In the Caribbean Sea, a chain of island nations referred to as the Leeward Islands is home to the British overseas territory of Anguilla. Anguilla is the most northern of these islands in the Lesser Antilles and can be found to the east of Puerto Rico.
The main island of Anguilla is about 16 miles (26 km) long and 2 miles (5 km) wide and surrounded but a myriad of islands and cays much smaller in size. The capital city of Anguilla is named The Valley and has an estimated population of 12,500 people where as the small satellite islands have no permanent residents.
Anguilla's terrain is markedly flat and low-lying and primarily consists of limestone and coral. This terrain supports only thin, poor quality soil that primarily supports nothing but shrub vegetation. Despite the social conditions, Anguilla is well known for it's amazingly beautiful coral reefs which play a major role in supporting the local ecosystems.