British Virgin Islands

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The British Virgin Islands (BVI) is a British overseas territory, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago (the remainder constituting the U.S. Virgin Islands; see also Spanish Virgin Islands).

The British Virgin Islands consist of the main islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke, along with over 50 other smaller islands and cays. Around fifteen of the islands are inhabited. The largest island, Tortola, is approximately 20 km (~12 mi) long and 5 km (~3 mi) wide. The islands have a total population of about 22,000. Road Town, the capital, is situated on Tortola.

Contents 1 History 2 Politics 3 Geography 4 Climate 5 Subdivisions 6 Economy 7 Demographics 8 Transport 9 Music 10 See also 11 References 12 External links 12.1 Official sites 12.2 News and media 12.3 Directories

[edit] History

Main article: History of the British Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands were first settled by Arawak Indians from South America around 100 BC (though there is some evidence of Amerindian presence on the islands as far back as 1500 BC).^[1] The Arawaks inhabited the islands until the fifteenth century when they were displaced by the more aggressive Caribs, a tribe from the Lesser Antilles islands, after whom the Caribbean Sea is named. (Some historians, however, believe that this popular account of warlike Caribs chasing peaceful Arawaks out of the Caribbean islands is rooted in simplistic European stereotypes, and that the true story is more complex.)

The first European sighting of the Virgin Islands was by Christopher Columbus in 1493 on his second voyage to the Americas. Columbus gave them the fanciful name Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Vírgenes (Saint Ursula and her 11,000 Virgins), shortened to Las Vírgenes (The Virgins), after the legend of Saint Ursula.

The Spanish Empire acquired the islands in the early sixteenth century, mining copper on Virgin Gorda, and subsequent years saw the English, Dutch, French, Spanish and Danish all jostling for control of the region, which became a notorious haunt for pirates. During the process of colonisation the native Amerindian population was decimated.

The Dutch established a permanent settlement on the island of Tortola in 1648. In 1672, the English captured Tortola from the Dutch, and the British annexation of Anegada and Virgin Gorda followed in 1680. Meanwhile, over the period 1672–1733, the Danish gained control of the nearby islands of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix.

The British islands were considered principally a strategic possession, but were planted when economic conditions were particularly favourable. The British introduced sugar cane which was to become the main crop and source of foreign trade, and slaves were brought from Africa to work on the sugar cane plantations. The islands prospered economically until the growth in the sugar beet crop in Europe and the United States significantly reduced sugar cane production.

In 1917, the United States purchased St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix from Denmark for US$25 million, renaming them the United States Virgin Islands. Subsequently, the British renamed the islands they controlled as the British Virgin Islands.

The British Virgin Islands were administered variously as part of the Leeward Islands Colony or with St. Kitts and Nevis, with an Administrator representing the British Government on the Islands. Separate colony status was gained for the Islands in 1960 and the Islands became autonomous in 1967. Since the 1960s, the Islands have diversified away from their traditionally agriculture-based economy towards tourism and financial services, becoming one of the richest areas in the Caribbean.

[edit] Politics

Main article: Politics of the British Virgin Islands

Executive authority in British Virgin Islands is invested in The Queen and is exercised on her behalf by the Governor of the British Virgin Islands. The Governor is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the British Government. Defence and Foreign Affairs remain the responsibility of the United Kingdom.

The Constitution of the Islands was introduced in 1971. The Head of Government is the Chief Minister, who is elected in a general election along with the other members of the ruling government as well as the members of the opposition. An Executive Council is nominated by the Chief Minister and appointed by the Governor. There is a unicameral Legislative Council made up of 13 seats.

The current Governor is David Pearey (since 2006). The current Chief Minister is Orlando Smith (since June 17 2003) who is a member of ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). The main opposition is the Virgin Islands Party (VIP).

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of the British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands comprise around sixty semi-tropical Caribbean islands, ranging in size from the largest, Tortola (approximately 12 miles by 3 miles), to tiny uninhabited islets. They are located in the Virgin Islands archipelago, a few miles east of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The North Atlantic Ocean lies to the north of the islands, and the Caribbean Sea lies to the south. Most of the islands are volcanic in origin and have a hilly, rugged terrain. Anegada is geologically distinct from the rest of the group and is a flat island composed of limestone and coral.

In addition to the four main islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke, other islands include:

Beef Island Cooper Island Ginger Island Great Camanoe Great Thatch Guana Island

Mosquito Island Necker Island Norman Island Peter Island Salt Island

[edit] Climate

The British Virgin Islands enjoy a sub-tropical climate, moderated by trade winds. Temperatures vary little throughout the year: typical daily maxima are around 29°C (84°F) in the summer and 25°C (77°F) in the winter. Rainfall averages about 115 cm (45 in) per year, higher in the hills and lower on the coast. Rainfall can be quite variable, but the wettest months on average are September to December. Hurricanes occasionally hit the islands, with the hurricane season running from June to October.

[edit] Subdivisions

Main article: Districts of the British Virgin Islands

[edit] Economy

Main article: Economy of the British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands enjoys one of the more prosperous economies of the Caribbean region, with a per capita GDP of around $38,500 (2004 est.)^[2]

In the British Virgin Islands it has long been fashionable to talk about the "twin pillars" of the Territory's economy - tourism and financial services. Politically, tourism is the more important of the two, as it employs a greater number of people within the Territory, and a larger proportion of the businesses in the tourist industry are locally owned, as are a number of the highly tourism dependent sole traders (i.e. taxi drivers and street vendors). Economically, however, financial services is by far the more important. Nearly 50% of the Government's revenue comes directly from licence fees for offshore companies, and considerable further sums are raised directly or indirectly from payroll taxes relating to salaries paid within the trust industry sector (which tend to be higher on average than those paid in the tourism sector).

Tourism accounts for 45% of national income. The islands are a popular destination for U.S. citizens, with around 350,000 tourists visiting annually (1997 figures). Tourists frequent the numerous white sand beaches, visit The Baths on Virgin Gorda, snorkel the coral reefs near Anegada, experience the well-known bars of Jost Van Dyke, or charter yachts to explore the less accessible islands. A substantial number of the tourists who visit the BVI are cruise ship passengers, although they produce far lower revenue per head than charter boat tourists and hotel based tourists. They are nonetheless important to the substantial (and politically important) taxi driving community.

Substantial revenues are also generated by the registration of offshore companies. As of 2004, over 550,000 companies were so registered. In 2000 KPMG reported in its survey of offshore jurisdictions for the United Kingdom government that over 41% of the world's offshore companies were formed in the British Virgin Islands. Since 2001, financial services in the British Virgin Islands have been regulated by the independent Financial Services Commission.

Agriculture and industry account for only a small proportion of the islands' GDP. Agricultural produce includes fruit, vegetables, sugar cane, livestock and poultry, and industries include rum distillation, construction and boatbuilding.

Since 1959, the official currency of the British Virgin Islands has been the US dollar, also used by the United States Virgin Islands.

[edit] Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the British Virgin Islands

The population of the Islands is around 21,730 at 2003. The majority of the population (83%) are Afro-Caribbean, descended from the slaves brought to the islands by the British. Other large ethnic groups include those of British and other European origin.

The 1999 census reports:

83.36% Black

  7.28% White*

  5.38% Mixed

  3.14% East Indian

  0.84% Others

* includes British, Portuguese, and Syrian/Lebanese.

The islands are predominantly Protestant Christian (86%). The largest individual denominations are Methodist (33%), Anglican (17%), and Catholic (10%).

[edit] Transport

Main article: Transportation on the British Virgin Islands

Being a small group of islands, transportation is limited. There are 113 km of roads. The main airport (Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, also known as Beef Island Airport) is located on Beef Island, which lies off the eastern tip of Tortola. Virgin Gorda and Anegada have their own smaller airports. The main harbour is in Road Town.

[edit] Music

Main article: Music of the Virgin Islands

The traditional music of the British Virgin Islands is called fungi after the local cornmeal dish with the same name, often made with okra. The special sound of fungi is due to a unique local fusion between African and European music. It functions as a medium of local history and folklore and is therefore a cherished cultural form of expression that is part of the curriculum in BVI schools. The fungi bands, also called "scratch bands", use instruments ranging from calabash, washboard, bongos and ukulele, to more traditional western instruments like keyboard, banjo, guitar, bass, triangle and saxophone. Apart from being a form of festive dance music, fungi often contains humorous social commentaries, as well as BVI oral history.^[3]

[edit] See also

• List of British Virgin Islands-related topics
• Communications on the British Virgin Islands
• Demographics of the British Virgin Islands
• Military of the British Virgin Islands
• Music of the Virgin Islands
• Politics of the British Virgin Islands
• Virgin Islands Creole

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Find more information on British Virgin Islands by searching Wikipedia's sister projects
	Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary
	Textbooks from Wikibooks
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Images and media from Commons
	News stories from Wikinews
	Learning resources from Wikiversity

[edit] Official sites

• The Government of the BVI, London Office - Official government site
• British Virgin Islands: Nature's Little Secrets- Official site of the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board
• The British Virgin Islands Welcome - Official, bi-monthly BVI Tourist Board publication
• The British Virgin Islands Ports Authotity - Official site
• National Parks Trust of the British Virgin Islands - Official site
• British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission - Official site

[edit] News and media

• BVI News Online - Daily News (Online) of the British Virgin Islands
• The Island Sun - Weekly newspaper of the British Virgin Islands
• The BVI Beacon - Weekly newspaper of the British Virgin Islands
• BVI Standpoint - Weekly newspaper of the British Virgin Islands

[edit] Directories

• British Virgin Islands travel guide from Wikitravel
• Open Directory Project - British Virgin Islands directory category

Geographic locale

v • d • e Countries in the Caribbean Independent nations Commonwealth Realms: Antigua and Barbuda • Bahamas • Barbados • Grenada • Jamaica • Saint Kitts and Nevis • Saint Lucia • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Commonwealth republics: Dominica • Trinidad and Tobago Other republics: Cuba • Dominican Republic • France (overseas regions of Guadeloupe and Martinique) • Haiti Dependencies British: Anguilla ∙ British Virgin Islands ∙ Cayman Islands ∙ Montserrat ∙ Turks and Caicos Islands • Dutch: Aruba • Netherlands Antilles • French: Saint Barthelemy • Saint Martin • American: Navassa Island ∙ Puerto Rico ∙ U.S. Virgin Islands

International membership

v • d • e Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Antigua and Barbuda • Bahamas¹ • Barbados • Belize • Dominica • Grenada • Guyana • Haiti¹ • Jamaica • Montserrat² • Saint Kitts and Nevis • Saint Lucia • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines • Suriname • Trinidad and Tobago Associate members: Anguilla • Bermuda • Cayman Islands • British Virgin Islands • Turks and Caicos Islands Observer status: Aruba • Colombia • Dominican Republic • Mexico • Netherlands Antilles • Puerto Rico • Venezuela ¹ member of the community but not the CARICOM (Caribbean) Single Market and Economy ² territory of the United Kingdom awaiting British instruments of entrustment to join the CSME v • d • e British overseas territories and crown dependencies Overseas territories Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · Saint Helena (includes Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha) · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands Crown dependencies  |  Sovereign base areas Guernsey · Jersey · Isle of Man  |  Akrotiri and Dhekelia v • d • e Outlying territories of European countries Territories under European sovereignty but closer to or on continents other than Europe (see inclusion criteria for further information)  Denmark Greenland  France Clipperton Island · French Guiana · French Polynesia · French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Amsterdam • Saint-Paul • Crozet • Kerguelen • Adélie Land1 • Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean: Bassas da India • Europa Island • Glorioso Islands • Juan de Nova Island • Tromelin Island) · Guadeloupe · Martinique · Mayotte · New Caledonia · Réunion · Saint Barthelemy · Saint Martin · Saint Pierre and Miquelon · Wallis and Futuna  Netherlands Aruba · Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire • Curaçao • Saba • Sint Maarten • Sint Eustatius)  Norway Bouvet Island · Peter I Island1 · Queen Maud Land1  Portugal Azores · Madeira  Spain Canary Islands · Plazas de soberanía (Ceuta • Melilla)  United Kingdom Anguilla · Ascension Island · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Montserrat · Saint Helena · Tristan da Cunha · Turks and Caicos Islands · British Antarctic Territory1 · British Indian Ocean Territory · Pitcairn Islands · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 1 Sovereignity over territories in Antarctica currently suspended under the Antarctic Treaty System. v • d • e British Empire and Commonwealth of Nations Legend Current territory  ·  Former territory * now a Commonwealth Realm  ·  now a member of the Commonwealth of Nations Europe  18th century 1708-1757  Minorca since 1713  Gibraltar 1782-1802  Minorca 19th century 1800-1964  Malta 1807-1890  Heligoland 1809-1864  Ionian Islands 1878-1960  Cyprus 20th century since 1960  Akrotiri and Dhekelia North America  16th century 1583-1907  Newfoundland 17th century 1607-1784  Thirteen Colonies since 1619  Bermuda 1670-1870  Rupert's Land 18th century Canada (British Imperial)    1763-1791  Quebec    1791-1841  Lower Canada    1791-1841  Upper Canada 19th century Canada (British Imperial)    1841-1867  Province of Canada    1849-1866  Vancouver Island    1858-1871  British Columbia    1859-1870  North-Western Territory    1862-1863  Stikine Territory *Canada (post-Confederation)    1867-1931  Dominion of Canada 20th century *Canada (post-Confederation)    1907-1931  Dominion of Newfoundland Latin America and the Caribbean  17th century 1605-1979  *Saint Lucia 1624-1966  *Barbados 1625-1650  Saint Croix 1627-1979  *St. Vincent and the Grenadines 1629-1641  St. Andrew and Providence Islands1 since 1632  Montserrat 1643-1860  Bay Islands since 1650  Anguilla 1651-1667  Willoughbyland (Suriname) 1655-1850  Mosquito Coast (protectorate) 1655-1962  *Jamaica since 1666  British Virgin Islands since 1670  Cayman Islands 1670-1973  *Bahamas 1670-1688  St. Andrew and Providence Islands1 1671-1816  Leeward Islands 18th century 1762-1974  *Grenada 1763-1978  Dominica since 1799  Turks and Caicos Islands 19th century 1831-1966  British Guiana (Guyana) 1833-1960  Windward Islands 1833-1960  Leeward Islands 1860-1981  *Antigua and Barbuda 1871-1964  British Honduras (*Belize) 1882-1983  *St. Kitts and Nevis 1889-1962  Trinidad and Tobago 20th century 1958-1962  West Indies Federation 1 Now the San Andrés y Providencia Department of Colombia. Africa  18th century 1792-1961  Sierra Leone 1795-1803  Cape Colony 19th century 1806-1910  Cape Colony 1816-1965  Gambia 1856-1910  Natal 1868-1966  Basutoland (Lesotho) 1874-1957  Gold Coast (Ghana) 1882-1922  Egypt 1884-1966  Bechuanaland (Botswana) 1884-1960  British Somaliland 1887-1897  Zululand 1888-1894  Matabeleland 1890-1980  Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) 1890-1962  Uganda 1890-1963  Zanzibar (Tanzania) 1891-1964  Nyasaland (Malawi) 1891-1907  British Central Africa 1893-1968  Swaziland 1895-1920  British East Africa 1899-1956  Anglo-Egyptian Sudan 20th century 1900-1914  Northern Nigeria 1900-1914  Southern Nigeria 1900-1910  Orange River Colony 1906-1954  Nigeria Colony 1910-1931  South Africa 1911-1964  Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) 1914-1954  Nigeria Protectorate 1915-1931  South West Africa (Namibia) 1919-1960  Cameroons (Cameroon) 2 1920-1963  Kenya 1922-1961  Tanganyika (Tanzania) 1954-1960  Nigeria since 1965  British Indian Ocean Territory 2 League of Nations mandate. Asia  18th century 1757-1947  Bengal (West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh) 1795-1948  Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1796-1965  Maldives 19th century 1819-1826  Singapore 1826-1946  Straits Settlements 1839-1967  Aden 1841-1997  Hong Kong 1841-1941  Kingdom of Sarawak 1858-1947  India (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) 1882-1963  British North Borneo (Malaysia) 1885-1946  Unfederated Malay States 1891-1971  Muscat and Oman protectorate 1892-1971  Trucial States protectorate 1895-1946  Federated Malay States 1898-1930  Weihai Garrison 20th century 1918-1961  Kuwait protectorate 1920-1932  Iraq2 1921-1946  Transjordan2 1923-1948  Palestine2 1946-1948  Malayan Union 1946-1963  Sarawak (Malaysia) 1948-1957  Federation of Malaya (Malaysia) 2 League of Nations mandate. Oceania and the Pacific  18th century 1788-1901  New South Wales 1794-1843  Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) 19th century 1803-1901  Tasmania 1824-1980  New Hebrides (Vanuatu) 1824-1901  Queensland 1829-1901  Western Australia 1836-1901  South Australia since 1838  Pitcairn Islands 1840-1907  *Colony of New Zealand 1850-1901  Victoria (Australia) 1874-1970  Fiji 1877-1976  British Western Pacific Territories 1884-1949  Territory of Papua 1888-1965  Cook Islands2 1888-1984  Sultanate of Brunei 1889-1948  Union Islands (Tokelau)3 1892-1979  Gilbert and Ellice Islands4 1893-1978  British Solomon Islands5 20th century 1900-1970  Tonga (protected state) 1900-1974  Niue3 1901-1942  *Commonwealth of Australia 1907-1953  *Dominion of New Zealand 1949-1975  Territory of Papua and New Guinea6 3 Now part of the *Realm of New Zealand. 4 Now Kiribati and *Tuvalu. 5 Now the *Solomon Islands. 6 Now *Papua New Guinea. South Atlantic  17th century since 1659  St. Helena 19th century since 1815  Ascension Island7 since 1816  Tristan da Cunha7 since 1833  Falkland Islands9 20th century since 1908  British Antarctic Territory8 since 1908  South Georgia and                     the South Sandwich Islands8, 9 7 Dependencies of St. Helena since 1922 (Ascension Island) and 1938 (Tristan da Cunha). 8 Both claimed in 1908; territories formed in 1962 (British Antarctic Territory) and 1985 (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands). 9 Occupied by Argentina during the Falklands War of April-June 1982.

Coordinates: 18°30′N 64°30′W