As early European sailed past Anguilla for the first time, they must have marveled at the contrast between it and its mountainous neighbor St. Martin just a few miles to the south. The island is flat with only a few rolling hills rising to the highest elevation of 213 feet. However, they would have been equally enthralled by its most striking feature: the dozens of blinding white sand beaches which ring its coastline, some stretching for miles and others hidden away in tiny inlets. In a region renowned for pristine beaches, Anguilla's rank among the finest.
It is not clear whether these first voyagers came ashore. If they did they would have found a limestone and coral island covered with low vegetation, rocky in some places but with areas of more fertile soil in the low-lying areas or "bottoms", and they with a few salt ponds scattered here and there. As they sailed away its long narrow shape inspired them to name it "L'Anguille", the French word for "eel". They left this tranquil paradise to slumber in peace for many more years before the first colonists arrived to settle on what in time came to be called Anguilla.
The island was first thrust upon the international stage in 1967 when it unilaterally opted out of a union with St. Kitts and Nevis. The tri-island Associated state was moving towards independence and the Anguillans decided that, rather than continue under the rule of St. Kitts, they would take their chances, seek to secede from the union and remain under British rule. The events which followed are well documented. The island briefly became the subject of newspaper headlines worldwide. After much political and diplomatic maneuvering, a political settlement was reached but not before British paratroopers had landed in Anguilla to restore order. Instead of the heavily armed rebel force which they expected, the British troops were met by islanders waving Union Jacks and singing "Rule Brittania"; this, after all, was precisely the objective which they were seeking to bring about.
In 1981 the island was formally separated from St. Kitts and Nevis. Today it remains a British territory with a similar constitutional status to Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
The late '70's and early '80's saw anew and exciting development. Anguilla embarked upon a major initiative to become a high quality, exclusive tourist destination. This saw immediate and remarkable success, and the '80's was a decade of rapid economic and social development for the island. The boom in construction as resorts were built, coupled with the creation of jobs in this new tourism sector combined to confirm Anguilla's position as one of the most affluent islands in the region. The secret of its success is undoubtedly the image which it has carefully built as a high-end tourist destination and as a place where the discerning visitor can enjoy peace and privacy in some of the most luxurious resorts in the world.
Anguilla has also been involved in the provision of offshore financial services for many years. In 1991 the Government took the decision to develop the financial services sector as a means of strengthening and diversifying the overall economic base and to provide another employment source for Anguillans who were now obtaining university education in unprecedented numbers. The island already possessed most of its characteristics which are essential to an international financial services center. These have assisted financial planners to put together structures requiring a zero tax jurisdiction.
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For further information please contact:
Office of the Registrar Government of Anguilla Financial Services Department The Secretariat The Valley Anguilla B.W.I Tel No: 001 242 497 5881 / 001 242 497 3881 Fax No: 001 242 497 5872 Website: Click Contact Link