Anguilla

History & Background

Anguilla, from the French word anguille (eel), is a long, narrow island in the Caribbean Sea. The island, which is about half the size of Washington, DC, is located approximately 150 miles east of Puerto Rico and is the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. Its length of 16 miles and width of 3.5 miles gives the country a total area of 35 square miles, or 91 square kilometers. The territory also includes Sombrero, Scrub, Seal and Dog Islands, and Prickly Pear Cays. The capital is The Valley, which is located in the center of the island. It is a part of the British West Indies and is a dependent British Crown colony.

Anguilla was colonized by British settlers from St. Christopher (St. Kitts) in 1650 and has been a British territory since that time. In 1882, Anguilla was united with St. Christopher and Nevis as a single British dependent colony. The inhabitants resisted the alliance with several protests and attempts to separate from the association with St. Christopher. Results were finally achieved in 1967 when the Anguillans ejected the St. Christopher policemen and declared the country's independence, refusing to further recognize the authority of the state government of St. Christopher. After two years of negotiations, British troops were sent in to establish control of the island. In 1980, the country was officially separated from Nevis and St. Christopher and placed under direct British rule; in 1982 a new Anguillan constitution was ratified.

In 2000, the Anguillan population was approximately 12,000, of which 26 percent were 14 years of age or less. Birth and death rates in 2000 were moderate with average life expectancy standing at slightly more than 76 years. Most of the inhabitants are of African descent. The official language is English, and Protestant denominations comprise the largest religious groups. The literacy rate, based on the definition of ages 12 and over being able to read and write, stands at 95 percent.

Constitutional & Legal Foundations

Because Anguilla is a dependent British colony, its government is outlined and administered according to British dictates. The administration of the island is the responsibility of a governor appointed by the monarch of the United Kingdom, an executive council, and a legislative assembly. The territory has a legal system based on English common law, and the country's defense is the responsibility of the United Kingdom. Although Anguillans live under rather poor conditions in some respects, with a 1998 per capita income of approximately US$7,900, they fare better than a number of other Caribbean countries. Low crime rates and virtually no taxation add to the appeal of Anguilla.

Educational System—Overview

Government expenditure on education in 1991 was approximately 17 percent of the total expenditure, and in 1995 the amount rose to more than 18 percent. This amount allows the government to provide free education for children ages 5 to 15. In addition to education, the school health service provides physical screenings for children five to nine years of age, and health educators teach schoolchildren the importance of healthy living. Environmental conditions are also monitored.

While education is free in Anguilla, it is also compulsory from ages 5 through 15. The academic year consists of three terms from mid-September to mid-July. Each term is 13 weeks long. Students receive a summer recess of six weeks, a Christmas break of four weeks, and an Easter break of three weeks. Instruction is given in English, the official language.

The Anguillan education system is based primarily on the British system of education. When students finish their high school education, they take the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) examination. If they receive four or five passes, including English and math, they may enroll in a program for advanced education. The program is called "6th Form." It is a two-year program that leads to Advanced Levels examinations, which, in turn, can lead to credit in U.S. universities.

Instructional technology and other resources are being implemented in Anguillan schools. In 2000, most schools had a teacher resource room, Internet access, audiovisual materials, copying and facsimile equipment, and e-mail capability. Most of the schools also had individual Web sites. Educators, as well as students, are learning through hands-on courses and workshops to use technology in different formats. One example of technology instruction is found in the Anguillan Library Computer Club. Weekly meetings are held for the purpose of instruction in Windows, Spreadsheets, Basic Programming, and digital cameras. While this instruction is not part of the school curriculum, it is arranged for students during after-school hours.

Preprimary & Primary Education

In 1988, the country had four privately owned preprimary schools, all subsidized by the government. In addition, the government has appointed a curricular officer for early childhood education. The officer's responsibility is to develop activities and programs to further student learning at early ages. Because most preprimary teachers are untrained, the government conducts training programs and ensures that teachers are exposed to "in sight" training at centers in Trinidad and Tobago. In 1996/97, the teacher/student ratio was 1:8.

Anguilla has six primary schools whose combined enrollment in 1998 was 1,502. With a total of 77 teachers, the teacher/student ratio was 1:20. The primary curriculum includes the core courses language arts, math, science, and social studies. A co-curriculum includes arts, music, physical education, and technology. Since the early 1990s, emphasis has been placed on preventive education in life skills, drug awareness, and guidance/counseling. Education is also provided for students with mild to moderate learning disabilities through modified curriculum, adapted physical environments, and appropriate teaching methodologies.

Secondary Education

Only one comprehensive (secondary) school exists for students who complete their primary school education. It is located centrally in the capital, The Valley. Enrollment for 1997 totaled 1036, with the majority being female. When students reach the age of 11, they are automatically transferred to the secondary program, whether or not they have completed their primary curriculum. In addition to core courses, curricular changes are under way to include environmental education, home economics, and geography. More than 80 percent of the country's labor force has completed a secondary school education.

Higher Education

Higher education is available at locations outside the country. In 1995, a little more than 7.5 percent of the labor force had received a university education, while 6 percent had an education from a technical college.

Nonformal Education

Adult education is a growing element of the Anguillan education system. The government has appointed a coordinator for adult and continuing education. The government is also moving to establish relations with partners in education to set guidelines to ensure the best use of resources for continuing education. In addition, the Ministry of Education serves as a center for several overseas examinations.

Teaching Profession

In the mid-1980s, Anguillan schools had a total teaching staff of 92. Seventy-five percent of that number were completely trained teachers. In the late 1990s, about one third of primary teachers were untrained, a small number of whom participated in the Inservice Teachers' Training Program and were referred. The goal in 2000 was to have all teachers trained within ten years. To improve their education, teachers also train through programs such as computer training workshops or camps.

Summary

With a literacy rate of 95 percent, the Anguillan education system is successful. However, rather than remain at that level, the education system continues to move forward. This forward movement has been greatly impacted by innovations in technology and communications. Until 1971, the island had no system of telecommunications. By 2000, the country had a digital telephone exchange, national paging service, cellular telephone service, voice-mail, e-mail, and Internet access.

In addition to technological advances, Anguilla has begun to use other educational innovations. The Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination is being tested on a pilot basis as a possible replacement for the Cambridge A Level examination. In 1998, Anguilla became the first Caribbean country to introduce Reading Recovery, a school-based intervention for literacy problems, in its primary school system. In 1992, a "Test of Standards" was implemented for grades three, five, and six to set performance norms.

Many reforms and improvements are under way in Anguilla because the government recognizes the deficiencies in its educational system. The inhabitants must continue to work diligently to modernize the education system that serves as a vital component of the country's efforts to improve the quality of life for its citizens.

Bibliography

Bonk, Mary Rose, ed. Worldmark Yearbook 2000. Detroit: Gale Group, 2000.

"Bootcamp 2000." Anguilla Library Computer Club, 12 February 2001. Available from http://www.computerclub.ai/.

Cable & Wireless. "History of Cable and Wireless Anguilla," 2000. Available from http://www.anguillanet.com/.

Carter, Tara. "School Exams in Anguilla." Bob Green's Anguilla News, 1998. Available from http://www.news.ai/ref/schoolexams.html.

Cashmore, Ross, and Estelle Cashmore. "Reading Recovery in Anguilla." Bob Green's Anguilla News, 1998. Available from http://www.news.ai/ref/reading.html.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The World Factbook 2000. Directorate of Intelligence, 1 January 2000. Available from http://www.cia.gov/.

KPMG (Anguilla) Corporate Services LLC. "About Anguilla," 1999. Available from http://www.kpmg.ai/.

Pan American Health Organization. "Anguilla: Basic Country Health Profiles, Summaries," 1999. Available from http://www.paho.org/.

UNESCO. EFA 2000 Assessment: Country Reports-Anguilla, 2001. Available from http://www2.unesco./org/wef.

—Linda K. Clemmer

Anguilla

Basic Data

Anguilla is the most northerly of the British Leeward Islands and is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the north. Under British rule since 1650, it spent more than 150 years as an incorporated dependency with neighboring islands called the West Indies Associated States. After a long struggle for secession, Anguilla was finally recognized as a separate British dependency in 1980. The British monarch serves as chief of state, represented in the island's government by a Governor. A Chief Minister presides over the legislative body, called the House of Assembly. English is the island's official language. The population is estimated at approximately 12,000, with a 95-percent literacy rate. Luxury tourism and offshore financial services comprise the largest sectors of the Anguillan economy, with fishing, construction and remittances from émigrés abroad providing smaller contributions.

As a British dependency, laws governing freedom of the press are the same as those in the United Kingdom, providing for an unrestricted free press. Journalists can, however, be compelled to reveal their sources or face contempt of court charges. Anguilla supports two weekly community newspapers, The Light and The Anguillian. The Light is published by "What We Do in Anguilla," which publishes a namesake monthly visitor's magazine. The Anguillian launched in December 1998. Both titles publish in English from Anguilla's capital, The Valley. For more timely print news, Anguillan's read the Daily Herald, a St. Martin newspaper that publishes Monday through Saturday and arrives on Anguilla by late morning, and The Chronicle, which is published in Dominica.

Five AM and six FM radio stations, and one television station, broadcast to approximately 3,000 radios and 1,000 television sets. There are 16 Internet service providers.

Bibliography

"Anguilla," BBC Holiday Shopping Guide 2001. Available from http://www.holiday.beeb.com.

"Anguilla," CIA World Fact Book 2001. Available from http://www.cia.gov.

"United Kingdom Country Report," U.S. Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2001. Available from http://www.state.gov.

Jenny B. Davis

Anguillans

ETHNONYMS: none

The name "Anguilla" refers to a 96-square-kilometer dependent island territory of the United Kingdom, located in the northeast Caribbean at 18°03′ N, 63°04′ W. Anguillans speak English and are mostly of African descent. The population was approximately 6,900 in 1992. "Anguilla," the Spanish word for "eel," refers to the shape of the island, which originated as a coral formation.

The earliest inhabitants of the island were Saladoid Indians, who arrived sometime around 1300 b.c.; they grew cassava and built several large villages. In the tenth century AD., post-Saladoid Indians came to the island and established a theocracy. British enslavement of the Indians and European diseases killed all the Anguillan Indians by the 1600s. Anguilla was colonized by the British in 1650, although the Carib and French both attacked the colony in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, respectively. Anguilla was later to become a part of the Saint Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla colony. As Saint Kitts gradually gained more independence from the U.K., Anguilla moved toward independence from the Saint Kitts government, and in 1980 it separated from Saint Kitts and Nevis to become a British Dependent Territory, drafting its own constitution in 1982. The Valley, capital of Anguilla, is home to the governor (the Crown representative), an elected seven-member executive council, and an elected eleven-member legislature known as the House of Assembly.

The economy of Anguilla is presently booming because of the tourist trade and the location there of offshore banks. Prior to 1985, however, high unemployment and emigration were common. The island has few natural resources (salt and lobsters), poorly developed agriculture (pigeon peas, maize, and sweet potatoes), and little manufacturing (boat building).

Bibliography

Douglas, Nik, ed. (1987). Review, 1981-1985. The Valley, Anguilla: Archaeological and Historical Society.

Petty, Colville L., and Nat Hodge (1987). Anguillas Battle for Freedom. Anguilla: PETNAT Publishing Co.

Westlake, Donald E. (1972). Under an English Heaven. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Anguilla, Leeward Islands/West Indies Malliouhana An island and a self‐governing UK Overseas Territory. Although colonized by English settlers coming from St Kitts in 1650, the name comes from the Spanish anguila ‘eel’, probably because of its shape. According to Anguillan tradition, it was Christopher Columbus^† who discovered the island in 1493. However, this is no longer believed to be correct, French explorers now being given the credit. In 1871 the UK formed Anguilla, St Kitts, and Nevis into a single colony. It became a part of the State of St Kitts‐Nevis‐Anguilla within the UK in 1967. The Anguillans objected, desiring separation from St Kitts and Nevis. Negotiations with the British government failed and British troops invaded the island in March 1969. They were warmly welcomed since maintenance of the connection with the UK was the Anguillans' objective. The troops remained for six months. In 1971 Anguilla came directly under British rule as a crown colony. Nine years later Anguilla formally left the State of St Kitts‐Nevis‐Anguilla.

Anguilla , island and British dependency (2005 est. pop. 13,300) 35 sq mi (91 sq km), West Indies, northernmost of the Leeward Islands . The capital is the town of The Valley . The population, which is mainly of African descent, speaks English, the official language. Most Anguillans belong to Anglican, Methodist, or other Protestant churches. Fishing (mainly lobsters), stock raising, and salt mining are the mainstays of the economy, with tourism and offshore banking increasingly important.

In 1967 the British possessions of Anguilla, St. Kitts, and Nevis were united in the self-governing state of St. Kitts–Nevis–Anguilla, associated with Great Britain. Anguilla, claiming political and economic discrimination, seceded in the same year and returned to British colonial rule in 1971. It was officially separated from St. Kitts and Nevis in 1980. The constitution of 1982, amended in 1990, gives Anguilla significant control over its internal affairs.

Anguilla A small island in the Caribbean, it came under British sovereignty in 1650 and was administered from the island of St Christopher (St Kitts) from the nineteenth century. In 1956, it became part of the colony of St Christopher and Nevis, but when this gained independence in 1967 Anguilla rebelled, asking for continued British protection. Its political and constitutional system was finally settled in 1982, when it became a British Dependent Territory with a Governor appointed by the British Crown. From 1984 it was governed by the centre-right Antigua National Alliance (ANA) under Emile R. Gumbs, who was succeeded in 2000 by Osbourne Fleming of the ANA.

Anguilla Island in the West Indies, most northerly of the Leeward Islands; the capital is The Valley. Settled in the 17th century by English colonists, it eventually became part of the St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla group. Declared independent in 1967, it re-adopted British colonial status in 1980, and is now a self-governing dependency. The economy of the flat, coral island is based on fishing and tourism. Area: 91sq km (35sq mi). Pop. (2000) 8000. See West Indies map

http://www.gov.ai; http://www.anguilla-vacation.com

Anguilla The most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean. A British colony since 1650, Anguilla formed part of the Federation of the West Indies (1958–62) and subsequently received associated state status with St Kitts and Nevis. Anguilla declared independence in 1967 and two years later was occupied by British troops, who reduced the island to colonial status once again. In 1980 it became a British dependency with full self-government.

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