Tromelin Island (2002) | British Virgin Islands (2002) | |
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 | 1 (2001) | 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
under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 1 sq km
land: 1 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 island of Anegada |
Area - comparative | about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | First explored by the French in 1776, the island came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important meteorological station. | 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 | - | 15.09 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 | tropical | subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds |
Coastline | 3.7 km | 80 km |
Constitution | - | 1 June 1977 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tromelin Island local long form: none local short form: Ile Tromelin |
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 | possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion | 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 | claimed by Madagascar and Mauritius | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | NA |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | 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. |
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: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 7 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 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 | the flag of France is used | 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 | 15 52 S, 54 25 E | 18 30 N, 64 30 W |
Geography - note | climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises) | 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 | - | $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 | 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% (grasses; scattered bushes) (1998 est.) |
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (1998 est.) |
Languages | - | English (official) |
Legal system | the laws of France, 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 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 | Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar | Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Africa | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 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 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | 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 | fish | NEGL |
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 | uninhabited, except for visits by scientists (July 2002 est.) | 21,272 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 2.16% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | 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 | low, flat, and sandy; likely volcanic | coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly |
Total fertility rate | - | 1.72 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 3% (1995) |
Waterways | none | none |