Final answer:
Anguilla was historically part of the British Empire and deeply connected to the sugar cane industry that was prevalent in the Caribbean. It remains a British Overseas Territory today after a brief period of self-declared independence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Island of Anguilla was historically part of the British Empire. It is located in the Caribbean and is one of the many islands that were once European colonies. Specifically, Anguilla was part of the former British colony known as the Federation of the West Indies, a union of different territories that Britain had colonized in the Caribbean.
Upon the dissolution of the Federation in 1962, Anguilla became a part of an associated state with Saint Kitts and Nevis, but this union was short-lived. Anguilla desired to remain a British territory and eventually was allowed to do so after a brief period of self-declared independence. To this day, Anguilla remains a British Overseas Territory. The colonial history of the Caribbean is extensive with other European countries such as Spain, France, and the Netherlands also being main colonizers in the region. The British, in particular, had a focus on the profitable sugar cane industry within their Caribbean colonies, including Anguilla.