Map of British Virgin Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: First settled by the Dutch in 1648 the islands were soon after (1672) annexed 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.


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Location: Caribbean between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean east of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates: 18 30 N 64 30 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Comparative: about 0.9 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 80 km

Maritime claims

Climate: subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds

Terrain: coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep hilly

Elevation

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)

Geography
Note: strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico


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Population: 19,615 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 2.34% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: black 90% white Asian

Languages: English (official)

Religions: Protestant 86% (Methodist 45% Anglican 21% Church of God 7% Seventh-Day Adventist 5% Baptist 4% Jehovah's Witnesses 2% other 2%) Roman Catholic 6% none 2% other 6% (1981)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.34% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 15.86 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 4.59 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 12.08 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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 catchment)

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 21.05 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 1.72 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: NA

Capital: Road Town

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday: Territory Day 1 July

Constitution: 1 June 1977

Legal system: English law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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 five-year terms)

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 [E. Walwyn BREWLEY]; Independent People's Movement or IPM [Omar HODGE and Allen O'NEAL]; United Party or UP [Conrad MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]

International organization participation: Caricom (associate) CDB ECLAC (associate) Interpol (subbureau) IOC OECS (associate) UNESCO (associate)

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)
From the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)

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)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean is highly dependent on tourism which generates an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists mainly from the US visited the islands in 1997. 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. An estimated 250,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 1997. 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 6.8% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $15,000 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: fruits vegetables; livestock poultry; fish

Industries: tourism light industry construction rum concrete block offshore financial center

Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1985)

Labor force: 4,911 (1980)
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 3% (1995)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.3% (1998)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $6 million (1998)
Commodities: rum fresh fish fruits animals; gravel sand
Partners: Virgin Islands (US) Puerto Rico US

Imports: $175 million (1998)
Commodities: building materials automobiles foodstuffs machinery
Partners: Virgin Islands (US) Puerto Rico US

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $36.1 million (1997)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: US currency is used


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Electricity
Production: 42 million kWh (1998)
Consumption: 39 million kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 9,000 (1994)
Mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: worldwide telephone service

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 1 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 3 (1999 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none (1999 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs