British Virgin Islands
none conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI
NAIndependence none (overseas territory of the UK)
British Virgin Islands as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 108 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were soon after (1672) annexed by the English. 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
Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
17 fieldsLand use
arable land: 20% permanent crops: 7% permanent pastures: 33% forests and woodland: 7% other: 33% (1993 est.)
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 catchment)
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Religions(1981)
Age structure
0-14 years: 22.77% (male 2,399; female 2,339) 15-64 years: 72.31% (male 7,741; female 7,309) 65 years and over: 4.92% (male 555; female 469) (2001 est.)
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: 1.18 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.64 years male: 74.74 years female: 76.59 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
Government
NA
19 fieldsLegislative Council, 13 seatsone dot, one seat
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Francis J. SAVAGE (since NA) head of government: Chief Minister Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 15 May 1995) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council elections: none;
- the monarch is hereditary;
- governor appointed by the monarch;
- chief minister appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 17 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - VIP 7, CCM 1, NDP 5
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
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]
International organization participation
Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate)
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
The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, which generates an estimated 45% of the national income.
32 fieldsElectricity
Economy - overview
The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, which generates an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1997. 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.
An estimated 250,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 1997. 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, is expected to make 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 dollar as its currency since 1959.
Budget
revenues: $121.5 million expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
general assessment: worldwide telephone service domestic: NA international: submarine cable to Bermuda
Transportation
8 fieldsMerchant marine
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 70,285 GRT/6,946 DWT ships by type: passenger 1 (2000 est.)
Military
1 fieldTransnational Issues
2 fieldsCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “British Virgin Islands.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/british-virgin-islands/2001.