British Virgin Islands

Internet country code

.vg

Internet hosts

525 (2006)

Internet users

4,000 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)

Telephone system

general assessment: worldwide telephone service domestic: NA 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)

Agriculture - products

fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish

Budget

revenues: $204.7 million expenditures: $180.4 million; including capital expenditures of $33.8 million (1997)

Currency (code)

US dollar (USD)

Current account balance

$134.3 million

Debt - external

$36.1 million (1997)

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)

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

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

GDP (official exchange rate)

$839.7 million

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$853.4 million (2004 est.)

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.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$187 million (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery

Imports - partners

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

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (2005)

Labor force

12,770 (2004)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 0.6% industry: 40% services: 59.4%

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

410 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2003)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

3.6% (1997)

Area

total: 153 sq km land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke

Area - comparative

about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds

Coastline

80 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Sage 521 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)

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: 20% permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (2005)

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)

Natural resources

NEGL

Terrain

coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Capital

name: Road Town geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

1 June 1977, amended in 2000

Country name

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

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

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006) head of government: Chief Minister Dr. Orlando D. SMITH (since 17 June 2003) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council 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

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

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, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5

National holiday

Territory Day, 1 July

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

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.)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility 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.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 16.72 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages

English (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.68 years male: 75.56 years female: 77.84 years (2006 est.)

Literacy

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

Median age

total: 31.4 years male: 31.6 years female: 31.2 years (2006 est.)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

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

Population

23,098 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

1.97% (2006 est.)

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: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.72 children born/woman (2006 est.)

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

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)

Merchant marine

registered in other countries: 1 (North Korea 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals

Road Town

Roadways

total: 177 km paved: 177 km (2002)