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British Virgin Islands
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.
Location :
Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Geographic Coordinates Center :
18 30 N, 64 30 W (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | -64.72 |
| North | 18.76 |
| East | -64.27 |
| South | 18.39 |
Map references :
America
Area :
| total | 151 | square km |
| land | 151 | square km |
| water | 0 | square km |
Coastline :
80.00 km
Climate :
subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Terrain :
coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Elevation extremes :
| lowest point | 0 | metres |
| highest point | 521 | metres |
Land use :
| arable land | 20.00 | % |
| permanent crops | 6.67 | % |
| other | 73.33 | % |
Natural hazards :
| hurricanes | tropical storms |
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 catchments)
Population :
24 491
Indicators :
| Growth rate | 1.84 | % |
| Birth rate | 14.62 | births/1,000 population |
| Total fertility rate | 1.71 | children born/woman |
| Death rate | 4.37 | deaths/1,000 population |
| Net migration rate | 8.13 | migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 19.80 | % |
| 15-64 years | 74.40 | % |
| 65 years and over | 5.80 | % |
Median age :
| total | 32.30 | years |
| male | 32.40 | years |
| female | 32.20 | years |
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 | 1.06 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 1.05 | male(s)/female |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 14.65 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 77.26 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 76.03 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 78.55 | years |
Religions :
| Protestant | 86.00 | % |
| Roman Catholic | 10.00 | % |
| other | 2.00 | % |
| none | 2.00 | % |
Languages :
| English |
Literacy :
| total population | 97.80 | % |
Country name :
| conventional short form | British Virgin Islands |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | VG |
| ISO Numeric | 92 |
| ISO3 | VGB |
| FIPS | VI |
| ccTLD | vg |
| English | British Virgin Islands |
Capital :
| name | Road Town |
| geographic coordinates | 18 27 N, 64 37 W |
| time difference | -4.00 |
International organization participation :
| CDB | Caricom (associate) |
| IOC | Interpol (subbureau) |
| OECS | UNESCO (associate) |
| UPU | WFTU |
National holiday :
Territory Day
1956-07-01
Executive branch :
| Prime Minister Ralph T. O'NEAL | Queen ELIZABETH II |
Legislative branch :
| VIP | 45.20 | % |
| NDP | 39.60 | % |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 853 400 000 | $ |
| Official Exchange Rate | 1 095 000 000 | |
| RGR - Real Growth rate | -0.60 | % |
| PPP - per capita | 38 500 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 0.90 | % |
| industry | 10.70 | % |
| services | 88.30 | % |
Labor force - by occupation :
| agriculture | 0.60 | % |
| industry | 40.00 | % |
| services | 59.40 | % |
Other Indicators :
| Unemployment rate | 3.60 | % |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7.10 | % |
| Current account balance | 134 300 000 | $ |
| Debt external | 36 100 000 | $ |
Budget :
| revenues | 204 700 000 | $ |
| expenditures | 180 400 000 | $ |
Agriculture - products :
| fish | fruits |
| livestock | poultry |
| vegetables |
Industries :
| concrete block | construction |
| light industry | offshore financial center |
| rum | tourism |
Energy :
| Electricity Production | 45 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 41 850 000 | kWh |
| Oil Consumption | 1 000 | bbl/day |
| Oil Imports | 691 | bbl/day |
Value :
187 000 000 $
Commodities :
| automobiles | building materials |
| foodstuffs | machinery |
Currency-code :
USD
Currency-name :
US dollar
Communications :
| Telephons Main lines in use | 18 900 | |
| Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 23 000 | |
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 5 | |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | vg | |
| Internet Hosts | 581 | |
| Internet Users | 4 000 |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 2 | |
| Roadways - total | 200 | km |
| Roadways - paved | 200 | km |
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