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Compare Paracel Islands (2003) - British Virgin Islands (2006)

Compare Paracel Islands (2003) z British Virgin Islands (2006)

 Paracel Islands (2003)British Virgin Islands (2006)
 Paracel IslandsBritish Virgin Islands
Administrative divisions - none (overseas territory of the UK)
Age structure - 0-14 years: 20.5% (male 2,403/female 2,331)


15-64 years: 74.3% (male 8,811/female 8,340)


65 years and over: 5.3% (male 636/female 577) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products - fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Airports 1 (2002) 3 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Area total: NA sq km


land: NA sq km


water: 0 sq km
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 islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke
Area - comparative NA about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Background The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. 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.
Birth rate - 14.89 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget - revenues: $204.7 million


expenditures: $180.4 million; including capital expenditures of $33.8 million (1997)
Capital - name: Road Town


geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Coastline 518 km 80 km
Constitution - 1 June 1977, amended in 2000
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Paracel Islands
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: British Virgin Islands


abbreviation: BVI
Death rate - 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2006 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 occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam none
Economic aid - recipient - $NA
Economy - overview China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. 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. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. 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, made 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 US dollar as its currency since 1959.
Electricity - consumption - 32.13 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production - 34.55 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 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 catchments)
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 David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006)


head of government: Chief Minister Dr. Orlando D. SMITH (since 17 June 2003)


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 - NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities - rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Exports - partners - Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2004)
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 - composition by sector - agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 6.2%


services: 92% (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 16 30 N, 112 00 E 18 30 N, 64 30 W
Geography - note composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
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 makes it vulnerable to money laundering
Imports - NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities - building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners - Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2004)
Independence - none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate - NA%
Industries - tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Infant mortality rate - total: 16.72 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 19.5 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 13.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 2% (2005)
International organization participation - Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) NA
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 - 12,770 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture: 0.6%


industry: 40%


services: 59.4%
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (2005)
Languages - English (official)
Legal system - English law
Legislative branch - unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; members serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held in 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 76.68 years


male: 75.56 years


female: 77.84 years (2006 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references Southeast Asia Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims NA territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine - registered in other countries: 1 (North Korea 1) (2006)
Military - note occupied by China 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 typhoons hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Natural resources none NEGL
Net migration rate - 9.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2003 est.)
23,098 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA%
Population growth rate - 1.97% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded -
Radio broadcast stations - AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
Religions - Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991)
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: 1.1 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system - general assessment: worldwide telephone service


domestic: NA


international: country code - 1-284; submarine cable to Bermuda
Telephones - main lines in use - 11,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 8,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations - 1 (plus one cable company) (1997)
Terrain mostly low and flat coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Total fertility rate - 1.72 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate - 3.6% (1997)
Waterways none -
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