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.

Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

18 30 N, 64 30 W

total: 153 sq km
note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada
water: 0 sq km
land: 153 sq km

subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds

coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m

arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67%
other: 73.33% (2001)

hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)

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)

strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

22,187 (July 2004 est.)

black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed

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)

English (official)

overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing

Road Town

Territory Day, 1 July

English law

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.

2.5% (2002)

4,911 (1980)

agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA

3% (1995)

fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish

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

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

the US dollar is used

1 April - 31 March

11,700 (2002)

8,000 (2002)

Road Town

total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,825 GRT/155,909 DWT
registered in other countries: 32 (2003 est.)
by type: cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: Norway 1

3 (2003 est.)

total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.)

total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2003 est.)

defense is the responsibility of the UK

transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering