British Virgin Islands | Facts & Information

Updated May 11, 2022 | Infoplease Staff
  • British Virgin Islands Profile

Infoplease has everything you need to know about British Virgin Islands. Check out our country profile, full of essential information about British Virgin Islands's geography, history, government, economy, population, culture, religion and languages. If that's not enough, click over to our collection of world maps and flags.

Facts & Figures

  • Virgin Islands

    Status: Overseas territory

    Governor: David Pearey (2006)

    Chief Minister: Orlando Smith (2003)

    Total area: 59 sq mi (153 sq km)

    Population (2006 est.): 23,098 (growth rate: 2.0%); birth rate: 14.9/1000; infant mortality rate: 16.7/1000; life expectancy: 76.7; density per sq mi: 391

    Capital (2003 est.): Road Town (on Tortola): 9,100

    Monetary unit: U.S. dollar

    Literacy rate: 97.8% (1991 est.)

    Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $2.498 billion; per capita $38,500. Real growth rate: 1%. Inflation: 2.5% (2003). Unemployment: 3% (1995). Arable land: 20%. Agriculture: fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish. Labor force: 12,770 (2004). Industries: tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center. Natural resources: negl. Exports: $25.3 million (2002): rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand. Imports: $187 million (2002 est.): building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery. Major trading partners: Virgin Islands (U.S.), Puerto Rico, U.S. (2004).

    Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 10,000 (1996); mobile cellular: n.a. Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998). Radios: 9,000 (1997). Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus one cable company) (1997). Televisions: 4,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 16 (2000). Internet users: n.a.

    Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 177 km; paved: 177 km; unpaved: 0 km (2000). Ports and harbors: Road Town. Airports: 3 (2002).

    International disputes: none.

    Major sources and definitions

See also: