British Virgin Islands | Facts & Information

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