2015 Edition

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.

Area

land

151 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

151 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 freshwater resources except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola; most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments

Geographic coordinates

18 30 N, 64 30 W

Geography - note

strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land 6.7%; permanent crops 6.7%; permanent pasture 33.3%

agricultural land

46.7%

forest

24.3%

other

29% (2011 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

Natural hazards

hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)

Natural resources

NEGL; pleasant climate, beaches foster tourism

Terrain

coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly

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.)

Birth rate

10.91 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Death rate

4.99 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 98% of population

rural: 98% of population

total: 98% of population

urban: 2% of population

rural: 2% of population

total: 2% of population (2010 est.)

Education expenditures

4.4% of GDP (2010)

Ethnic groups

black 82%, white 6.8%, mixed 5.9%, East Indian 3%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.7% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

11.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

14.79 deaths/1,000 live births

total

12.98 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official)

Life expectancy at birth

female

79.87 years (2015 est.)

male

77.12 years

total population

78.46 years

Major urban areas - population

ROAD TOWN (capital) 13,000 (2014)

Median age

female

36 years (2015 est.)

male

35.8 years

total

35.9 years

Nationality

adjective

British Virgin Islander

noun

British Virgin Islander(s)

Net migration rate

17.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Population

33,454 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

2.32% (2015 est.)

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.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 97.5% of population

rural: 97.5% of population

total: 97.5% of population

urban: 2.5% of population

rural: 2.5% of population

total: 2.5% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

16 years (2009)

male

15 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.92 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.26 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

46.2% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Capital

geographic coordinates

18 25 N, 64 37 W

name

Road Town

time difference

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

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

several previous; latest effective 15 June 2007 (2015)

Country name

abbreviation

BVI

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

British Virgin Islands

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

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 House of Assembly

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor John DUNCAN (since 15 August 2014)

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

head of government

Premier Orlando SMITH (since 9 November 2011)

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

Government type

NA

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International organization participation

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

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

Legal system

English common law

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

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 9, VIP 3, PEP 1

elections

last held on 8 June 2015 (next to be held in 2019)

National anthem

note

as a territory of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)

National holiday

Territory Day, 1 July (1956)

National symbol(s)

zenaida dove, white cedar flower; national colors: yellow, green, red, white, blue

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish

Budget

expenditures

$300 million (2014 est.)

revenues

$300 million

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0% of GDP (2014 est.)

Current account balance

$362.6 million (2011 est.)

$279.8 million (2010 est.)

Debt - external

$36.1 million (1997)

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.

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

Exports

$25 million (2014 est.)

$25.5 million (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

107.1%

government consumption

8.6%

household consumption

33.4%

imports of goods and services

-73.7%

investment in fixed capital

24.6%

investment in inventories

0%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.1%

industry

12%

services

86.9% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$42,300 (2010 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.3% (2010 est.)

-0.6% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.095 billion (2008)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$500 million (2010 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$290 million (2014 est.)

$320 million (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery

Industrial production growth rate

2% (2014 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (2014 est.)

1.5% (2013 est.)

Labor force

12,770 (2004)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

0.6%

industry

40%

services

59.4% (2005)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Taxes and other revenues

27.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

8.7% (2010 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

160,100 Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

51.15 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

44,000 kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

55 million kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

800 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

772.6 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

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)

Internet country code

.vg

Internet users

percent of population

16.8% (2002)

total

4,000

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)

Telephone system

domestic

fixed-line connections exceed 80 per 100 persons and mobile cellular subscribership is roughly 150 per 100 persons

general assessment

good overall telephone service

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)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

36 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

11,800

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

148 (2014 est.)

total

48,400

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus 1 cable company) (1997)

Airports

4 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

914 to 1,523 m

1

total

2

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

914 to 1,523 m

2 (2013)

total

2

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Road Harbor

Roadways

paved

200 km (2007)

total

200 km

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49

7,266 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

5,805 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

6,057

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

162 (2010 est.)

male

168

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

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