2000 Edition

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.

Area

land

150 sq km

note

includes the island of Anegada

total

150 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds

Coastline

80 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Sage 521 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

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)

Geographic coordinates

18 30 N, 64 30 W

Geography - note

strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

20%

forests and woodland

7%

other

33% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

7%

permanent pastures

33%

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

3 nm

Natural hazards

hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)

Natural resources

NEGL

Terrain

coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly

Age structure

0-14 years: 20% (male 2,022; female 1,975) 15-64 years: 75% (male 7,517; female 7,102) 65 years and over: 5% (male 545; female 454) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

15.86 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

4.59 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 90%, white, Asian

Infant mortality rate

21.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

English (official)

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.35 years (2000 est.)

male

74.57 years

total population

75.44 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

NA%

male

NA%

total population

97.8% (1991 est.)

Nationality

adjective

British Virgin Islander

noun

British Virgin Islander(s)

Net migration rate

12.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

19,615 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

2.34% (2000 est.)

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)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.2 male(s)/female

total population

1.06 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.72 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Capital

Road Town

Constitution

1 June 1977

Country name

abbreviation

BVI

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

British Virgin Islands

Data code

VI

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Francis J. SAVAGE (since NA)

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

head of government

Chief Minister Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 15 May 1995; appointed after the death of former Chief Minister H. Lavity STOUTT)

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)

Government type

NA

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International organization participation

Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate)

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

Legal system

English law

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)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - VIP 6, CCM 2, UP 2, independents 3

elections

last held 20 February 1995 (next to be held NA February 2000)

National holiday

Territory Day, 1 July

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 ; Virgin Islands Party or VIP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish

Budget

expenditures

$115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)

revenues

$121.5 million

Currency

1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$36.1 million (1997)

Economic aid - recipient

$2.6 million (1995)

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.

Electricity - consumption

39 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

42 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

US currency is used

Exports

$6 million (1998)

Exports - commodities

rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand

Exports - partners

Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $287 million (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

1.8%

industry

6.2%

services

92% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $15,000 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6.8% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$175 million (1998)

Imports - commodities

building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery

Imports - partners

Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US

Industrial production growth rate

4% (1985)

Industries

tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.3% (1998)

Labor force

4,911 (1980)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

3% (1995)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

9,000 (1997)

Telephone system

worldwide telephone service

domestic

NA

international

submarine cable to Bermuda

Telephones - main lines in use

9,000 (1994)

Telephones - mobile cellular

NA

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus one cable company) (1997)

Televisions

4,000 (1997)

Airports

3 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

NA km

total

113 km (1995 est.)

unpaved

NA km

Merchant marine

none (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

Road Town

Railways

0 km

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Disputes - international

none

BRUNEI