British Virgin Islands

Broadcast media

1 private TV station; multi-channel TV is available from cable and satellite subscription services; about a half dozen private radio stations operating (2007)

Internet country code

.vg

Internet hosts

497 (2010) country comparison to the world: 180

Internet users

4,000 (2002) country comparison to the world: 206

Telephone system

general assessment: good overall telephone service domestic: fixed line connections exceed 80 per 100 persons and mobile cellular subscribership is roughly 100 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 (2010)

Telephones - main lines in use

20,100 (2010) country comparison to the world: 193

Telephones - mobile cellular

24,500 (2010) country comparison to the world: 206

Agriculture - products

fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish

Budget

revenues: $300 million expenditures: $300 million (2010 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 44

Current account balance

$362.6 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 56 $328.6 million (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$36.1 million (1997) country comparison to the world: 192

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.

Electricity - consumption

41.85 million kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 203

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - production

45 million kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 203

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

Exports

$35.2 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 200 $33.6 million (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.095 billion (2008)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$853.4 million (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 204

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 0.9% industry: 10.6% services: 88.5% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$38,500 (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 24

GDP - real growth rate

-0.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 194

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$228.4 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 199 $217.6 million (2009 est.) (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 3.3% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

23.2% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 77

Labor force

12,770 (2004) country comparison to the world: 212

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 0.6% industry: 40% services: 59.4% (2005)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 156

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 200

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 199

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 139

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 202

Oil - consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 200

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 141

Oil - imports

752 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 197

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 157

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 204

Population below poverty line

NA%

Taxes and other revenues

27.4% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 108

Unemployment rate

3.6% (1997) country comparison to the world: 29

Area

total: 151 sq km country comparison to the world: 219 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

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 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: 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

13 June 2007

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 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 theWorld Leaders website) 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

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

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 common law

Legislative branch

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%; seats by party - NDP 9, VIP 4

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)

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

The Family Support Network; The Women's Desk other: environmentalists

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 16-49: 7,266 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 6,057 females age 16-49: 5,805 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 168 female: 162 (2010 est.)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Age structure

0-14 years: 19.6% (male 2,526/female 2,457) 15-64 years: 74.1% (male 9,631/female 9,174) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 827/female 768) (2011 est.)

Birth rate

14.5 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 141

Death rate

4.49 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 199

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 98% of population rural: 98% of population total: 98% of population unimproved: urban: 2% of population rural: 2% of population total: 2% of population (2008)

Education expenditures

3.2% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 126

Ethnic groups

black 82%, white 6.8%, other 11.2% (includes Indian and mixed) (2008)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 126 male: 15.47 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Languages

English (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.63 years country comparison to the world: 59 male: 76.32 years female: 78.99 years (2011 est.)

Literacy

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

Major cities - population

ROAD TOWN (capital) 9,000 (2009)

Median age

total: 32.9 years male: 32.9 years female: 32.8 years (2011 est.)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

7.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 13

Population

25,383 (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 217

Population growth rate

1.741% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 64

Religions

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)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population (2008)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years male: 15 years female: 16 years (2009)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.07 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.71 children born/woman (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 166

Urbanization

urban population: 41% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 1.7% annual rate of change (2010-15 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

4 (2010) country comparison to the world: 189

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2010)

Merchant marine

registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008) country comparison to the world: 149

Ports and terminals

Road Harbor

Roadways

total: 200 km country comparison to the world: 207 paved: 200 km (2007)