British Virgin Islands
in Caribbean
North America
- Currency and Currency Code:
- Dollar - USD
- Spoken languages:
- English
- Local electricity:
- 110 V - 60 Hz (plugs: A, B)
- Mobile phone / cellular frequencies (MHz):
- 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz, 3G, 4G
- ISO 2-Letter code:
- VG
- Internet top level domain:
- .vg
- Country phone prefix:
- +1-284
- Local Time (capital):
- Timezone:
- UTC/GMT offset: hours
Safety Score: 2,5 of 5.0 based on data from 9 authorites. Meaning we advice caution when travelling to British Virgin Islands.
Travel warnings are updated daily. Source: Travel Warning British Virgin Islands. Last Update: 2024-08-13 08:21:03
Explore British Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands with its capital Road Town is located in North America (Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean). It covers some 152 square kilometers (about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC) with 35,015 citizens. English is the language commonly spoken used by the people in British Virgin Islands. This country shares no land borders with another country.
The British Virgin Islands are a self-governing British overseas territory, situated in the Caribbean just to the east of the US Virgin Islands. Nature is the main attraction in the islands, with coral reefs, white sandy beaches, and scenic seaside villages the main draw. Other attractions include historic villages, churches, and, if the sun is too much for you, a museum in Road Town, the shady Botanic Gardens or the rain forest on Sage Mountain in Tortola.
Popular Destinations in British Virgin Islands
Administrative regions of British Virgin Islands
About the country
Website: British Virgin Islands Tourism
P.O. Box 134
Road Town
Tortola
British Virgin Islands
Phone: +1-284 494 3134
Fax: +1-284 494 3866
Mail: bvitourb@surfbvi.com
The landscape is coral islands relatively flat and volcanic islands steep, hilly. The average density of population is about 232 per km². The climate in British Virgin Islands can be described as subtropicalhumid, temperatures moderated by trade winds. Potential threats by nature are hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October).
To reach someone British Virgin Islands dial +1-284 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".vg". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 110 V - 60 Hz (plugs: A, B). The sign for the locally used currency Dollar is USD.
Blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful); the islands were named by COLUMBUS in 1493 in honor of Saint Ursula and her 11 virgin followers (some sources say 11,000) who reputedly were martyred by the Huns in the 4th or 5th century; the figure on the banner holding a lamp represents the saint; the other lamps symbolize her followers.
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. On 6 September 2017, Hurricane Irma devastated the island of Tortola. An estimated 80% of residential and business structures were destroyed or damaged, communications disrupted, and local roads rendered impassable.
Geography
| Area | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total (World Rank: 217) | 151 | sq km |
| Land (World Rank: 214) | 151 | sq km |
| Forest (World Rank: 48) | 33.30 | % |
| Comparative | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC | |
| Note | comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke | |
| Coastline | ||
| 80 | ||
| Elevation | ||
| Highest point (World Rank: 192) | 521 | m |
| Agricultural land | ||
| Total (World Rank: 79) | 46.70 | % |
| Arable (World Rank: 137) | 6.70 | % |
| Permanent crops (World Rank: 48) | 6.70 | % |
| Permanent pastures (World Rank: 48) | 33.30 | % |
| Map reference | ||
| Central America and the Caribbean | ||
| Environment | ||
| Issues |
| |
| Hazzards | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) | |
| Location | ||
| Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | ||
| Climate | ||
| subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds | ||
| Terrain | ||
| coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly | ||
People
| Population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total (World Rank: 211) | 35,015 | |
| Deathrate (World Rank: 187) | 0.51 | % |
| Birthrate (World Rank: 174) | 1.11 | % |
| Growthrate (World Rank: 35) | 2.25 | % |
| Migration rate (World Rank: 1) | 1.65 | % |
| Fertility rate (World Rank: 215) | 1.29 | % |
| Median age | ||
| Male (World Rank: 65) | 36.30 | |
| Female (World Rank: 74) | 36.60 | |
| Age structure | ||
| 0 14 male (World Rank: 213) | 2,877 | |
| 0 14 female (World Rank: 211) | 2,971 | |
| 15 24 male (World Rank: 210) | 2,243 | |
| 15 24 female (World Rank: 210) | 2,437 | |
| 25 54 male (World Rank: 210) | 8,116 | |
| 25 54 female (World Rank: 209) | 9,170 | |
| 55 64 male (World Rank: 212) | 1,975 | |
| 55 64 female (World Rank: 212) | 2,086 | |
| 65 x male (World Rank: 211) | 1,522 | |
| 65 x female (World Rank: 211) | 1,618 | |
| Health | ||
| Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 116) | 1.21 | % |
| Life expectancy total (World Rank: 54) | 79 | years |
| Life expectancy female (World Rank: 71) | 80 | years |
| Life expectancy male (World Rank: 41) | 77 | years |
| Sanitation access total (World Rank: 54) | 97.50 | % |
| Drinking water access (World Rank: 80) | 98.00 | % |
Energy
| Electricity | ||
|---|---|---|
| Production (World Rank: 194) | 126,000,000 | kWh |
| Consumption (World Rank: 163) | 631,500,000 | kWh |
| Source fossil (World Rank: 1) | 658.30 | % |
| Refined products | ||
| Consumption (World Rank: 201) | 1,200 | bbl / day |
| Import (World Rank: 197) | 1,209 | bbl / day |
| Carbon footprint | ||
| 200000 | ||
Nation
| Budget | ||
|---|---|---|
| Education (World Rank: 94) | 4 | % of GDP |
| Surplus (World Rank: 187) | -9 | % of GDP |
| National symbol | ||
| zenaida dove | ||
| National colours | ||
| yellow | ||
| Adjective | ||
| British Virgin Islander | ||
| Noun | ||
| British Virgin Islander(s) | ||
| 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. On 6 September 2017, Hurricane Irma devastated the island of Tortola. An estimated 80% of residential and business structures were destroyed or damaged, communications disrupted, and local roads rendered impassable. | ||
| Flag description | ||
| blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful); the islands were named by COLUMBUS in 1493 in honor of Saint Ursula and her 11 virgin followers (some sources say 11,000) who reputedly were martyred by the Huns in the 4th or 5th century; the figure on the banner holding a lamp represents the saint; the other lamps symbolize her followers | ||
Economy
| Gdp | ||
|---|---|---|
| Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 212) | 500,000,000 | USD |
| Real growth rate (World Rank: 162) | 1.30 | % |
| Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 39) | 42,300 | USD |
| Source agriculture (World Rank: 198) | 1.00 | % |
| Source industry (World Rank: 198) | 11.20 | % |
| Source service (World Rank: 11) | 87.80 | % |
| Labourforce | ||
| Total (World Rank: 212) | 12,770 | |
| Products | ||
| Industries |
| |
| Agriculture |
| |
| Exports |
| |
| Imports |
| |
Communication
| Phone | ||
|---|---|---|
| Landline total (World Rank: 189) | 12,000 | |
| Landline per 100 (World Rank: 48) | 36.00 | |
| Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 66) | 126.00 | |
| Assessment | 0 | |
| Internet | ||
| Users (World Rank: 207) | 14,600 | |
| Population (World Rank: 135) | 43.60 | % |
Transport
| Air | ||
|---|---|---|
| Airports paved (World Rank: 191) | 2.00 | |
| Airports unpaved (World Rank: 170) | 2.00 | |
| Road | ||
| Total length (World Rank: 209) | 200.00 | |
| Paved length (World Rank: 169) | 200.00 | |
This is a list of famous places in this country in alphabetical order.