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British Virgin Islands
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The British Virgin Islands is an overseas
territory of the United Kingdom. It consists of
over 50 islands and cays located in the
Caribbean, to the east of Jamaica. Originally
part of the Dutch Empire, the Islands were
acquired by England in 1672.
The Islands were named by Christopher Columbus
after Saint Ursula, who by legend had a
following of 11,000 virgin maids.
History
Main article: History of the British Virgin
Islands
The Islands were first settled by Arawak Indians
from South America in around 100 BC. They
settled the Islands until the 15th century when
they were removed by the more aggressive Caribs,
a tribe from the Lesser Antilles islands, after
whom the Caribbean Sea is named.
In 1493, The Islands were sighted and named by
Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the
Americas. The Spanish Empire acquired the
Islands in the early 16th century, mining copper
on Virgin Gorda. The Dutch Empire established a
permanent settlement on Tortola in 1648. In
1672, the English arrived in the region, and
annexed the Islands, removing the Dutch
populations from Tortola in 1672, and from
Anegada and Virgin Gorda in 1680. The English
introduced sugar cane to the Islands, which was
to become the main crop, and source of foreign
trade. 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 the Danish
West Indies, renaming them the United States
Virgin Islands. Subsequently, the British
renamed the Islands as the British Virgin
Islands. The Islands were administered from
Jamaica, with an Administrator representing the
British Government on the Islands. Separate
overseas territory status was gained for the
Islands 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.
Geography
Main article: Geography of the British Virgin
Islands
The British Virgin Islands comprise about 50
small Caribbean islands; around 16 are
inhabited. They are located 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.
The largest islands of the group are Tortola,
Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke. Road
Town, the capital and largest town, is situated
on Tortola.
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Background:
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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. |
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Location:
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Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
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Geographic coordinates:
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18 30
N, 64 30 W
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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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 |
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Area - comparative:
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about
0.9 times the size of Washington, DC |
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Climate:
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subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade
winds |
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Terrain:
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coral
islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep,
hilly |
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Nationality:
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noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander |
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Ethnic groups:
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black
83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed |
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Religions:
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Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church
of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%,
Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 2%), Roman Catholic
10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991) |
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Languages:
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English (official) |
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Currency:
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US
dollar (USD)
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Currency code:
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USD
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Exchange rates:
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the
US dollar is used
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Internet country code:
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.vg
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