Jah-Jah.pl / Index countries / Spratly Islands (2002) - British Virgin Islands (2003) / Compare countries
##ciekawa_strona##
Compare Spratly Islands (2002) - British Virgin Islands (2003)
Compare Spratly Islands (2002) z British Virgin Islands (2003)
| Spratly Islands (2002) | British Virgin Islands (2003) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 21.9% (male 2,401; female 2,358)
15-64 years: 73.1% (male 8,181; female 7,709) 65 years and over: 5% (male 578; female 503) (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | - | fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish |
| Airports | 4 (2001) | 3 (2002) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
| Area | total: less than 5 sq km
land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea |
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 |
| Area - comparative | NA | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Background | This archipelago - surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits - is claimed in its entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. All five parties occupy certain islands or reefs. | 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. |
| Birth rate | - | 15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Budget | - | revenues: $121.5 million
expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
| Capital | - | Road Town |
| Climate | tropical | subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds |
| Coastline | 926 km | 80 km |
| Constitution | - | 1 June 1977 |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Spratly Islands |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI |
| Currency | - | US dollar (USD) |
| Death rate | - | 4.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 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 | all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has not publicly claimed the island; in 2000, China joined ASEAN discussions towards creating a South China Sea "code of conduct" - a non-legally binding confidence building measure | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | NA% |
| Economy - overview | Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored, and there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed. | 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, 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 | - | 35.43 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | - | 38.1 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 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 Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Orlando 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 (2001) |
| 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 - $320 million (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | - | 1% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 8 38 N, 111 55 E | 18 30 N, 64 30 W |
| Geography - note | strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs | strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico |
| 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 | - | NA (2001) |
| 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 | - | NA |
| Industries | - | tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center |
| Infant mortality rate | - | total: 18.8 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.86 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 2.5% (2002) |
| 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 (1998 est.) | 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% (1998 est.) |
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 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5 |
| Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 76.06 years
male: 75.07 years female: 77.1 years (2003 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 reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern 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 | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
| Merchant marine | - | total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 19,203 GRT/28,864 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.) |
| Military - note | Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam | 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; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) |
| Natural resources | fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential | NEGL |
| Net migration rate | - | 10.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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 garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states (July 2002 est.) |
21,730 (July 2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
| Population growth rate | - | 2.1% (2003 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | Road Town |
| Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| 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 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991) |
| Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2003 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 | flat | coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly |
| Total fertility rate | - | 1.72 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | - | 3% (1995) |
| Waterways | none | none |
Sitemap:
Compare countries listing (map site) |
Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.