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British Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands | |
|---|---|
| Motto: | |
| Anthem: "God Save the King" | |
| Territorial song: "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" | |
.svg) Location of British Virgin Islands (circled in red) | |
 | |
| Sovereign state |  United Kingdom |
| Before annexation | Dutch West Indies |
| British capture | 1672 |
| Separate colony | 1960 |
| Autonomy | 1967 |
| Capital and largest city | Road Town 18°25′53″N 64°37′23″W / 18.43139°N 64.62306°W |
| Official languages | English |
| Ethnic groups (2010[1]) | 76.9% Black 5.6% Hispanic 5.4% White 5.4% Mixed 2.1% Indian 4.6% other |
| Demonym(s) | |
| Government | Parliamentary dependency under a constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Charles III |
• Governor | Daniel Pruce |
| David Archer | |
• Premier | Natalio Wheatley |
| Legislature | House of Assembly |
| Government of the United Kingdom | |
• Minister | Stephen Doughty |
| Area | |
• Total | 153 km2 (59 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | 1.6 |
| Highest elevation | 521 m (1,709 ft) |
| Population | |
• 2019 estimate | 30,030 (222nd) |
• 2010 census | 28,054[1] |
• Density | 260/km2 (673.4/sq mi) (68th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2017 estimate |
• Total | $500 million[2] |
• Per capita | $34,200 |
| Currency | United States dollar (US$) (USD) |
| Time zone | UTC-4:00 (AST) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Driving side | Left |
| Calling code | +1-284 |
| UK postcode | VG-11xx |
| ISO 3166 code | VG |
| Internet TLD | .vg |
| Website | https://gov.vg/ |
The British Virgin Islands (BVI),[3] officially the Virgin Islands,[4] are a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean, to the east of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands and north-west of Anguilla. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles and part of the West Indies.
The British Virgin Islands consist of the main islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke, along with more than 50 other smaller islands and cays.[5] About 16 of the islands are inhabited.[3] The capital, Road Town, is on Tortola, the largest island, which is about 20 km (12 mi) long and 5 km (3 mi) wide. The islands had a population of 28,054 at the 2010 Census, of whom 23,491 lived on Tortola;[1] current estimates put the population at 35,802 (July 2018).[3]
The economy of the territory is overwhelmingly dominated by tourism and financial services. In terms of financial services, the territory is known as a leading hub for tax evasion and concealment of assets.[6][7][8]
British Virgin Islanders are British Overseas Territories citizens and, since 2002, also British citizens.
- ^ a b c The BVI Beacon "Portrait of a population: 2010 Census published" p. 4, 20 November 2014
- ^ "British Virgin Islands". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. 22 April 2022. (Archived 2022 edition.)
- ^ a b c "British Virgin Islands". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 13 July 2019. (Archived 2019 edition.)
- ^ According to the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007, the territory's official name is simply 'Virgin Islands'.
- ^ "Encyclopedia Britannica - BVI". Retrieved 13 July 2019.
- ^ "Dirty money's hiding spots: How corruption funds disappear overseas -…". Transparency.org. 16 December 2024.
- ^ "British Virgin Islands corruption scandal threatens its dependable tax haven reputation - ICIJ". ICIJ. 26 January 2021.
- ^ Butts, Dylan (16 October 2024). "Overseas UK territories are the 'biggest enablers of corporate tax abuse,' tax advocacy group says". CNBC.
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