STAMPS FROM ANGUILLA

Anguilla is a tiny colony in the British West Indies with a population of less than 10,000 and a total area of only 91 kmĒ. It is the northernmost of the Leeward Islands. The low-lying corral island has an elongated shape to which it owes its name which means "eel" in Spanish. Anguilla has been inhabited since the first millenium B.C. When Chritopher Columbus arrived in 1493, he encountered Taino Indians, and Arawak-language people. A British colony since 1650, the island was part of St. Kitts-Nevis from 1825 untill 1980 when they bacame a seperate dependency, although they have been de facto independent and issuing their own stamps since 1967. Their economy is based mostly on tourism and philately. The stamps depicted here were sent from the capital, The Valley, on February 5th, 1999: 1) The two $5 stamps show cashew apples and nuts which grow on a tropical shrub native to Central and South America. The plant has been exported to southern India (by Portuguese missionaries) and has since become a characteristic ingredient in their cuisine. 2) The $3 stamp commemorates old time Christmas, which is celebrated by the inhabitants who are mostly Anglicans and Methodists. Most of the people are descendants of African slaves brought to Anguilla by the British.

For more information about Anguilla please visit The Anguilla Guide.

Back