Flag description: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Anguillan coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts three orange dolphins in an interlocking circular design on a white background with blue wavy water below
Economy
Economy - overview: Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends heavily on high-class tourism, offshore banking, lobster fishing, and remittances from emigrants. Output growth had averaged about 7% in recent years, mainly as a result of a boom in tourism thanks to economic expansion in North America and the UK. The economy, and especially the tourism sector, suffered a setback in late 1995 due to the effects of Hurricane Luis in September. Agricultural output had only just begun to recover from a drought in 1994 when Luis hit. Anguillan officials have put substantial effort into developing the offshore financing sector. A comprehensive package of financial services legislation was enacted in late 1994. In the medium term, prospects for the economy will depend on the tourism sector and, therefore, on continuing income growth in the industrialized nations.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $52 million (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: −4.3% (1995 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,400 (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture : NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 1.6% (1995 est.)
Labor force: total: 4,400 (1992) by occupation: commerce 36%, services 29%, construction 18%, transportation and utilities 10%, manufacturing 3%, agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining 4%
Unemployment rate: 7% (1992 est.)
Budget: revenues: $13.5 million (1993) expenditures: $17.6 million, including capital expenditures of $740,000 (1995 est.)
Industries: tourism, boat building, offshore financial services
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: NA kW
Electricity - production: NA kWh
Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh
Agriculture - products: pigeon peas, corn, sweet potatoes; sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, poultry; fishing (including lobster)
Exports: total value : $1.3 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: lobster and salt partners : NA
Imports: total value: $39.8 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: NA partners: NA
Debt - external: $8.5 million (1995 est.)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (February 1997; fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Anguilla:Communications
Telephones: 890
Telephone system: domestic: modern internal telephone system international: microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: 2,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: NA
@Anguilla:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 105 km paved: 65 km unpaved : 40 km (1992 est.)
Ports and harbors: Blowing Point, Road Bay
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 2 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 914 to 1,523 m : 1 under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none ______________________________________________________________________
ANTARCTICA
@Antarctica:Geography
Location: continent mostly south of the Antarctic Circle
Geographic coordinates: 90 00 S, 0 00 E
Map references: Antarctic Region
Area: total: 14 million sq km land: 14 million sq km (280,000 sq km ice-free, 13.72 million sq km ice-covered) (est.) note : second-smallest continent (after Australia)
Area - comparative: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US
Land boundaries: 0 km note: see entry on International disputes
Coastline: 17,968 km
Maritime claims: none, but see entry on International disputes
Climate: severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing
Terrain: about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock, with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to about 5,000 meters; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent
Elevation extremes: lowest point : Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Vinson Massif 5,140 m
Natural resources: none presently exploited; iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small, uncommercial quantities
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other : 100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from the high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau; cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise along the coast; volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak
Environment - current issues: in 1995 it was reported that the ozone shield, which protects the Earth's surface from harmful ultraviolet radiation, had dwindled to the lowest level recorded over Antarctica since 1975 when measurements were first taken
Environment - international agreements: party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: the coldest, windiest, highest, and driest continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; mostly uninhabitable
@Antarctica:People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants; note - there are seasonally staffed research stations; Summer (January) population - over 4,115 total; Argentina 207, Australia 268, Belgium 13, Brazil 80, Chile 256, China NA, Ecuador NA, Finland 11, France 78, Germany 32, Greenpeace 12, India 60, Italy 210, Japan 59, South Korea 14, Netherlands 10, NZ 264, Norway 23, Peru 39, Poland NA, South Africa 79, Spain 43, Sweden 10, UK 116, Uruguay NA, US 1,666, former USSR 565 (1989–90); Winter (July) population - over 1,046 total; Argentina 150, Australia 71, Brazil 12, Chile 73, China NA, France 33, Germany 19, Greenpeace 5, India 1, Japan 38, South Korea 14, NZ 11, Poland NA, South Africa 12, UK 69, Uruguay NA, US 225, former USSR 313 (1989–90); Year-round stations