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 from 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; the US dollar is the legal currency. On 6 September 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.

Geographic coordinates: 18 30 N, 64 30 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke
Land: 151 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 220
Comparative: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 80 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200
Note: nm

Climate: subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds

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

Elevation: 0 m
Note: lowest point: Caribbean Sea

Natural resources: NEGL; pleasant climate, beaches foster tourism

Land use
Agricultural land: 46.7% (2011 est.)
Forest: 24.3% (2011 est.)
Other: 29% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land
Note: NA

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

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

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: 35,802 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 214
Growth rate: 2.2% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 36
Below poverty line note: NA

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)

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.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.72% (male 2,949 /female 3,036)
15-24 years: 12.98% (male 2,223 /female 2,425)
25-54 years: 49.05% (male 8,230 /female 9,330)
55-64 years: 11.93% (male 2,073 /female 2,199)
65 years and over: 9.32% (male 1611 /female 1726) (2018 est.)

Median age
Total: 36.7 years
Male: 36.5 years
Female: 36.9 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 72

Population growth rate: 2.2% (2018 est.)
Rank: 36

Birth rate: 11.1 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 176

Death rate: 5.2 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 188

Net migration rate: 16.5 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 1

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: 47.7% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 2.42% annual rate of change

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 0.92 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 0.89 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.7 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 13.4 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 10 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 120

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.9 years (2018 est.)
Male: 77.5 years (2018 est.)
Female: 80.4 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 54

Total fertility rate: 1.3 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 218

Drinking water source
Urban: 2% of population
Rural: 2% of population
Total: 2% of population (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 2.5% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 2.5% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 2.5% of population (2015 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate note: NA
People living with hivaids note: NA
Deaths note: NA

Education expenditures: 6.3% of GDP (2015)
Rank: 28

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years (2015)
Date: (2015) (2015)

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: parliamentary democracy (House of Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK

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)

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday: Territory Day, 1 July (1956)

Constitution: several previous; latest effective 15 June 2007 (The Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007) (2018)

Legal system: English common law

Citizenship: see United Kingdom

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Gus JASPERT (since 22 August 2017)
Head of government: Premier Orlando SMITH (since 9 November 2011)
Cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the House of Assembly
Electionsappointments: 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

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral House of Assembly (13 seats; 9 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies and 4 at-large seats by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note - the Assembly includes the attorney general, a non-voting ex officio member
Elections: last held on 8 June 2015 (next to be held in 2019)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NDP 60.2%, VIP 30.2%, PEP 4%, other 5.6%; seats by party - NDP 11, VIP 2

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, travelling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside at the member states with 3 on the British Virgin Islands
Judge selection and term of office: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; 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 [Myron WALWYN]People's Empowerment Party or PEP [Alvin CHRISTOPHER]Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Julian FRASER]

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

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); 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 a territory of the United Kingdom, 'God Save the Queen' is official (see United Kingdom)

Economy overview: The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, which generates an estimated 45% of the national income. More than 934,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 2008. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since 1959.Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements.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, made the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 213

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 149

Real gdp per capita: $34,200 (2017 est.)
Rank: 59

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.)
Rank: 152

Labor force: 12,770 (2004)
Rank: 215
By occupation agriculture: 0.6%
By occupation industry: 40%
By occupation services: 59.4% (2005)

Unemployment rate: 2.9% (2015 est.)
Rank: 32

Population below poverty line
Note: NA

Budget
Revenues: 400 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 400 million (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 0% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 44

Taxes and other revenues: 38.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 50

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 56

Current account balance:
Rank: 57

Exports:
Rank: 209
Commodities: rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand

Imports: $210 million (2016 est.)
Note: NA (2017 est.)
Rank: 203
Commodities: building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery

Debt external: $36.1 million (1997)
Rank: 198

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used

Electricity
Production: 126.3 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 198
Consumption: 117.5 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 200
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 110
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 128
Installed generating capacity: 45,200 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 193
Generation sources fossil fuels: 97% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 33
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 55
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 160
Generation sources other renewable sources: 3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 122

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 114
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 98
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 101
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 111

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 123
Products consumption: 20,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 141
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 134
Products imports: 1227 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 200

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 109
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 125
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 74
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 96
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 115

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 183,300 Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 202

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 10,004 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 195
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 42,000 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 126 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 203

Telephone system
General assessment: good overall telephone service; major expansion sectors include the mobile telephony and data segments, which continue to appeal to operator investment; several operators licensed to provide services within individual markets, most of them are small and localised (2017)
Domestic: fixed-line connections exceed 29 per 100 persons and mobile cellular subscribership is roughly 125 per 100 persons (2017)
International: country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable to Bermuda; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean

Broadcast media: 1 private TV station; multi-channel TV is available from cable and satellite subscription services; about a half-dozen private radio stations (2007)

Internet
Country code: .vg
Users total: 14,600 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 43.6% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 210

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3 (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: VP-L (2016)

Airports: 4 (2013)
Rank: 185
With paved runways total: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2013)

Roadways
Total: 200 km (2007)
Paved: 200 km (2007)
Rank: 210

Merchant marine
Total: 20 (2017)
By type: general cargo 4, other 16 (2017)
Rank: 138

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Road Harbor

Disputes international: none

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