ANGUILLA

Anguilla is a British overseas territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The territory consists of the main island of Anguilla, approximately 16 miles (26 km) long by 3 miles (4.8 km) wide at its widest point, together with a number of much smaller islands and cays with no permanent population. The island’s capital is The Valley. The total land area of the territory is 35 square miles (91 km2), with a population of approximately 14,764 (2016 estimate).

Anguilla is a flat, low-lying island of coral and is noted for its spectacular and ecologically important coral reefs and beaches. Anguilla has habitat for the Cuban tree frogs. The red-footed tortoise is a species of tortoise found here, it somehow came from South America. Hurricanes led to over-water dispersal for the green iguanas to colonise Anguilla. All three animals are introduced. Five species of bats are known in the literature from Anguilla – the threatened insular single leaf bat, the Antillean fruit-eating bat, the Jamaican fruit bat, the Mexican funnel-eared bat, and the velvety free-tailed bat.

Northeastern trade winds keep this tropical island relatively cool and dry. Average annual temperature is 27 °C. July–October is its hottest period, December–February, its coolest. Rainfall averages 890 mm annually, although the figures vary from season to season and year to year. The island is subject to both sudden tropical storms and hurricanes, which occur in the period from July to November. The island suffered damage in 1995 from Hurricane Luis and severe flooding of 5–20 feet from Hurricane Lenny. (Source: Wikipedia)