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Compare British Virgin Islands (2002) - Pacific Ocean (2008)

Compare British Virgin Islands (2002) z Pacific Ocean (2008)

 British Virgin Islands (2002)Pacific Ocean (2008)
 British Virgin IslandsPacific Ocean
Administrative divisions none (overseas territory of the UK) -
Age structure 0-14 years: 22.4% (male 2,401; female 2,351)


15-64 years: 72.7% (male 7,962; female 7,509)


65 years and over: 4.9% (male 565; female 484) (2002 est.)		 -
Agriculture - products fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish -
Airports 3 (2001) -
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)		 -
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)		 -
Area total: 153 sq km


land: 153 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada		 total: 155.557 million sq km


note: includes Bali Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Tonkin, Philippine Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Area - comparative about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC about 15 times the size of the US; covers about 28% of the global surface; larger than the total land area of the world
Background 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. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five oceans (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). Strategically important access waterways include the La Perouse, Tsugaru, Tsushima, Taiwan, Singapore, and Torres Straits. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of 60 degrees south.
Birth rate 15.09 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) -
Budget revenues: $121.5 million


expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)		 -
Capital Road Town -
Climate subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds and westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by seasonal fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico from June to October and affect Mexico and Central America; continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much less pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same latitude in the North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is monsoonal - a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian landmass back to the ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike southeast and east Asia from May to December
Coastline 80 km 135,663 km
Constitution 1 June 1977 -
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: British Virgin Islands


abbreviation: BVI		 -
Currency US dollar (USD) -
Death rate 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) -
Debt - external $36.1 million (1997) -
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) -
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) -
Disputes - international none some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Economic aid - recipient NA -
Economy - overview The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. 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. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. 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. The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides low-cost sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In 1996, over 60% of the world's fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean. Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of the US, Australia, NZ, China, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings in world prices for oil since 1985, has led to fluctuations in new drillings.
Electricity - consumption 39.1 million kWh (1999) -
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) -
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) -
Electricity - production 42 million kWh (1999) -
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (1999)		 -
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Sage 521 m		 lowest point: Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench -10,924 m


highest point: sea level 0 m
Environment - current issues 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 catchments) endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea
Ethnic groups black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed -
Exchange rates the US dollar is used -
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)


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; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor		 -
Exports $6.2 million -
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 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: 2%


industry: 6%


services: 92% (1996 est.)		 -
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2000 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 4.4% (2000 est.) -
Geographic coordinates 18 30 N, 64 30 W 0 00 N, 160 00 W
Geography - note strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean
Highways total: 177 km


paved: 177 km


unpaved: 0 km (2000)		 -
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; large offshore financial center -
Imports $230 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 19.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) -
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3.3% (2000) -
International organization participation Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate) -
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 16 (2000) -
Irrigated land 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 -
Land use arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (1998 est.)		 -
Languages English (official) -
Legal system 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 four-year terms)


elections: last held 17 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2003)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - VIP 7, CCM 1, NDP 5		 -
Life expectancy at birth total population: 75.85 years


male: 74.9 years


female: 76.84 years (2002 est.)		 -
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%		 -
Location Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico body of water between the Southern Ocean, Asia, Australia, and the Western Hemisphere
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Political Map of the World
Maritime claims 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 (2002 est.)		 -
Military - note 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 hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the "Pacific Ring of Fire"; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September); cyclical El Nino/La Nina phenomenon occurs in the equatorial Pacific, influencing weather in the Western Hemisphere and the western Pacific; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May; persistent fog in the northern Pacific can be a maritime hazard from June to December
Natural resources NEGL oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish
Net migration rate 10.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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 21,272 (July 2002 est.) -
Population below poverty line NA% -
Population growth rate 2.16% (2002 est.) -
Ports and harbors Road Town -
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) -
Radios 9,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km -
Religions 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) -
Sex ratio at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/female


total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2002 est.)		 -
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal -
Telephone system general assessment: worldwide telephone service


domestic: NA


international: submarine cable to Bermuda		 -
Telephones - main lines in use 10,000 (1996) -
Telephones - mobile cellular NA -
Television broadcast stations 1 (plus one cable company) (1997) -
Terrain coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated by a clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents) and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; in the northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica reaches its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the Mariana Trench, which is the world's deepest
Total fertility rate 1.72 children born/woman (2002 est.) -
Transportation - note - Inside Passage offers protected waters from southeast Alaska to Puget Sound (Washington state)
Unemployment rate 3% (1995) -
Waterways none -
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