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| jennifer hendrich cayton |
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| design | architecture | sustainability |
| Anguilla | British West Indies |
| Map of Anguilla |
| Anguilla was discovered about 4000 years ago by a group of people called the Amerindians, who came to Anguilla by raft and canoe from South America's mainland. At that time the island was a dense rain forest. Evidence of this group of people as old as 3300 years of these people can be found on the eastern side of the island. The tribe of Awark Indians that later lived on the island believed mankind originated in the sun and moon and two caves near the Shoal Cove area. There is evidence and artifacts of Awark ceremonies near these caverns. The island was passed by Columbus in 1493 and was not colonized until 1650 by the English. The English found the island soil was good for growing tobacco and corn, creating large plantations on the island. Further colonization of the Caribbean brought Anguilla under the rule of St. Kitts-Nevis. Political struggle ensued and in 1958 Anguilla staged a revolution gaining their freedom from St. Kitts-Nevis, establishing Anguilla as a British West Indies colony. Today, Anguilla operates as a dependent territory. Source: Anguilla Visitor's Website |
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| Anguilla's coves and bays help protect the island from hurricanes and beach erosion. Anguilla's location at the edge of the Caribbean and Atlantic has proved fortunate; they have not had numerous significant storms. The following report from NOAA, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration outlines all major hurricanes registering a 3 or greater on the Saffir-Simpson scale. A category three hurricane registers winds between of 111-130 miles per hour and a storm surge of 9-12 feet. Learn more about the Saffir-Simpson Scale Download document |
| Map of all recorded hurricanes in the Atlantic and Caribbean |
| Island history |
| Hurricanes |
| Geological Information |
| "Anguilla is a small, elongate island (25kn long by 5 km wide) located at the northern end of the Lesser Antilles Island Chainon the Anguilla Bank at 18 degrees North, 63 degrees W. The island lies in a tectonic province termed the "Limestone Caribees" on the Caribbean plate, east of the currently active Lesser Antilles volcanic arc. The Limestone Caribees are characterized by gently deformed Neogene reef rock overlying Paleogenecalc-alkaline volcanic and plutonic rocks formed as an earlier Antillean magmatic arc. Three rock units are exposed on Anguilla, 1) a greater than 130 m think, steeply dipping, crossbedded tuffaceous basement unit, possibly equivalent to the Upper Eocene Pt. Blanche Formation of St. Martin, 2) the 70 m thick Middle Miocene Anguilla Formation composed of a coral-rich limestone and noncoralline calcarenite, and 3) a local caprock composed of crossbedded calcarenites with root casts, algal oncolites, and shrimp burrows, possibly Pleistocene in age. The underlying and overlying units are separated from the Anguilla Formation by angular unconformities (265)." Budd, Ann, Kenneth Johnson, and Jeffery Edwards. "Miocene Coral Assemblages in Anguilla, BWI, and their Implications for the Interpretation of Vertical Succession on Fossil Reefs." Palaios, vol. 4, no. 3 (June 1989) pg, 264-275. Download article |
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| Local Vegetation |
| Many of the plants in the Leewards Islands are species that were introduced by the Dutch and English colonists that have become naturalized and in some cases replaced the native species. Most of the species that were introduced were deliberate and consisted of food, forage, and ornamental plants. Many were "Old World" plants, but American tropical plants were also introduced. Current Species: Papaya Mango Avocado Banana Fig Red Cedar Oil Palm Guava Mangroves Citrus Trees |
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| Leeward Islands |
| The Leeward Islands refers to a group of islands in the Caribbean in which the prevailing winds blow south to north. This group includes Anguilla. There are also a group of islands that are refered to as the Windward Islands. These islands included sailing and trade routes due to the east-west direction of the winds. |
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