represented by Governor Brian G. J. CANTY (since NA 1989);
Head of Government—Chief Minister Emile GUMBS (since NA March 1984, served previously from February 1977 to May 1980)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Anguilla National Alliance (ANA), Emile GUMBS;
Anguilla United Party (AUP), Ronald WEBSTER;
Anguilla Democratic Party (ADP), Victor BANKS
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly—last held 27 February 1989 (next to be held February 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(11 total, 7 elected) ANA 3, AUP 2, ADP 1, independent 1
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: CARICOM (observer), CDB
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Flag: two horizontal bands of white (top, almost triple width) and light blue with three orange dolphins in an interlocking circular design centered in the white band; a new flag may have been in use since 30 May 1990
_*Economy #_Overview: Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends heavily on lobster fishing, offshore banking, tourism, and remittances from emigrants. In recent years the economy has benefited from a boom in tourism. Development is planned to improve the infrastructure, particularly transport and tourist facilities, and also light industry. Improvement in the economy has reduced unemployment from 40% in 1984 to about 5% in 1988.
_#_GDP: $23 million, per capita $3,300; real growth rate 8.2% (1988 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1988 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5.0% (1988 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $10.4 million; expenditures $11.0 million, including capital expenditures of $1.1 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $NA;
commodities—lobster and salt;
partners—NA
_#_Imports: $NA;
commodities—NA;
partners—NA
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 2,000 kW capacity; 6 million kWh produced, 870 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, boat building, salt, fishing (including lobster)
_#_Agriculture: pigeon peas, corn, sweet potatoes, sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, poultry
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970–89), $38 million
_#_Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural—dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1—2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
_#_Fiscal year: NA
_*Communications #_Highways: 60 km surfaced
_#_Ports: Road Bay, Blowing Point
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways of 1,100 m (Wallblake Airport)
_#_Telecommunications: modern internal telephone system; 890 telephones; stations—3 AM, 1 FM, no TV; radio relay link to island of Saint Martin
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Antarctica *Geography #_Total area: about 14,000,000 km2; land area: about 14,000,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US; second-smallest continent (after Australia)
_#Land boundaries: see entry on #_Disputes
_#_Coastline: 17,968 km
_#Maritime claims: see entry on #_Disputes
_#_Disputes: Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctic Treaty Summary below); sections (some overlapping) claimed by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France (Adelie Land), New Zealand (Ross Dependency), Norway (Queen Maud Land), and UK; Brazil has noted possible Latin claims; the US and USSR do not recognize the territorial claims of other nations and have made no claims themselves (but reserve the right to do so); no formal claims have been made in the sector between 90o west and 150o west
_#_Climate: severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean; East Antarctica colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has most moderate climate; warmest temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing
_#_Terrain: about 98% thick continental ice sheet, with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to 4,897 meters high; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area, and Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of coastline and floating ice shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent
_#_Natural resources: none presently exploited; coal and iron ore; chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum, and hydrocarbons have been found in small uncommercial quantities
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; pastures 0%; meadows and forest and woodland 0%; other 100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%)
_#_Environment: mostly uninhabitable; katabatic (gravity) 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 around the coast, as does a circumpolar ocean current; during summer more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; in April 1991 it was reported that the ozone shield, which protects the Earth's surface from harmful ultraviolet radiation, had dwindled to its lowest level ever over Antarctica; subject to active volcanism (Deception Island and isolated areas of West Antarctica); other seismic activity rare and weak
_#_Note: the coldest, windiest, highest, and driest continent
_*People #_Population: no indigenous inhabitants; staffing of research stations varies seasonally;
Summer (January) population—4,120; Argentina 207, Australia 268,
Belgium 13, Brazil 80, Chile 256, China NA, Ecuador NA, Finland 16,
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,
USSR 565 (1989–90);
Winter (July) population—1,066 total; Argentina 150, Australia
71, Brazil 12, Chile 73, China NA, France 33, Germany 19, Greenpeace 5,
India 21, Japan 38, South Korea 14, NZ 11, Poland NA, South Africa 12,
UK 69, Uruguay NA, US 225, USSR 313 (1989–90);
Year-round stations—42 total; Argentina 6, Australia 3, Brazil 1,
Chile 3, China 2, France 1, Germany 2, Greenpeace 1, India 2, Japan 2,
South Korea 1, NZ 1, Poland 1, South Africa 1, UK 5, Uruguay 1, US 3,
USSR 6 (1990–91);
Summer only stations—34 total; Argentina 1, Australia 3, Chile 5,
Finland 1, Germany 4, India 1, Italy 1, Japan 1, NZ 2, Norway 1,
Peru 1, South Africa 1, Spain 1, Sweden 2, UK 1, US 3, USSR 5 (1989–90)
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: The Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June