British Virgin Islands
Introduction British Virgin Islands
-----------------------------------
Background: First settled by the Dutch in 1648,
the islands were annexed in 1672 by
the English. The economy is closely
tied to the larger and more populous
US Virgin Islands to the west; the
US dollar is the legal currency.
Geography British Virgin Islands
--------------------------------
Location: Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea
and the North Atlantic Ocean, east
of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates: 18 30 N, 64 30 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 153 sq km
note: comprised of 16 inhabited and
more than 20 uninhabited islands;
includes the island of Anegada
water: 0 sq km
land: 153 sq km
Area - comparative: about 0.9 times the size of
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 80 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM
Climate: subtropical; humid; temperatures
moderated by trade winds
Terrain: coral islands relatively flat;
volcanic islands steep, hilly
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use: arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67%
other: 73.33% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: hurricanes and tropical storms (July
to October)
Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water
resources (except for a few seasonal
streams and springs on Tortola, most
of the islands' water supply comes
from wells and rainwater catchments)
Geography - note: strong ties to nearby US Virgin
Islands and Puerto Rico
People British Virgin Islands
-----------------------------
Population: 21,272 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 22.4% (male 2,401;
female 2,351)
15-64 years: 72.7% (male 7,962;
female 7,509)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 565;
female 484) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.16% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 15.09 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 10.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 19.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.85 years
female: 76.84 years (2002 est.)
male: 74.9 years
Total fertility rate: 1.72 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander
Ethnic groups: black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and
mixed
Religions: Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%,
Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%,
Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist
4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other
2%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%,
other 2% (1991)
Languages: English (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government British Virgin Islands
---------------------------------
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British
Virgin Islands
abbreviation: BVI
Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK;
internal self-governing
Government type: NA
Capital: Road Town
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday: Territory Day, 1 July
Constitution: 1 June 1977
Legal system: English law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II
(since 6 February 1952), represented
by Governor Francis J. SAVAGE (since
NA)
elections: none; the monarch is
hereditary; governor appointed by
the monarch; chief minister
appointed by the governor from among
the members of the Legislative
Council
head of government: Chief Minister
Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 15 May 1995)
cabinet: Executive Council appointed
by the governor from members of the
Legislative Council
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (13
seats; members are elected by direct
popular vote, one member from each
of 9 electoral districts, four at-
large members; members serve four-
year terms)
elections: last held 17 May 1999
(next to be held NA 2003)
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - VIP 7,
CCM 1, NDP 5
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court,
consisting of the High Court of
Justice and the Court of Appeal (one
judge of the Supreme Court is a
resident of the islands and presides
over the High Court); Magistrate's
Court; Juvenile Court; Court of
Summary Jurisdiction
Political parties and leaders: Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM
[Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic
Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United
Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin
Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T.
O'NEAL]
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC
participation: (associate), Interpol (subbureau),
IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO
(associate)
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the none (overseas territory of the UK)
US:
Flag description: blue, with the flag of the UK in the
upper hoist-side quadrant and the
Virgin Islander coat of arms
centered in the outer half of the
flag; the coat of arms depicts a
woman flanked on either side by a
vertical column of six oil lamps
above a scroll bearing the Latin
word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)
Economy British Virgin Islands
------------------------------
Economy - overview: The economy, one of the most stable
and prosperous in the Caribbean, is
highly dependent on tourism,
generating an estimated 45% of the
national income. An estimated
350,000 tourists, mainly from the
US, visited the islands in 1998. In
the mid-1980s, the government began
offering offshore registration to
companies wishing to incorporate in
the islands, and incorporation fees
now generate substantial revenues.
Roughly 400,000 companies were on
the offshore registry by yearend
2000. The adoption of a
comprehensive insurance law in late
1994, which provides a blanket of
confidentiality with regulated
statutory gateways for investigation
of criminal offenses, is expected to
make the British Virgin Islands even
more attractive to international
business. Livestock raising is the
most important agricultural
activity; poor soils limit the
islands' ability to meet domestic
food requirements. Because of
traditionally close links with the
US Virgin Islands, the British
Virgin Islands has used the dollar
as its currency since 1959.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $311
million (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.4% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $16,000
(2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 6.2%
services: 92% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.3% (2000)
Labor force: 4,911 (1980)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%,
services NA%
Unemployment rate: 3% (1995)
Budget: revenues: $121.5 million
expenditures: $115.5 million,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (1997)
Industries: tourism, light industry,
construction, rum, concrete block,
offshore financial center
Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1985)
Electricity - production: 42 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 39.1 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: fruits, vegetables; livestock,
poultry; fish
Exports: $6.2 million (2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals;
gravel, sand
Exports - partners: Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Imports: $230 million (2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: building materials, automobiles,
foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners: Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Debt - external: $36.1 million (1997)
Economic aid - recipient: NA
Currency: US dollar (USD)
Currency code: USD
Exchange rates: the US dollar is used
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications British Virgin Islands
-------------------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 10,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system: general assessment: worldwide
telephone service
domestic: NA
international: submarine cable to
Bermuda
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 9,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus one cable company) (1997)
Televisions: 4,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .vg
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 16 (2000)
Internet users: NA
Transportation British Virgin Islands
-------------------------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 177 km
paved: 177 km
unpaved: 0 km (2000)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Road Town
Merchant marine: total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 70,285 GRT/6,946 DWT
ships by type: passenger 1 (2002
est.)
Airports: 3 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2001)
Military British Virgin Islands
-------------------------------
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the
UK
Transnational Issues British Virgin Islands
-------------------------------------------
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South
American narcotics destined for the
US and Europe
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