Page last updated on January 28, 2014

Introduction:
Background:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
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:
Location:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
18 30 N, 64 30 W
Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
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total: 151 sq km
country comparison to the world: 220
land: 151 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:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
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0 km
Coastline:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
80 km
Maritime claims:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Terrain:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Elevation extremes:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Natural resources:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
NEGL
Land use:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
arable land: 6.67%
permanent crops: 6.67%
other: 86.67% (2011)
Irrigated land:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
NA
Natural hazards:
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hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Environment - current issues:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
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
Geography - note:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
People and Society:
Nationality:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander
Ethnic groups:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
black 82%, white 6.8%, other 11.2% (includes Indian and mixed) (2008)
Languages:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
English (official)
Religions:
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Protestant 84% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 2%, none 2% (1991)
Population:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
31,912 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216
Age structure:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0-14 years: 17.4% (male 2,734/female 2,831)
15-24 years: 14.8% (male 2,251/female 2,460)
25-54 years: 49.9% (male 7,549/female 8,384)
55-64 years: 10.3% (male 1,628/female 1,654)
65 years and over: 7.6% (male 1,180/female 1,241) (2013 est.)
Median age:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 35.3 years
male: 35.3 years
female: 35.4 years (2013 est.)
Population growth rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
2.4% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
Birth rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
10.78 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
Death rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
4.89 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
Net migration rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
18.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
Urbanization:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
urban population: 41% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 1.7% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
ROAD TOWN (capital) 10,000 (2011)
Sex ratio:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 13.93 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 121
male: 15.85 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total population: 78.12 years
country comparison to the world: 57
male: 76.86 years
female: 79.45 years (2013 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
1.24 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 220
Drinking water source:
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improved:
unimproved:
Sanitation facility access:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
improved:
unimproved:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
NA
Education expenditures:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
4.3% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 98
Literacy:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8%
male: NA
female: NA (1991 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2009)
Government:
Country name:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands
abbreviation: BVI
Dependency status:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing
Government type:
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NA
Capital:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
name: Road Town
geographic coordinates: 18 25 N, 64 37 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
Territory Day, 1 July (1956)
Constitution:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
several previous; latest effective 15 June 2007 (2007)
Legal system:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
English common law
Suffrage:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Boyd MCCLEARY (since 20 August 2010)
head of government: Premier Orlando SMITH (since 9 November 2011)
cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the House of Assembly
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed premier by the governor
Legislative branch:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
unicameral House of Assembly (13 elected seats, a speaker elected by the 13 members of the House of Assembly, and 1 non-voting ex officio member in the attorney general; 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 on 7 November 2011 (next to be held in 2015)
election results: percent of vote by party - NDP 49.4%, VIP 42%, other 8.6%; seats by party - NDP 9, VIP 4
Judicial branch:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
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
Political parties and leaders:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
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:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
The Family Support Network; The Women's Desk
other: environmentalists
International organization participation:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
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
National anthem:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
note: as a territory of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)
Economy:
Economy - overview:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$500 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 215
GDP (official exchange rate):
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$1.095 billion (2008)
GDP - real growth rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
1.3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$42,300 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
GDP - composition, by end use:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
household consumption: 34.9%
government consumption: 8.4%
investment in fixed capital: 23.9%
investment in inventories: -2%
exports of goods and services: 111.8%
imports of goods and services: -77%
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
agriculture: 1.1%
industry: 11.6%
services: 87.3% (2012 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Industries:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Industrial production growth rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
NA%
Labor force:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
12,770 (2004)
country comparison to the world: 214
Labor force - by occupation:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
agriculture: 0.6%
industry: 40%
services: 59.4% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
8.7% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
Population below poverty line:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
revenues: $300 million
expenditures: $300 million (2012 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
27.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
Fiscal year:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
1 April - 31 March
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
2.2% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
Current account balance:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$362.6 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
Exports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$26 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Exports - commodities:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Imports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$310 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Imports - commodities:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Debt - external:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$36.1 million (1997)
country comparison to the world: 195
Exchange rates:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
the US dollar is used
Energy:
Electricity - production:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
50 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
Electricity - consumption:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
46.5 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
Electricity - exports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
Electricity - imports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
44,000 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Crude oil - production:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
Crude oil - exports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Crude oil - imports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
Crude oil - proved reserves:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 200
Refined petroleum products - production:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
1,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Refined petroleum products - exports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
Refined petroleum products - imports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
772.6 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Natural gas - production:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
Natural gas - consumption:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
Natural gas - exports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Natural gas - imports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0 cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 203
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
147,200 Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Communications:
Telephones - main lines in use:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
12,268 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 199
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
48,700 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 202
Telephone system:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
general assessment: good overall telephone service
domestic: fixed line connections exceed 80 per 100 persons and mobile cellular subscribership is roughly 150 per 100 persons
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)
Broadcast media:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
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:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
.vg
Internet hosts:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
505 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 182
Internet users:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
4,000 (2002)
country comparison to the world: 207
Transportation:
Airports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
4 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 190
Airports - with paved runways:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2013)
Roadways:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 200 km
country comparison to the world: 208
paved: 200 km (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
seaport(s): Road Harbor
Manpower available for military service:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
males age 16-49: 7,266 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
males age 16-49: 6,057
females age 16-49: 5,805 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
male: 168
female: 162 (2010 est.)
Military:
Military - note:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues:
Disputes - international:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
none