Discover
The identity of the nation
Anguilla is a small Caribbean territory of about 15 thousand inhabitants, made up of a long, narrow main island and a few uninhabited islets in the Lesser Antilles. The name comes from the Italian anguilla, meaning eel, a reference to the island’s elongated shape. The Arawak (the indigenous people of the Antilles), its first inhabitants, called it Malliouhana.
A British overseas territory with its capital at The Valley, Anguilla is a majority-Christian nation with a strong presence of the Anglican and Methodist traditions, a legacy of the evangelization that reached the plantations as early as the beginning of the 19th century. The churches remain the center of community life in a small, tightly knit society where almost everyone knows each other.
The economy revolves around high-end tourism, drawn by white-sand beaches such as Shoal Bay and Rendezvous Bay, and around financial services. Daily life still keeps deep roots in the sea: boatbuilding and sailing races are cultural heritage and the national sport, an expression of the pride and identity of the Anguillan people.
Behind the tourist postcard lie real challenges: economic dependence on tourism, a high cost of living driven by the need to import almost everything, and the risk of a Christianity that is more cultural than deeply lived. Attachment to material goods and the influence of the visitors’ consumer culture put pressure on a faith that, in many, has been inherited more by tradition than by conviction.
Anguilla is a land where the name of Jesus is already known and where churches have existed for generations. The calling here is less about planting the gospel from the foundation and more about reviving it: deep discipleship, faith that transforms everyday life, and a church that, out of its Caribbean hospitality, blesses the nations that come to its shores.
- Arawak peoples inhabited the island, which they called Malliouhana.
- 1650 English settlers from Saint Kitts colonize Anguilla.
- 18th-19th cent. Sugarcane and cotton plantations worked by enslaved Africans; the arid soil limits agricultural wealth.
- 1817 Methodist missionaries build churches and schools; Christianity and literacy spread.
- 1834 Abolition of slavery in the British Empire.
- 1967 Anguilla expels the Saint Kitts police in the Anguillan Revolution, refusing union with Saint Kitts and Nevis.
- 1969 British troops land and Great Britain resumes direct administration.
- 1980 Anguilla formally separates from Saint Kitts and Nevis and becomes a British overseas territory in its own right.
- Today A stable, majority-Christian territory with an economy centered on tourism and financial services.
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Englishofficial, spoken by virtually the entire population
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Anguillan Creolelocal English-based variety used in daily life
Anguilla lies in the northern Lesser Antilles, in the Caribbean, east of Puerto Rico and north of Saint Martin. It is a low, flat coral island, about 26 km long and 5 km wide, with no rivers and arid soil. Its greatest natural wealth is its white-sand beaches and turquoise waters, among the most celebrated in the Caribbean.
Major cities
- The ValleyCapital and administrative and commercial center
- Sandy GroundSeaside village known for its nightlife and live music
- Island HarbourTraditional fishing community in the northeast
- Blowing PointFerry port linking the island to Saint Martin
Climate and temperature
Pigeon peas and rice
The national dish: rice cooked with pigeon peas, coconut milk and spices.
Johnny cakes
Flat cornmeal bread, fried or baked, a side dish present at almost every meal.
Grilled lobster
Spiny lobster (the clawless lobster typical of the Caribbean) from local waters, grilled with garlic butter and lime.
Conch
Sea snail prepared in stews, fritters and salads, an island delicacy.
Fish soup
A broth of assorted seafood, served from the beach bar to the fine restaurant.
Conkie
Cornmeal sweet with coconut, pumpkin and sweet potato, steamed in a banana leaf.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Boatbuilding
Naval carpentry is part of the island's heritage, tied to fishing and the people's identity.
Sailing races
The national sport: sailboats compete in races on holidays and during Carnival.
Close-knit community
A small society where almost everyone knows each other and relationships are close.
Faith in everyday life
Anglicans and Methodists for generations; the church is the center of community life.
Caribbean hospitality
Warmth and welcome mark relationships with visitors and neighbors.
- Ignoring the importance of the churches Christian faith and Sunday worship are central to local life.
- Reducing the island to a resort Behind the tourism there is a people with their own history, pride and culture.
- Flaunting wealth before the local community Visitors' wealth contrasts with the simple life of many residents.
- Not knowing the Revolution of 1967 The struggle for self-determination is a source of pride and national identity.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Faith inherited by tradition that, in many, does not translate into a transformed life.
The consumer culture brought by tourism puts pressure on values and priorities.
An economy geared to visitors' pleasure can shape the soul of the island.
Churches full of history run the risk of lacking deep discipleship.
The setting of luxury and beauty feeds the pursuit of status and image.
Families face tensions in a small, changing society.
Smallness and isolation can breed complacency and resistance to what is new.
Remnants of folk beliefs and superstition coexist with the Christian faith.
Anguilla has no significant religious persecution. Freedom of worship is guaranteed and Christianity is the majority faith, socially well established, with Anglican, Methodist and other churches present for generations.
Christians live out their faith freely, and the greatest spiritual challenge is not external opposition but the tendency toward a cultural religiosity, inherited by tradition, that does not always translate into living faith and deep discipleship. The risk here is complacency, not hostility.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Anguilla is a small, Christian nation with no significant unreached peoples. The spiritual landscape is marked by a population largely evangelized for generations, with well-established Anglican and Methodist churches. The challenge is not access to the gospel but the deepening of faith and discipleship, along with reaching those whose religiosity is merely cultural.
- 0 Unreached 0%
- 0 Minimally reached 0,7%
- 0 Superficially reached 0%
- 1K Partially reached 4%
- 14K Significantly reached 95,3%
- 0 Unreached 0%
- 1 Minimally reached 20%
- 0 Superficially reached 0%
- 2 Partially reached 40%
- 2 Significantly reached 40%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Sul-Asiático
Chineses
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
almost everything is imported
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- English is the official and everyday language; the local creole is also spoken.
- The currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$), pegged to the US dollar; the US dollar is widely accepted.
- Carry cash for emergencies: almost everything is imported and prices are high.
- Access is usually by ferry from Saint Martin (Blowing Point) or by regional flights.
- Respect Sunday and church life, which are central to the local culture.
- Be mindful of hurricane season, from June to November.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.