2006 Edition

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Age structure

0-14 years: 20.5% (male 2,403/female 2,331) 15-64 years: 74.3% (male 8,811/female 8,340) 65 years and over: 5.3% (male 636/female 577) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish

Airports

3 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m

1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Area

land

153 sq km

note

comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke

total

153 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC

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

Birth rate

14.89 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$180.4 million; including capital expenditures of $33.8 million (1997)

revenues

$204.7 million

Capital

geographic coordinates

18 27 N, 64 37 W

name

Road Town

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds

Coastline

80 km

Constitution

1 June 1977, amended in 2000

Country name

abbreviation

BVI

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

British Virgin Islands

Currency (code)

US dollar (USD)

Currency code

USD

Current account balance

$134.3 million

Death rate

4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2006 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, 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.

Electricity - consumption

32.13 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - production

34.55 million kWh (2003)

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 David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006)

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 Dr. 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 (2004)

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 (PPP)

$38,500 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1% (2002 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$839.7 million

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$853.4 million (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

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

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 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 19 December, 2006

Imports

$187 million (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery

Imports - partners

Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2004)

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

13.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

19.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total

16.72 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (2005)

International organization participation

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

Internet country code

.vg

Internet hosts

525 (2006)

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

0.6%

industry

40%

services

59.4%

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

20%

other

73.33% (2005)

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, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 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 in 2007)

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.84 years (2006 est.)

male

75.56 years

total population

76.68 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

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49

6,410 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49

5,295 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49

201 (2005 est.)

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

3 nm

Median age

female

31.2 years (2006 est.)

male

31.6 years

total

31.4 years

Merchant marine

registered in other countries

1 (North Korea 1) (2006)

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 gas - consumption

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural hazards

hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)

Natural resources

NEGL

Net migration rate

9.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

410 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2003)

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

23,098 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

1.97% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Road Town Military British Virgin Islands

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)

Roadways

paved

177 km (2002)

total

177 km

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female

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 (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

3.6% (1997)