ARCHIVE // VG // 1999

British Virgin Islands

1999 Edition — territory

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Communications
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios [time series]
9,000 (1992 est.)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
worldwide telephone service domestic: NA international: submarine cable to Bermuda
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]
6,291 (1990 est.)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
1 (in addition, there is one cable company) (1997)
Televisions [time series]
4,000 (1992 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture--products) [time series]
fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Budget [time series]
revenues: $121.5 million expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Debt - external (Debt--external) [time series]
$34.8 million (1996)
Economic aid (Economic aid--recipient) [time series]
$2.6 million (1995)
Economic overview (Economy--overview) [time series]
The economy, one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, which generates an estimated 45% of the national income. 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.
Electricity - consumption (Electricity--consumption) [time series]
42 million kWh (1996)
Electricity - exports (Electricity--exports) [time series]
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity - imports (Electricity--imports) [time series]
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity - production (Electricity--production) [time series]
42 million kWh (1996)
Electricity - production by source (Electricity--production by source) [time series]
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates [time series]
US currency is used
Exports [time series]
$23.9 million (1996)
Exports - commodities (Exports--commodities) [time series]
rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Exports - partners (Exports--partners) [time series]
Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Fiscal year [time series]
1 April--31 March
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity--$183 million (1997 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP--composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: 1% industry: 1.4% services: 97.6% (1991-95 average)
Real GDP per capita (GDP--per capita) [time series]
purchasing power parity?$10,000 (1997 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP--real growth rate) [time series]
4.7% (1997)
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports [time series]
$121.5 million (1996)
Imports - commodities (Imports--commodities) [time series]
building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners (Imports--partners) [time series]
Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
4% (1985)
Industries [time series]
tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
6.5% (1997)
Labor force [time series]
4,911 (1980)
Labor force - by occupation (Labor force--by occupation) [time series]
tourism NA%
Population below poverty line [time series]
NA%
Unemployment rate [time series]
3% (1995)
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 150 sq km land: 150 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the island of Anegada
Area - comparative (Area--comparative) [time series]
about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Coastline [time series]
80 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Environment - current issues (Environment--current issues) [time series]
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)
International environmental agreements (Environment--international agreements) [time series]
party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geographic coordinates [time series]
18 30 N, 64 30 W
Geography - note (Geography--note) [time series]
strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Irrigated land [time series]
NA sq km
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 20% permanent crops: 7% permanent pastures: 33% forests and woodland: 7% other: 33% (1993 est.)
Location [time series]
Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references [time series]
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims [time series]
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Natural resources [time series]
NEGL
Terrain [time series]
coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Capital [time series]
Road Town
Constitution [time series]
1 June 1977
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: none conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI
Data code [time series]
VI
Dependency status [time series]
overseas territory of the UK
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor David MACKILLIGIN (since NA June 1995) head of government: Chief Minister Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 15 May 1995; appointed after the death of former Chief Minister H. Lavity STOUTT) 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
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
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 [time series]
NA
Independence [time series]
none (overseas territory of the UK)
International organization participation [time series]
Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate)
Judicial branch [time series]
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 [time series]
English law
Legislative branch [time series]
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 20 February 1995 (next to be held NA February 2000) election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--VIP 6, CCM 2, UP 2, independents 3
National holiday [time series]
Territory Day, 1 July
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
United Party or UP [Conrad
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal
Military
Military - note (Military--note) [time series]
defense is the responsibility of the UK
People
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 21% (male 2,012; female 1,965) 15-64 years: 74% (male 7,300; female 6,896) 65 years and over: 5% (male 539; female 444) (1999 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
15.92 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate [time series]
4.65 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
black 90%, white, Asian
Infant mortality rate [time series]
22.17 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages [time series]
English (official)
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 75.13 years male: 74.37 years female: 75.92 years (1999 est.)
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
Nationality [time series]
noun: British Virgin Islander(s) adjective: British Virgin Islander
Net migration rate [time series]
12.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population [time series]
19,156 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
2.37% (1999 est.)
Religions [time series]
Protestant 86% (Methodist 45%, Anglican 21%, Church of God 7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 2%), Roman Catholic 6%, none 2%, other 6% (1981)
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.21 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
1.71 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international (Disputes--international) [time series]
none
Transportation
Airports [time series]
3 (1998 est.)
Airports - with paved runways (Airports--with paved runways) [time series]
total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports--with unpaved runways) [time series]
total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 113 km (1995 est.) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
Merchant marine [time series]
none
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
Road Town
Railways [time series]
0 km