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 inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands (1872-1960); they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west, and the US dollar is the legal currency. In 2017, Hurricane Irma devastated the island of Tortola. An estimated 80% of residential and business structures were destroyed or damaged, communications disrupted, and local roads rendered impassable.


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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
Total: 151 km²
Land: 151 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke
Comparative: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Country comparison total: 0 km

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 80 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate: subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds

Terrain: coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly

Elevation
Highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Natural resources: NEGL; pleasant climate, beaches foster tourism

Land use
Agricultural land: 46.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 6.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 6.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 33.3% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land forest: 24.3% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land other: 29% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: NA

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
Distribution: a fairly even distribution throughout the inhabited islands, with the largest islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, and Jost Van Dyke having the largest populations
Total: 40,102
Male: 19,042
Female: 21,060 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: 1.82% (2024 est.)

Nationality
Noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
Adjective: British Virgin Islander

Ethnic groups: African/Black 76.3%, Latino 5.5%, White 5.4%, mixed 5.3%, Indian 2.1%, East Indian 1.6%, other 3%, unspecified 0.8% (2010 est.)

Languages: English (official), Virgin Islands Creole

Religions: Protestant 70.2% (Methodist 17.6%, Church of God 10.4%, Anglican 9.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 9.0%, Pentecostal 8.2%, Baptist 7.4%, New Testament Church of God 6.9%, other Protestant 1.2%), Roman Catholic 8.9%, Jehovah's Witness 2.5%, Hindu 1.9%, other 6.2%, none 7.9%, unspecified 2.4% (2010 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.6% (male 3,298/female 3,351)
15-64 years: 71.3% (male 13,455/female 15,152)
65 years and over: 12.1% (2024 est.) (male 2,289/female 2,557)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 32.8
Youth dependency ratio: 20.2
Elderly dependency ratio: 12.6
Potential support ratio: 8 (2021)

Median age
Total: 38.5 years (2024 est.)
Male: 38.1 years
Female: 38.9 years

Population growth rate: 1.82% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 10.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 5.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate: 12.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: a fairly even distribution throughout the inhabited islands, with the largest islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, and Jost Van Dyke having the largest populations

Urbanization
Urban population: 49.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.73% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 15,000 ROAD TOWN (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: limited natural freshwater resources except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola; most of the islands' water supply comes from desalination plants; sewage and mining/industry waste contribute to water pollution, threatening coral reefs

Air pollutants
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.21 megatons (2016 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 13.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 16 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 10.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.1 years (2024 est.)
Male: 78.6 years
Female: 81.7 years

Total fertility rate: 1.38 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Drinking water source
Improved total: 99.9% of population
Unimproved total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 97.5% of population
Improved rural: 97.5% of population
Improved total: 97.5% of population
Unimproved urban: 2.5% of population
Unimproved rural: 2.5% of population
Unimproved total: 2.5% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: 2.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 12 years (2018)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: British Virgin Islands; abbreviation: BVI
Etymology: the myriad islets, cays, and rocks surrounding the major islands reminded explorer Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 of Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgin followers (Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Virgenes), which over time shortened to the Virgins (las Virgenes)

Government type: Overseas Territory of the UK with limited self-government; parliamentary democracy

Capital
Name: Road Town
Geographic coordinates: 18 25 N, 64 37 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: name refers to the nautical term 'roadstead' or 'roads,' a body of water less sheltered than a harbor but where ships can lie reasonably safely at anchor sheltered from rip currents, spring tides, or ocean swells

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday: Territory Day, 1 July (1956)

Constitution
History: several previous; latest effective 15 June 2007 (The Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007)
Amendments: initiated by any elected member of the House of Assembly; passage requires simple majority vote by the elected members of the Assembly and assent by the governor on behalf of the monarch; amended 2015

Legal system: English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship: see United Kingdom

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Daniel PRUCE (since 29 January 2024)
Head of government: Premier Dr. Natalio WHEATLEY (since 5 May 2022)
Cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the House of Assembly
Elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed premier by the governor
Note: ; on 5 May 2022, Premier Andrew FAHIE was removed from office by a no confidence vote in House of Assembly following his arrest on drug trafficking and money laundering charges on 28 April 2022; Premier Dr. Natalio WHEATLEY sworn in as premier on 5 May 2022

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral House of Assembly (15 seats; 13 members - 9 in single-seat constituencies and 4 members in a single, nationwide constituency directly elected by simple majority vote and 2 ex-officio members - the attorney general and the speaker - chosen from outside the House; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 24 April 2023 (next to be held in 2,027)
Elections results: percent of vote by party - VIP 39.6%, NDP 29.1, PVIM 15.7%, PU 5%, independent 10.6%; seats by party - VIP 6, NDP 3, PVIM 3, PU 1; composition - men NA, women NA, percentage women NA%
Note: percentages reflect 9 elected single seat constituencies, seat total includes four nationwide at-large elected members

Judicial branch
Highest courts: the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 3 in the British Virgin Islands
Judge selection and term of office: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by His Majesty, King Charles III; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
Subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts

Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Party or NDP, Progressive Virgin Islands Movement or PVIM, Progressives United or PU, Virgin Islands Party or VIP

International organization participation: ACS (associate), Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)
From the us embassy: 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); the islands were named by COLUMBUS in 1493 in honor of Saint Ursula and her 11 virgin followers (some sources say 11,000) who reputedly were martyred by the Huns in the 4th or 5th century; the figure on the banner holding a lamp represents the saint; the other lamps symbolize her followers

National symbols: zenaida dove, white cedar flower; national colors: yellow, green, red, white, blue

National anthem
Note: as an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, 'God Save the King' is official (see United Kingdom)

National heritage


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Economy overview: British Caribbean island territorial economy; strong tourism and services industries; vulnerable to hurricanes; navigating public debt insolvency since 2008 Crisis; considered a tax haven; high electrification costs; major rum exporter

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $500 million (2017 est.); $490.2 million (2016 est.); $481.1 million (2015 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 2% (2017 est.); 1.9% (2016 est.); 1.8% (2015 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $34,200 (2017 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 25.1% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 7.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21.7% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 20.4% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 94.7% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -69.4% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.2% (2017 est.)
Industry: 6.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 93.1% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish

Industries: tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore banking center

Industrial production growth rate: 1.1% (2017 est.)

Labor force

Unemployment rate: 2.9% (2015 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $400 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $400 million (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 38.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.2% (2022 est.); 2.8% (2021 est.); 0.4% (2020 est.)

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: $23 million (2017 est.); $23 million (2015 est.)
Note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
Partners: Malta 30%, Seychelles 29%, Switzerland 14% (2019)
Commodities: aircraft, recreational boats, ships, hydrogen, halogens (2021)

Imports: $300 million (2017 est.); $210 million (2016 est.)
Partners: Germany 32%, United States 22%, Italy 9%, France 7%, Seychelles 7% (2019)
Commodities: recreational boats, aircraft, refined petroleum, cars, furniture (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 47,000 kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 161.368 million kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 10.179 million kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 99.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Coal
Imports: 20 metric tons (2022 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 1,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions: 191,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 191,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 87.47 million Btu/person (2022 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 23,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 73 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 38,000 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 121 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

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: VP-L

Airports: 3 (2024)

Heliports: 1 (2024)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 200 km
Paved: 200 km (2007)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering