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Compare Spratly Islands (2008) - British Virgin Islands (2005)

Compare Spratly Islands (2008) z British Virgin Islands (2005)

 Spratly Islands (2008)British Virgin Islands (2005)
 Spratly IslandsBritish Virgin Islands
Administrative divisions - none (overseas territory of the UK)
Age structure - 0-14 years: 21% (male 2,400/female 2,358)


15-64 years: 73.9% (male 8,607/female 8,115)


65 years and over: 5.1% (male 614/female 549) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products - fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Airports 3 (2007) 3 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)		 total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)		 total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
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 The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishing zone that overlaps a southern reef but has not made any formal claim. 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 - 14.96 births/1,000 population (2005 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
Death rate - 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2005 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 reef; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," which has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands 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. 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 - 33.74 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production - 36.28 million kWh (2002)
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 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
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 - composition by sector - agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 6.2%


services: 92% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $38,500 (2004 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
Heliports 3 (2007) -
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 makes it vulnerable to money laundering
Imports - NA
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: 18.05 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 21.02 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 14.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 2.5% (2003)
International organization participation - Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU
Irrigated land 0 sq km 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 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: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (2001)
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: 76.49 years


male: 75.41 years


female: 77.62 years (2005 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 territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine - total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,825 GRT/155,909 DWT


by type: cargo 1


registered in other countries: 7 (2005)
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; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious maritime hazard hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Natural resources fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential NEGL
Net migration rate - 10.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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		 22,643 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA
Population growth rate - 2.06% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors - Road Town
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: 1.02 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 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 flat coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Total fertility rate - 1.72 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate - 3% (1995)
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