ARCHIVE // VG // 2004

British Virgin Islands

2004 Edition — territory

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Communications
Internet country code [time series]
.vg
Internet users [time series]
NA
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
general assessment: worldwide telephone service domestic: NA international: country code - 1-284; submarine cable to Bermuda
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]
11,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
8,000 (2002)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
1 (plus one cable company) (1997)
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]
US dollar (USD)
Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]
USD
Debt - external [time series]
$36.1 million (1997)
Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]
NA
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
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, 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 [time series]
35.43 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports [time series]
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports [time series]
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production [time series]
38.1 million kWh (2001)
Exchange rates [time series]
the US dollar is used
Exports [time series]
$25.3 million (2002)
Exports - commodities [time series]
rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
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 - $320 million (2002 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: 1.8% industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]
purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2002 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
1% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Imports [time series]
$187 million (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities [time series]
building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners [time series]
Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA
Industries [time series]
tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
2.5% (2002)
Labor force [time series]
4,911 (1980)
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA
Oil - consumption [time series]
420 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports [time series]
NA (2001)
Oil - imports [time series]
NA (2001)
Oil - production [time series]
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line [time series]
NA
Unemployment rate [time series]
3% (1995)
Geography
Area [time series]
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 island of Anegada
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 [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 catchments)
Geographic coordinates [time series]
18 30 N, 64 30 W
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: 6.67% other: 73.33% (2001)
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]
territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 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
Dependency status [time series]
overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing
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 Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002) head of government: Chief Minister 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 (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, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU
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 four-year terms) elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5
National holiday [time series]
Territory Day, 1 July
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
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 parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
NA
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background [time series]
First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 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.
Military
Military - note [time series]
defense is the responsibility of the UK
People
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 21.5% (male 2,402; female 2,361) 15-64 years: 73.5% (male 8,395; female 7,911) 65 years and over: 5% (male 594; female 524) (2004 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
14.96 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate [time series]
4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
NA
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 18.05 deaths/1,000 live births male: 21.02 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Languages [time series]
English (official)
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 76.27 years male: 75.24 years female: 77.36 years (2004 est.)
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA female: NA
Median age [time series]
total: 30.9 years male: 31.1 years female: 30.7 years (2004 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: British Virgin Islander(s) adjective: British Virgin Islander
Net migration rate [time series]
10.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Population [time series]
22,187 (July 2004 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
2.06% (2004 est.)
Religions [time series]
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 [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: 1.13 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
1.72 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
none
Illicit drugs [time series]
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering
Transportation
Airports [time series]
3 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 177 km paved: 177 km unpaved: 0 km (2000)
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,825 GRT/155,909 DWT by type: cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: Norway 1 registered in other countries: 32 (2004 est.)
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
Road Town