Currency:

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

When to go:

Anytime but peak hurricane season from August to October

Known for:

Lobster, rum, offshore banking, tourism

Languages:

English (official), Creole dialect/Anguillan

Located east of Puerto Rico, Anguilla is made up of one 'large island' 16 miles long by 3 miles wide and a number of smaller uninhabited islands. Most of the 14,000 residents call the area around the capital, The Valley, home. The flat island is easily reached via nonstop service from Puerto Rico or St. Maarten. It is also accessible by private boat.

Although tropical, the island is relatively dry, with little temperature variation from month to month. The driest months are February and March. If you're a diver, make sure to view the beautiful coral reefs.

As a dependency of the United Kingdom, driving is done on the left hand side of the road. Not surprisingly, cricket and rugby are both popular sports, although sailing is the national competition.

Anguilla plays a small but important role in the offshore financial trade that the Caribbean is known for. Besides banking, the economy is based on tourism and lobster fishing.

For more on Anguilla, check out the official tourism site online at www.anguilla-vacation.com.