# Library

ABOUT REFERENCES APPENDICES FAQs CONTACT

Central America and Caribbean :: British Virgin Islands (overseas territory of the UK)

- ## Introduction :: BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

- 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.

- ## 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: 151 sq km
  land: 151 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke
  country comparison to the world: 220
  Area - 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 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; pleasant climate, beaches foster tourism
  Land use:
  agricultural land: 46.7%
  arable land 6.7%; permanent crops 6.7%; permanent pasture 33.3%
  forest: 24.3%
  other: 29% (2011 est.)
  Irrigated land:
  NA
  Natural hazards:
  hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
  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 wells and rainwater catchments
  Geography - note:
  strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

- ## People and Society :: BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

- Nationality:
  noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
  adjective: British Virgin Islander
  Ethnic groups:
  black 82%, white 6.8%, mixed 5.9%, East Indian 3%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.7% (2001 est.)
  Languages:
  English (official)
  Religions:
  Protestant 72.2% (Methodist 22.7%, Anglican 11.6%, Church of God 11.4%, Pentecostal 9.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.4%, Baptist 8.2%, other Protestant .9%), Roman Catholic 9.5%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2.2%, Hindu 2%, other 5.2%, none 6.4%, unspecified 2.7% (2001 est.)
  Population:
  33,454 (July 2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 215
  Age structure:
  0-14 years: 17.01% (male 2,798/female 2,891)
  15-24 years: 14.14% (male 2,255/female 2,476)
  25-54 years: 49.64% (male 7,840/female 8,767)
  55-64 years: 10.97% (male 1,797/female 1,872)
  65 years and over: 8.24% (male 1,343/female 1,415) (2015 est.)
  population pyramid:
  Median age:
  total: 35.9 years
  male: 35.8 years
  female: 36 years (2015 est.)
  Population growth rate:
  2.32% (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 33
  Birth rate:
  10.91 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 179
  Death rate:
  4.99 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 190
  Net migration rate:
  17.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 2
  Urbanization:
  urban population: 46.2% of total population (2015)
  rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
  Major urban areas - population:
  ROAD TOWN (capital) 13,000 (2014)
  Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  0-14 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  15-24 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
  25-54 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
  55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
  Infant mortality rate:
  total: 12.98 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 14.79 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 11.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 116
  Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.46 years
  male: 77.12 years
  female: 79.87 years (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 57
  Total fertility rate:
  1.26 children born/woman (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 219
  Drinking water source:
  improved:
  urban: 98% of population
  rural: 98% of population
  total: 98% of population
  unimproved:
  urban: 2% of population
  rural: 2% of population
  total: 2% of population (2010 est.)
  Sanitation facility access:
  improved:
  urban: 97.5% of population
  rural: 97.5% of population
  total: 97.5% of population
  unimproved:
  urban: 2.5% of population
  rural: 2.5% of population
  total: 2.5% of population (2015 est.)
  HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA
  HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA
  HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA
  Education expenditures:
  4.4% of GDP (2010)
  country comparison to the world: 96
  School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
  total: 15 years
  male: 15 years
  female: 16 years (2009)

- ## Government :: BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

- 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)
  Dependency status:
  overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing
  Government type:
  NA
  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 (2015)
  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 John DUNCAN (since 15 August 2014)
  head of government: Premier Orlando SMITH (since 9 November 2011)
  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
  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 - NA; seats by party - NDP 9, VIP 3, PEP 1
  Judicial branch:
  highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include the British Virgin Islands; the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; 3 High Court judges reside in member states; 3 High Court judges reside 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 [Orlando SMITH];; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Julian FRASER]
  Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Family Support Network
  Woman's Desk
  other: environmentalists
  International organization participation:
  Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU
  Diplomatic representation in the US:
  none (overseas territory of the UK)
  Diplomatic representation 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 symbol(s):
  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 :: 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. More than 934,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 2008. 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. 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 US dollar as its currency since 1959.
  GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $500 million (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 214
  GDP (official exchange rate):
  $1.095 billion (2008)
  GDP - real growth rate:
  1.3% (2010 est.)
  -0.6% (2008 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 171
  GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $42,300 (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 37
  GDP - composition, by end use:
  household consumption: 33.4%
  government consumption: 8.6%
  investment in fixed capital: 24.6%
  investment in inventories: 0%
  exports of goods and services: 107.1%
  imports of goods and services: -73.7%
  (2014 est.)
  GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
  agriculture: 1.1%
  industry: 12%
  services: 86.9% (2014 est.)
  Agriculture - products:
  fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
  Industries:
  tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore banking center
  Industrial production growth rate:
  2% (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 107
  Labor force:
  12,770 (2004)
  country comparison to the world: 216
  Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 0.6%
  industry: 40%
  services: 59.4% (2005)
  Unemployment rate:
  8.7% (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 100
  Population below poverty line:
  NA%
  Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%
  Budget:
  revenues: $300 million
  expenditures: $300 million (2014 est.)
  Taxes and other revenues:
  27.4% of GDP (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 102
  Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
  0% of GDP (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 42
  Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March
  Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2% (2014 est.)
  1.5% (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 102
  Current account balance:
  $362.6 million (2011 est.)
  $279.8 million (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 54
  Exports:
  $25 million (2014 est.)
  $25.5 million (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 206
  Exports - commodities:
  rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
  Imports:
  $290 million (2014 est.)
  $320 million (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 200
  Imports - commodities:
  building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
  Debt - external:
  $36.1 million (1997)
  country comparison to the world: 197
  Exchange rates:
  the US dollar is used

- ## Energy :: BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

- Electricity - production:
  55 million kWh (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 205
  Electricity - consumption:
  51.15 million kWh (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 205
  Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 212
  Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 215
  Electricity - installed generating capacity:
  44,000 kW (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 192
  Electricity - from fossil fuels:
  100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 33
  Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
  0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 204
  Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
  0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 210
  Electricity - from other renewable sources:
  0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 140
  Crude oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 206
  Crude oil - exports:
  0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 206
  Crude oil - imports:
  0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 144
  Crude oil - proved reserves:
  0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 206
  Refined petroleum products - production:
  0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 144
  Refined petroleum products - consumption:
  800 bbl/day (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 205
  Refined petroleum products - exports:
  0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 143
  Refined petroleum products - imports:
  772.6 bbl/day (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 202
  Natural gas - production:
  0 cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 144
  Natural gas - consumption:
  0 cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 207
  Natural gas - exports:
  0 cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 205
  Natural gas - imports:
  0 cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 76
  Natural gas - proved reserves:
  0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 204
  Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
  160,100 Mt (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 200

- ## Communications :: BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

- Telephones - fixed lines:
  total subscriptions: 11,800
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 197
  Telephones - mobile cellular:
  total: 48,400
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 148 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 202
  Telephone system:
  general assessment: good overall telephone service
  domestic: fixed-line connections exceed 80 per 100 persons and mobile cellular subscribership is roughly 150 per 100 persons
  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 (2011)
  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)
  Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
  Television broadcast stations:
  1 (plus 1 cable company) (1997)
  Internet country code:
  .vg
  Internet users:
  total: 4,000
  percent of population: 16.8% (2002)
  country comparison to the world: 207

- ## Transportation :: BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

- Airports:
  4 (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 185
  Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2013)
  Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2013)
  Roadways:
  total: 200 km
  paved: 200 km (2007)
  country comparison to the world: 209
  Ports and terminals:
  major seaport(s): Road Harbor

- ## Military :: BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

- Manpower available for military service:
  males age 16-49: 7,266 (2010 est.)
  Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 16-49: 6,057
  females age 16-49: 5,805 (2010 est.)
  Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
  male: 168
  female: 162 (2010 est.)
  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; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering

GO TOP