 kilometers across at its widest. Its name comes from anguille, the French word for eel, because of its long, thin shape. Anguilla is a British overseas territory with its own premier and House of Assembly. English is the official language, people use the Eastern Caribbean dollar, and the main town is The Valley.

Britannica places Anguilla about 19 km north of Saint Martin and 100 km northwest of Saint Kitts, the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. Its 91 km² include several small uninhabited islands, the largest being Dog, Scrub and Sombrero islands and the Prickly Pear Cays.

Anguilla is a British overseas territory. Britannica describes a governor appointed by the British monarch who is in charge of external affairs, defense and internal security, and notes that the United Kingdom is responsible for defense. The territory's elected government is led by a premier, and laws are made by the House of Assembly. English is official, and the currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, issued by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.

The Valley is the main town. An old pink house with green shutters stands there.

Small islands lie around Anguilla. No one lives on them.

The Valley, near the middle of the island, is the main town and the center of government. The photo shows Wallblake House, a pink wooden house with green shutters built in the 1700s, with stone outbuildings and a white picket fence. Wallblake Airport is nearby.

Around Anguilla lie small islands where no one lives, such as Scrub Island off the eastern tip, Dog Island and the Prickly Pear Cays. Far to the northwest is Sombrero. Britannica notes frequent ferries to Marigot, on Saint Martin.

The Valley is the principal town and administrative center; the 2011 census counted 1,298 people in The Valley itself (including Upper and South Valley). Wallblake House, shown here, is an 18th-century plantation house (Wikidata), photographed in 2012; Britannica says Wallblake Airport, near The Valley, links Anguilla with international airports on other islands.

The territory includes uninhabited offshore islands, the largest being Dog, Scrub and Sombrero islands and the Prickly Pear Cays. Britannica notes frequent ferry service between Anguilla and Marigot, Saint Martin.

Anguilla is low and flat. It is made of old coral rock.

There are no rivers. Salty ponds lie near the coast. It is warm all year.

Anguilla was formed from coral and limestone. The land is gently rolling, and the highest point, Crocus Hill, is only 64 meters high. The north coast has steep cliffs, while the south coast slopes gently down to the sea.

There are no rivers, and fresh water is scarce. Salty ponds near the coast were once used to make salt. The weather is warm, about 28 °C on average, and about 900 millimeters of rain falls in a year. Hurricanes can strike from June to November, and storms in 1995 and 1999 washed away parts of some beaches.

Britannica describes an island of coral and limestone, fairly flat but undulating, rising to Crocus Hill at 64 m (Wikidata gives 65 m). Short slopes and steep cliffs mark the north coast; the south slopes gently to the sea. The soil is thin, with small pockets of red loam in shallow valleys called bottoms.

Fresh water is scarce and there are no rivers, but several saltwater ponds near the coasts supplied a salt industry until it collapsed in the 1980s. The climate is tropical, averaging about 28 °C with about 900 mm of rain a year. Hurricanes, notably those of 1995 and 1999, and indiscriminate sand mining have eroded beaches; vegetation is mainly small trees and low scrub inland and sea grape along the coasts.

Anguilla's national bird is a dove.

Sea turtles swim in the sea. Goats wander almost everywhere on the island.

Many kinds of birds live on Anguilla, and its national bird is the turtledove. The island is also a popular resting stop for birds that migrate.

Sea turtles and lobsters live in the seas around the island. Reptiles live on land, and goats are found almost everywhere. The turtle photo here was taken in French Polynesia.

Britannica lists land reptiles, sea turtles, lobsters and ubiquitous goats among Anguilla's wildlife, and many bird species, including the national bird, the turtledove; the island is a popular stop for migratory birds.

Britannica calls fishing Anguilla's traditional livelihood. The green sea turtle shown here was photographed off Moorea, French Polynesia; Britannica does not name the kinds of sea turtle found around Anguilla.

People on Anguilla speak English.

Many visitors come to enjoy the white beaches. Fishing is an old way of earning a living here.

Most Anguillans have African ancestors, and English is the official language. The population has grown: the 2011 census counted 13,572 people, and the statistics office estimated 16,010 at the end of 2024.

Tourism matters a great deal. In June 2026 alone, 26,838 visitors arrived, more than the number of people who live on the island. Fishing is the island's traditional way of earning a living.

Britannica describes a population mostly of African descent, mainly Christian, with English as the official language. The 2011 census counted 13,572 people, and Anguilla's Statistics Department estimated 16,010 in December 2024.

Tourism and financial services are the main economic activities, Britannica says. The Statistics Department recorded 26,838 visitor arrivals in June 2026, more than one and a half times the resident population.