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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2007) - British Virgin Islands (2001)
Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2007) z British Virgin Islands (2001)
| British Indian Ocean Territory (2007) | British Virgin Islands (2001) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Age structure | - | 0-14 years:
22.77% (male 2,399; female 2,339) 15-64 years: 72.31% (male 7,741; female 7,309) 65 years and over: 4.92% (male 555; female 469) (2001 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | - | fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish |
| Airports | 1 (2007) | 3 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2007) |
total:
2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total:
1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Area | total: 54,400 sq km
land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands |
total:
150 sq km land: 150 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the island of Anegada |
| Area - comparative | land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Background | Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. | First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were soon after (1672) annexed 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. |
| Birth rate | - | 15.18 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Budget | - | revenues:
$121.5 million expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
| Capital | - | Road Town |
| Climate | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds | subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds |
| Coastline | 698 km | 80 km |
| Constitution | - | 1 June 1977 |
| Country name | conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI |
| Currency | - | US dollar (USD) |
| Death rate | - | 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Debt - external | - | $36.1 million (1997) |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London | overseas territory of the UK |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Disputes - international | Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1967 and 1973 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; in May 2006, the High Court of London reversed U.K. Government's 2004 orders of council that banned habitation on the islands; a small group of Chagossians visited Diego Garcia in April 2006; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest viable island in the chain | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | $2.6 million (1995) |
| Economy - overview | All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where a joint UK-US military facility is located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installation are performed by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the native Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The territory makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps. | The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, which generates an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1997. 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. An estimated 250,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 1997. 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. |
| Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 39.1 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military | 42 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Sage 521 m |
| Environment - current issues | NA | 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 catchment) |
| Ethnic groups | - | black 90%, white, Asian |
| Exchange rates | - | the US dollar is used |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Leigh TURNER (since July 2006); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK and are represented by the officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch |
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Francis J. SAVAGE (since NA) head of government: Chief Minister Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 15 May 1995) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council |
| Exports | - | $6.2 million (2000 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | - | rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand |
| Exports - partners | - | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US |
| Fiscal year | - | 1 April - 31 March |
| Flag description | white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag | 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) |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $311 million (2000 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture:
1.8% industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2000 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | - | 6% (2000 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E | 18 30 N, 64 30 W |
| Geography - note | archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility | strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico |
| Highways | - | total:
132 km paved: 132 km unpaved: 0 km (1997) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
| Imports | - | $220 million (2000 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | - | building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery |
| Imports - partners | - | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US |
| Independence | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | - | 4% (1985) |
| Industries | - | tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center |
| Infant mortality rate | - | 20.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 2% (2000) |
| International organization participation | - | Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 16 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 0 sq km | NA sq km |
| Judicial branch | - | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction |
| Labor force | - | 4,911 (1980) |
| Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land:
20% permanent crops: 7% permanent pastures: 33% forests and woodland: 7% other: 33% (1993 est.) |
| Languages | - | English (official) |
| Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply | English law |
| Legislative branch | - | unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 17 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - VIP 7, CCM 1, NDP 5 |
| Life expectancy at birth | - | total population:
75.64 years male: 74.74 years female: 76.59 years (2001 est.) |
| Literacy | - | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
| Location | archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia | Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
| Map references | Political Map of the World | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
| Merchant marine | - | total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 70,285 GRT/6,946 DWT ships by type: passenger 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
| National holiday | - | Territory Day, 1 July |
| Nationality | - | noun:
British Virgin Islander(s) adjective: British Virgin Islander |
| Natural hazards | NA | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) |
| Natural resources | coconuts, fish, sugarcane | NEGL |
| Net migration rate | - | 11.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | - | Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
| Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia |
20,812 (July 2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
| Population growth rate | - | 2.22% (2001 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Road Town |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios | - | 9,000 (1997) |
| Railways | - | 0 km |
| Religions | - | Protestant 86% (Methodist 45%, Anglican 21%, Church of God 7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 2%), Roman Catholic 6%, none 2%, other 6% (1981) |
| Sex ratio | - | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.18 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) |
general assessment:
worldwide telephone service domestic: NA international: submarine cable to Bermuda |
| Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 10,000 (1996) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | - | NA |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 1 (plus one cable company) (1997) |
| Terrain | flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation) | coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly |
| Total fertility rate | - | 1.72 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | - | 3% (1995) |
| Waterways | - | none |
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