2005 Edition

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Age structure

0-14 years: 21% (male 2,400/female 2,358) 15-64 years: 73.9% (male 8,607/female 8,115) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 614/female 549) (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish

Airports

3 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) Military British Virgin Islands

Area

land

153 sq km

total

153 sq km

water

0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada

Area - comparative

about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC

Background

First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 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. Geography British Virgin Islands

Birth rate

14.96 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Budget

expenditures

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

revenues

$121.5 million

Capital

Road Town

Climate

subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds

Coastline

80 km

Constitution

1 June 1977

Country name

abbreviation

BVI

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

British Virgin Islands

Currency (code)

US dollar (USD)

Currency code

USD

Death rate

4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$36.1 million (1997)

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Disputes - international

none

Economic aid - recipient

NA

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. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. 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, 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

33.74 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

36.28 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

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 catchments)

Ethnic groups

black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

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 Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor

head of government

Chief Minister Orlando D. SMITH (since 17 June 2003)

Exports

$25.3 million (2002)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March Communications British Virgin Islands

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) Economy British Virgin Islands

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

1.8%

industry

6.2%

services

92% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $38,500 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1% (2002 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.498 billion (2004 est.)

Geographic coordinates

18 30 N, 64 30 W

Geography - note

strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico People British Virgin Islands

Government type

NA

Highways

paved

177 km

total

177 km

unpaved

0 km (2000)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005 ======================================================================

Imports

$187 million (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery

Imports - partners

Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

14.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

male

21.02 deaths/1,000 live births

total

18.05 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.5% (2003)

International organization participation

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

Internet country code

.vg

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

16 (2000)

Internet users

4,000 (2002) Transportation British Virgin Islands

Irrigated land

NA

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

Labor force

12,770 (2004)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

20%

other

73.33% (2001)

permanent crops

6.67%

Languages

English (official)

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 four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5

elections

last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.62 years (2005 est.)

male

75.41 years

total population

76.49 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

NA% Government British Virgin Islands

male

NA%

total population

97.8% (1991 est.)

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

Median age

female

30.7 years (2005 est.)

male

31.1 years

total

30.9 years

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 1

registered in other countries

7 (2005)

total

1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,825 GRT/155,909 DWT

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK Transnational Issues British Virgin Islands

National holiday

Territory Day, 1 July

Nationality

adjective

British Virgin Islander

noun

British Virgin Islander(s)

Natural hazards

hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)

Natural resources

NEGL

Net migration rate

10.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

420 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

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

Population

22,643 (July 2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Population growth rate

2.06% (2005 est.)

Ports and harbors

Road Town

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios

9,000 (1997)

Religions

Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female

total population

1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

worldwide telephone service

international

country code - 1-284; submarine cable to Bermuda

Telephones - main lines in use

11,700 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

8,000 (2002)

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus one cable company) (1997)

Televisions

4,000 (1997)

Terrain

coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly

Total fertility rate

1.72 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

3% (1995)