British Virgin Islands

For the island group, which also includes the United States Virgin Islands and Spanish Virgin Islands, see Virgin Islands.


Virgin Islands
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Vigilate" (Latin)
"Be Vigilant"
Anthem: "God Save the Queen"
Territorial song: "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands"
Location of  British Virgin Islands  (circled in red)in the Caribbean  (light yellow)
Location of  British Virgin Islands  (circled in red)

in the Caribbean  (light yellow)

Status British Overseas Territory
and largest city
Road Town
18°25.883′N 64°37.383′W﻿ / ﻿18.431383°N 64.623050°W﻿ / 18.431383; -64.623050
Official languages English
Ethnic groups
Demonym Virgin Islander
Government Parliamentary dependency under constitutional monarchy
   Monarch Elizabeth II
   Governor John Duncan
   Deputy Governor V. Inez Archibald
   Premier Orlando Smith
   Responsible Ministerb (UK) Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Legislature House of Assembly
Established as a dependency of the United Kingdom
   Separate 1960 
   Autonomy 1967 
   Total 153 km2 (216th)
59 sq mi
   Water (%) 1.6
   2010 census 28,054[1] (212th)
   Density 260/km2 (68th)
673/sq mi
GDP (PPP) estimate
   Total $853.4 million[2]
   Per capita $43,366
Currency United States dollar (USD)
Time zone AST (UTC-4)
Drives on the left
Calling code +1-284
ISO 3166 code VG
Internet TLD .vg
a. Source for all ethnic groups including labels: 2010 Census of Population
b. For the Overseas Territories.

The British Virgin Islands (BVI), officially the Virgin Islands,[3] 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 remaining islands constitute the US Virgin Islands and the Spanish Virgin Islands.





The Virgin Islands were first settled by the Arawak from South America around 100 BC (though there is some evidence of Amerindian presence on the islands as far back as 1500 BC).[7] The Arawaks inhabited the islands until the 15th century when they were displaced by the more aggressive Caribs, a tribe from the Lesser Antilles islands, after whom the Caribbean Sea is named.






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.

The British Virgin Islands were administered variously as part of the British Leeward Islands or with St. Kitts and Nevis, with an administrator representing the British Government on the islands. The islands gained separate colony status in 1960 and 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 wealthiest areas in the Caribbean.


Map of British Virgin Islands (Note: Anegada is farther away from the other islands than shown)


In addition to the four main islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke, other islands include (see also Islands of the British Virgin Islands):



Climate data for Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
Record high °C (°F) 33
Average high °C (°F) 26
Average low °C (°F) 20
Record low °C (°F) 17
Average precipitation mm (inches) 74.2
Source: Intellicast[9]



The territory operates as a parliamentary democracy. Ultimate executive authority in British Virgin Islands is vested 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 most foreign affairs remain the responsibility of the United Kingdom.


The current Governor is John Duncan (since 15 August 2014). The current Premier is Orlando Smith (since 9 November 2011), who is leader of the ruling National Democratic Party.



The territory is also technically divided into five administrative districts (one for each of the four largest islands, and then a fifth for all other islands), and into six civil registry districts (three for Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda and Anegada) although these have little practical relevance today.

Law and criminal justice

Crime in the British Virgin Islands is comparatively low by Caribbean standards (and indeed compared to the neighbouring US Virgin Islands).[12] Whilst statistics and hard data are relatively rare, and are not regularly published by governmental sources in the British Virgin Islands, the Premier did announce that in 2013 there has been a 14% decline in recorded crime as against 2012.[13] Homicides are rare,[14] with just one incident recorded in 2013. The British and US Virgin Islands sit at the axis of a major drugs transshipment point between Latin America and the continental United States. The American DEA regards the adjacent US territories of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands as a "High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area".[15] A co-operation agreement exists between the British Virgin Islands and the US Coast Guard allowing American forces to pursue suspected drug traffickers through the territorial waters of the British Virgin Islands. In August 2011 a joint raid between the American DEA and the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force arrested a number of British Virgin Islands residents who are accused of being involved in major drugs transshipments,[16] although their extradition to the United States has become bogged down in protracted legal wrangling.[17]


Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

As a tax haven with an opaque banking system,[18][19] the British Virgin Islands enjoys one of the more prosperous economies of the Caribbean region, with a per capita average income of around $42,300 (2010 est.) [20] The average monthly income earned by a worker in the territory was US$2,452 as at the time of the 2010 Census.[1] 29% of the population fell into the "low income" category.




The Baths, Virgin Gorda

Tourism accounts for approximately 45% of national income. The islands are a popular destination for US citizens. In 2006 a total of 825,603 people visited the islands, of whom 443,987 were cruise ship passengers. Tourists frequent the numerous white sand beaches, visit The Baths on Virgin Gorda, snorkel the coral reefs near Anegada, or experience the well-known bars of Jost Van Dyke. The BVI are known as one of the world's greatest sailing destinations, and charter sailboats are a very popular way to visit less accessible islands. Every year since 1972 the BVI has hosted the Spring Regatta, which is a seven-day collection of sailing races throughout the islands. A substantial number of the tourists who visit the BVI are cruise ship passengers, and 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. Only Virgin Islanders are permitted to work as taxi drivers.

Financial services


At the end of 2012 the banking sector of the British Virgin Islands comprised six commercial banks[23] and one restricted bank, 12 authorised custodians, two licensed money services businesses and one licensed financing service provider.[24]



Agriculture and industry







There are 113 kilometres (70 mi) 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 and is accessible by the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. Cape Air, LIAT and Air Sunshine are amongst the airlines offering scheduled service. Virgin Gorda and Anegada have their own smaller airports. Private air charter services operated by Island Birds Air Charter fly directly to all three islands from any major airport in the Caribbean. Helicopters are used to get to islands with no runway facilities; Antilles Helicopter Services is the only helicopter service based in the country. The main harbour is in Road Town. There are also ferries that operate within the British Virgin Islands and to the neighbouring United States Virgin Islands. As in the UK and in the United States Virgin Islands, cars in the British Virgin Islands drive on the left, however they differ in that nearly all cars are left hand drive,[30] being imported from the United States. The roads are often quite steep, narrow and winding, and ruts can be a problem when it rains.

Cyril E. King Airport in the US Virgin Islands has flights to a wider range of destinations, so is also used for travelling to the British Virgin Islands.


As of the 2010 Census, the population of the territory was 28,054[1] At the time of the 2003 census the population was around 21,730. The majority of the population (83%) are Afro-Caribbean, descended from slaves brought to the islands by the British. Other large ethnic groups include those of British and other European origin.

The 2004 Census reports:

* Includes Indian, Carib/Amerindian, Black/Carib mixed, and mixed-race Hispanic



About 4% of the population is of Hispanic origin, irrespective of race, primarily from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The territory has also been recently relieving immigrants from many islands in Lesser Antilles. The islands are heavily dependent upon migrant labour. In 2004, migrant workers accounted for 50% of the total population. 32% of workers employed in the British Virgin Islands work for the government.

Unusually, the territory has one of the highest drowning mortality rates in the world being higher than other high risk countries such as China and India.[31] 20% of deaths in the British Virgin Islands during 2012 were recorded as drownings,[32][33] all of them being tourists. Despite this, the territory's most popular beach still has no lifeguard presence.[32][34]



The literacy rate in the British Virgin Islands is high at 98%.[29]


Over 90% of the population who indicated a religious affiliation at the 2010 Census were Christian[36] with the largest individual Christian denominations being Methodist (17.6%),[36] Anglican (12%), Church of God (11%) and Roman Catholic (9%).[37] The Constitution of the British Virgin Islands commences with a professed national belief in God.[38] Muslims and Hindus constitute each approximately 1.2% of the population according to Word Religion Database 2005.[39]



Main article: Virgin Islands Creole

The primary language is English, although there is a local dialect. Spanish is spoken by Puerto Rican, Dominican and other Spanish-speaking immigrants.




Among the noted names in Virgin Islands literature are Alphaeus Osario Norman (1885-1942), Verna Penn Moll, Jennie Wheatley, and Patricia G. Turnbull. Their poetry and that of 22 other writers, including the fastly emerging poet and literary critic Richard Georges, can be found in Where I See the Sun – Contemporary Poetry in The Virgin Islands (Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke), an anthology edited by Lasana M. Sekou in 2016.[41]



Many sailing events are held in the waters of this country, the largest of which is a week-long series of races called the Spring Regatta, the premier sailing event of the Caribbean, with several races hosted each day. Boats include everything from full-size mono-hull yachts to dinghies. Captains and their crews come from all around the world to attend these races. The Spring Regatta is part race, part party, part festival. There are races, games, and music during the day, and some partying at night. The Spring Regatta is normally held during the first week of April.[43]


See also


  1. 1 2 3 4 5 The BVI Beacon "Portrait of a population: 2010 Census published" pg. 4, 20 November 2014
  2. "The World Factbook".
  4. "About the Territory". Government of the Virgin Islands. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  5. The BVI Beacon "Portrait of a population: 2010 Census published" pg. 4, 20 November 2014 confirms that on Census date, 23,419 lived on Tortola
  6. "EU relations with Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs)," European Commission website, accessed 5 December 2012
  9. "Virgin Gorda historic weather averages in British Virgin Islands". Intellicast. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  10. Explanatory Memorandum to the Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007
  11. "The Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007".
  12. "Which Caribbean Islands are the Safest, Most Dangerous?". Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  13. "Crimes down by 14% – Premier". BVI News. 13 January 2014.
  15. "US sees shift in cocaine trafficking". BVI Beacon. 9 February 2012.
  16. US Justice Department (25 August 2011). "Thirteen Indicted for Airdropping Multi-Hundred Kilogram Quantities of Cocaine in the Caribbean Sea and for Money Laundering Offenses". Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  17. "Three Years On & Extradition Proceedings Still Unsettled". BVI Platinum. 8 September 2014.
  18. Fox, Ben (2009-05-09). "Islands resent crackdown of the tax havens by G-20". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2009-05-15. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
  19. McKenzie, Nick; Baker, Richard (2013-11-18). "Leighton Holdings linked to 'corrupt' fees for Iraq pipeline contracts". The Australian. Retrieved 2016-04-02.(subscription required)
  21. Dennis C. Canterbury. European Bloc Imperialism. ISBN 9004184953.
  22. Review of Financial Regulation in the Crown Dependencies (Cmnd Paper 4855 of 2000). HMSO. Part III, paragraph 1.3. ISBN 0 10 148554 9. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  23. "List of Banks in British Virgin Islands".
  24. "Annual Report 2012 (Final)".
  26. See for example the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act
  27. International Adviser (12 September 2013). "Jersey, Guernsey, IoM revel in Cameron's 'not tax havens' comments".BBC News (10 September 2013). "David Cameron: Crown dependency tax haven banner 'not fair'".
  28. Karmanau, Yuras (April 4, 2016). "Ukrainian president under fire over Panama Papers". Associated Press. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  29. 1 2 The Times. "British Virgin Islands – workforce". Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  30. "British Virgin Islands (British Overseas Territory) travel advice - GOV.UK".
  31. "Drowning", publication World Health Organization
  32. 1 2 The BVI Beacon, Thursday, August 15, 2013 article entitled "Report: Passports up, marriages down last year".
  34. "No lifeguards at Cane Garden Bay & Virgin Gorda beaches".
  35. British Virgin Islands Schools, BVI Government website
  36. 1 2 The BVI Beacon "Portrait of a population: 2010 Census published" pg. 6, 20 November 2014
  37. 1 2 "National Population Census Report 2001 – The British Virgin Islands" (PDF). Caribbean Community Secretariat. 2009. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
  39. cited in "Mapping the Global Muslim Population" (PDF). Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. 2009. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
  40. Penn, Dexter J.A. Music of the British Virgin Islands: Fungi. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
  42. "The Best Sailing". Retrieved 2011-12-16.
  43. "Yacht Races".

External links

NGO sources
Official sites and overviews
Wikimedia content