Anguilla
- ISS004-E-8153
- 28 February 2002
- 20:29 UTC
The northernmost of the Leeward Islands, the island of Anguilla is located in the eastern Caribbean, 8 km north from the larger island of Saint Martin (partially visible at the bottom of image); both islands emerge from a common submarine shelf.
The island is the largest component of the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla (102 km²). The territory also includes a number of offshore cays and islets, such as Dog Island, Scrub Island (5 km²), Sandy Island, Seal Islands, Anguillita Island, Sombrero Island and the Prickly Pear Cays.
Anguilla is an elongated island of 26 km in length, averaging around 5 km in width with a surface area of 93 km². The island is of low relief (reaching a mximum elevation of 65 m above sea level at Crocus Hill), consisting largely of limestone formations built over ancient volcanic rocks. Its low rainfall (around 1,000 mm per year) and its poor quality soils support a patchy scrub-type vegetation.
image: earth sciences and image analysis laboratory, nasa johnson space center
