British Virgin Islands

Introduction

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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.

British Virgin Islands

Geography

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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 references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total:  150 sq km land:  150 sq km water:  0 sq km note:  includes the island of Anegada

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:  7% permanent pastures:  33% forests and woodland:  7% other:  33% (1993 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 catchment)

Geography - note:

strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

British Virgin Islands

People

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Population:

20,812 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years:  22.77% (male 2,399; female 2,339) 15-64 years:  72.31% (male 7,741; female 7,309) 65 years and over:  4.92% (male 555; female 469) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.22% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:

15.18 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:

4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:

11.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth:  1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years:  1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years:  1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over:  1.18 male(s)/female total population:  1.06 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

20.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population:  75.64 years male:  74.74 years female:  76.59 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.72 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun:  British Virgin Islander(s) adjective:  British Virgin Islander

Ethnic groups:

black 90%, white, Asian

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)

Languages:

English (official)

Literacy:

definition:  age 15 and over can read and write total population:  97.8% (1991 est.) male:  NA% female:  NA%

British Virgin Islands

Government

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Country name:

conventional long form:  none conventional short form:  British Virgin Islands abbreviation:  BVI

Dependency status:

overseas territory of the UK

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) 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 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

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) elections:  last held 17 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) 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 leaders:

NA

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)

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)

British Virgin Islands

Economy

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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. 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.

GDP:	purchasing power parity - $311 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6% (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 percentage share:

lowest 10%:  NA% highest 10%:  NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2% (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% nuclear:  0% other:  0% (1999)

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:

$220 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:

$2.6 million (1995)

Currency:

US dollar (USD)

Currency code:

USD

Exchange rates:

the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

British Virgin Islands

Communications

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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

British Virgin Islands

Transportation

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Railways:

0 km

Highways:

total:  132 km paved:  132 km unpaved:  0 km (1997)

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 (2000 est.)

Airports:

3 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:

total:  2 914 to 1,523 m:  1 under 914 m:  1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total:  1 914 to 1,523 m:  1 (2000 est.)

British Virgin Islands

Military

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Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of the UK

British Virgin Islands

Transnational Issues

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Disputes - international:

none

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe