British Virgin Islands
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Vigilate"  (Latin) "Be Watchful"
Anthem: God Save the Queen
Capital	Road Town
Official languages	English
Government	Overseas territory
- Head of State	Queen Elizabeth II
- Governor	David Pearey
- Chief Minister	Orlando Smith
Overseas territory
- Separate colony	1960
- Autonomous territory	1967
Area
- Total	153 km² (216th)  sq mi
- Water (%)	1.6
Population
- 2005 census	22,016
- Density	260/km² (68th) /sq mi
Currency	U.S. dollar (USD)
Time zone	Q (UTC-4)
- Summer (DST)	(none) (UTC(none))
Internet TLD	.vg
Calling code	+1 (284)

Map of British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) is a British overseas territory, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago (the remainder constituting the U.S. Virgin Islands; see also Spanish Virgin Islands). Image File history File links Flag_of_the_British_Virgin_Islands. ... Image File history File links Coat_of_Arms_of_the_British_Virgin_Islands. ... Flag ratio: 1:2 The flag of the British Virgin Islands was adopted on November 15, 1960. ... The coat of arms of Antigua and Barbuda displays the national motto, Each endeavouring, all achieving. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogizing the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nations government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... God Save the King/Queen is a patriotic hymn, and the national anthem of the United Kingdom. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... This is a list of national capitals of the world in alphabetical order. ... Road Town, located on Tortola island, is the capital of the British Virgin Islands. ... An official language is a language that is given a privileged legal status in a state, or other legally-defined territory. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A United Kingdom overseas territory (formerly known as a dependent territory or earlier as a crown colony) is a territory that is under the sovereignty and formal control of the United Kingdom but is not part of the United Kingdom proper (almost exclusively Great Britain and Northern Ireland). ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... For leaders before this see: List of Administrators of the British Virgin Islands Derek George Cudmore (1971-1974) Walter Wilkinson Wallace (1974-1978) James Alfred Davidson (1978-1982) David Robert Barwick (1982-1986) J. Mark A. Herdman (1986-1991) Peter Alfred Penfold (1991-1995) David Mackilligin (1995-1998) Frank Savage... David Pearey (born 1948) has been Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the British Virgin Islands since 18 April 2006. ... List of Heads of Government of the British Virgin Islands Affiliation:- NDP: National Democratic Party UP: United Party VIP: Virgin Islands Party Categories: British Virgin Islands ... Orlando D. Smith (born August 28, 1944) is the chief minister of the British Virgin Islands since June 17, 2003. ... A United Kingdom overseas territory (formerly known as a dependent territory or earlier as a crown colony) is a territory that is under the sovereignty and formal control of the United Kingdom but is not part of the United Kingdom proper (almost exclusively Great Britain and Northern Ireland). ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude and geographical regions, we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... Population density by country, 2006 Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/km². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory[1], the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... A time zone is a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... UTC redirects here. ...  Areas that have DST  Areas that once had DST  Areas that never had DST For a list of various nations usage of DST, see Daylight saving time around the world. ... UTC redirects here. ... The following is a list of currently existing Internet Top-level domains (TLDs). ... .vg is the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD) for the British Virgin Islands. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... Image File history File links BritishVirginIsland_map. ... Image File history File links BritishVirginIsland_map. ... A United Kingdom overseas territory (formerly known as a dependent territory or earlier as a crown colony) is a territory that is under the sovereignty and formal control of the United Kingdom but is not part of the United Kingdom proper (almost exclusively Great Britain and Northern Ireland). ... West Indian redirects here. ... BVI USVI The Virgin Islands are an archipelago in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... Spanish Virgin Islands (in yellow) The Spanish Virgin Islands are a group of islands just east of the main island of Puerto Rico. ...

The British Virgin Islands consist of the main islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke, along with over 50 other smaller islands and cays. Around 15 of the islands are inhabited. The largest island, Tortola, is approximately 20 km (~12 mi) long and 5 km (~3 mi) wide. The islands have a total population of about 22,000. Road Town, the capital, is situated on Tortola. Tortola is the largest and most populated of the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands which form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands. ... Virgin Gorda is the second-largest of the British Virgin Islands Virgin Gorda is the third-largest of the British Virgin Islands. ... Unlike the other British Virgin Islands, Anegada is a flat atoll. ... At roughly 8 square kilometers, Jost Van Dyke is the smallest of the four main islands of the British Virgin Islands, the northern portion of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. ... Road Town, located on Tortola island, is the capital of the British Virgin Islands. ...

[edit] History

Main article: History of the British Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands were first settled by Arawak Indians from South America around 100 BC (though there is some evidence of Amerindian presence on the islands as far back as 1500 BC).^[1] The Arawaks inhabited the islands until the 15th century when they were displaced by the more aggressive Caribs, a tribe from the Lesser Antilles islands, after whom the Caribbean Sea is named. (Some historians, however, believe that this popular account of warlike Caribs chasing peaceful Arawaks out of the Caribbean islands is rooted in simplistic European stereotypes, and that the true story is more complex.) The Islands were first settled by Arawak Indians from South America in around 100 BC. They settled the Islands until the 15th century when they were removed by the more aggressive Caribs, a tribe from the Lesser Antilles islands, after whom the Caribbean Sea is named. ... The Arawakan languages are an indigenous language family of South America and the Caribbean. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... This article is about the Island Carib, who lived on the islands of the Caribbean. ... Location of the Lesser Antilles (green) in relation to the rest of the Caribbean Islands of the Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles, also known as the Caribbees,[1] are part of the Antilles, which together with the Bahamas and Greater Antilles form the West Indies. ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean A Caribbean beach in Isla Margarita, Venezuela. ...

The first European sighting of the Virgin Islands was by Christopher Columbus in 1493 on his second voyage to the Americas. Columbus gave them the fanciful name Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Vírgenes (Saint Ursula and her 11,000 Virgins), shortened to Las Vírgenes (The Virgins), after the legend of Saint Ursula. Christopher Columbus (Genoa?, Italy, 1451? – Valladolid, Spain, May 20, 1506) was a navigator and maritime explorer credited as the discoverer of the Americas. ... Saint Ursula on the coat-of-arms of British Virgin Islands Ursula (small female bear in Latin) is a British Christian saint. ...

The Spanish Empire acquired the islands in the early 16th century, mining copper on Virgin Gorda, and subsequent years saw the English, Dutch, French, Spanish and Danish all jostling for control of the region, which became a notorious haunt for pirates. During the process of colonisation the native Amerindian population was decimated. Military flag of the Spanish Empire from the 16th century up to 1843. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Atomic mass 63. ... Virgin Gorda is the second-largest of the British Virgin Islands Virgin Gorda is the third-largest of the British Virgin Islands. ...

The Dutch established a permanent settlement on the island of Tortola in 1648. In 1672, the English captured Tortola from the Dutch, and the British annexation of Anegada and Virgin Gorda followed in 1680. Meanwhile, over the period 1672–1733, the Danish gained control of the nearby islands of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. Tortola is the largest and most populated of the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands which form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... Unlike the other British Virgin Islands, Anegada is a flat atoll. ... Virgin Gorda is the second-largest of the British Virgin Islands Virgin Gorda is the third-largest of the British Virgin Islands. ... Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and a constituent of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). ... Saint John is the smallest of the three main United States Virgin Islands (USVI), a United States territory. ... Saint Croix from space, January 1993 Saint Croix is one of the United States Virgin Islands, a United States territory, in the Caribbean. ...

The British islands were considered principally a strategic possession, but were planted when economic conditions were particularly favourable. The British introduced sugar cane which was to become the main crop and source of foreign trade, and slaves were brought from Africa to work on the sugar cane plantations. The islands prospered economically until the growth in the sugar beet crop in Europe and the United States significantly reduced sugar cane production. Species Ref: ITIS 42058 as of 2004-05-05 Sugarcane is one of six species of a tall tropical southeast Asian grass (Family Poaceae) having stout fibrous jointed stalks whose sap at one time was the primary source of sugar. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... Two sugar beets - the one on the left has been cultivated to be smoother than the traditional beet, so that it traps less soil. ...

In 1917, the United States purchased St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix from Denmark for US$25 million, renaming them the United States Virgin Islands. Subsequently, the British renamed the islands they controlled as the British Virgin Islands.

The British Virgin Islands were administered variously as part of the Leeward Islands Colony or with St. Kitts and Nevis, with an Administrator representing the British Government on the Islands. Separate colony status was gained for the Islands in 1960 and the Islands became autonomous in 1967. Since the 1960s, the Islands have diversified away from their traditionally agriculture-based economy towards tourism and financial services, becoming one of the richest areas in the Caribbean. The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles. ...

[edit] Politics

Main article: Politics of the British Virgin Islands

Executive authority in British Virgin Islands is invested in The Queen and is exercised on her behalf by the Governor of the British Virgin Islands. The Governor is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the British Government. Defence and Foreign Affairs remain the responsibility of the United Kingdom. Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI Data code: VI Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK Government type: NA Capital: Road Town Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK) Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK) National holiday: Territory Day, 1... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... For leaders before this see: List of Administrators of the British Virgin Islands Derek George Cudmore (1971-1974) Walter Wilkinson Wallace (1974-1978) James Alfred Davidson (1978-1982) David Robert Barwick (1982-1986) J. Mark A. Herdman (1986-1991) Peter Alfred Penfold (1991-1995) David Mackilligin (1995-1998) Frank Savage... The United Kingdom is a unitary state and a democratic constitutional monarchy. ...

The Constitution of the Islands was introduced in 1971. The Head of Government is the Chief Minister, who is elected in a general election along with the other members of the ruling government as well as the members of the opposition. An Executive Council is nominated by the Chief Minister and appointed by the Governor. There is a unicameral Legislative Council made up of 13 seats. List of Heads of Government of the British Virgin Islands Affiliation:- NDP: National Democratic Party UP: United Party VIP: Virgin Islands Party Categories: | ... Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ... A Legislative Council in British constitutional thought is the second-to-top tier of a government led by a Governor-General, Governor or a Lieutenant-Governor, inferior to an Executive Council and equal to or superior to a Legislative Assembly. ...

The current Governor is David Pearey (since 2006). The current Chief Minister is Orlando Smith (since June 17 2003) who is a member of ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). The main opposition is the Virgin Islands Party (VIP). David Pearey (born 1948) has been Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the British Virgin Islands since 18 April 2006. ... Orlando D. Smith (born August 28, 1944) is the chief minister of the British Virgin Islands since June 17, 2003. ... June 17 is the 168th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (169th in leap years), with 197 days remaining. ...

[edit] Geography

Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

Tortola, British Virgin Islands

Main article: Geography of the British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands comprise around 60 semi-tropical Caribbean islands, ranging in size from the largest, Tortola (approximately 12 miles by 3 miles), to tiny uninhabited islets. They are located in the Virgin Islands archipelago, a few miles east of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The North Atlantic Ocean lies to the north of the islands, and the Caribbean Sea lies to the south. Most of the islands are volcanic in origin and have a hilly, rugged terrain. Anegada is geologically distinct from the rest of the group and is a flat island composed of limestone and coral. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1080x810, 298 KB) Summary Roadtown, Tortola, BVI - 2005 Photo: Henry Alcock-White (Henry aw 23:34, 10 July 2006 (UTC)) Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1080x810, 298 KB) Summary Roadtown, Tortola, BVI - 2005 Photo: Henry Alcock-White (Henry aw 23:34, 10 July 2006 (UTC)) Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the... Road Town, located on Tortola island, is the capital of the British Virgin Islands. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1080x810, 316 KB) Summary Tortola, BVI - 2006 photo: Henry Alcock-White (Henry aw 23:33, 10 July 2006 (UTC)) Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1080x810, 316 KB) Summary Tortola, BVI - 2006 photo: Henry Alcock-White (Henry aw 23:33, 10 July 2006 (UTC)) Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Information from The World Factbook See also: British Virgin Islands Categories: British Virgin Islands | Geography by country ... BVI USVI The Virgin Islands are an archipelago in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... Atlantic redirects here. ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean A Caribbean beach in Isla Margarita, Venezuela. ...

In addition to the four main islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke, other islands include: Tortola is the largest and most populated of the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands which form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands. ... Virgin Gorda is the second-largest of the British Virgin Islands Virgin Gorda is the third-largest of the British Virgin Islands. ... Unlike the other British Virgin Islands, Anegada is a flat atoll. ... At roughly 8 square kilometers, Jost Van Dyke is the smallest of the four main islands of the British Virgin Islands, the northern portion of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. ...

• Beef Island
• Cooper Island
• Ginger Island
• Great Camanoe
• Great Thatch
• Guana Island
• Mosquito Island
• Necker Island
• Norman Island
• Peter Island
• Salt Island

This article contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... The Little Sisters is an informal name for a group of some of the smaller members of the British Virgin Islands. ... Great Camanoe is a small island located just north of Beef Island and northeast of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands which forms part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. ... Necker Island is a small island in the British Virgin Islands just north of Virgin Gorda, located at . It is owned by Sir Richard Branson, famous for his Virgin brand. ... Norman Island is located at the southern tip of the British Virgin Islands archipelago. ... Peter Island was discovered by Christopher Columbus while he was exploring the area around the Virgin Islands. ... Salt Island is one of the islands of the archipelago of the British Virgin Islands located about 4. ...

[edit] Climate

The British Virgin Islands enjoy a sub-tropical climate, moderated by trade winds. Temperatures vary little throughout the year: typical daily maxima are around 29°C (84°F) in the summer and 25°C (77°F) in the winter. Rainfall averages about 115 cm (45 in) per year, higher in the hills and lower on the coast. Rainfall can be quite variable, but the wettest months on average are September to December. Hurricanes occasionally hit the islands, with the hurricane season running from June to October.

[edit] Subdivisions

Main article: Districts of the British Virgin Islands

// Administrative Districts The five administrative subdivisions mentioned on some web pages may just be planning regions, without much administrative relevance: The Other Islands are not all remaining islands, but the islands south of Tortola (separated from it by the Sir Francis Drake Channel and southwest of Virgin Gorda and detached...

[edit] Economy

Main article: Economy of the British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands enjoys one of the more prosperous economies of the Caribbean region, with a per capita GDP of around $38,500 (2004 est.)^[2] Economy - overview: The economy of the British Virgin Islands, one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, which generates an estimated 45% of the national income. ...

In the British Virgin Islands it has long been fashionable to talk about the "twin pillars" of the Territory's economy - tourism and financial services. Politically, tourism is the more important of the two, as it employs a greater number of people within the Territory, and a larger proportion of the businesses in the tourist industry are locally owned, as are a number of the highly tourism dependent sole traders (ie. taxi drivers and street vendors). Economically, however, financial services is by far the more important. Nearly 50% of the Government's revenue comes directly from licence fees for offshore companies, and considerable further sums are raised directly or indirectly from payroll taxes relating to salaries paid within the trust industry sector (which tend to be higher on average than those paid in the tourism sector).

Tourism accounts for 45% of national income. The islands are a popular destination for U.S. citizens, with around 350,000 tourists visiting annually (1997 figures). Tourists frequent the numerous white sand beaches, visit The Baths on Virgin Gorda, snorkel the coral reefs near Anegada, experience the well-known bars of Jost Van Dyke, or charter yachts to explore the less accessible islands. A substantial number of the tourists who visit the BVI are cruise ship passengers, although they produce far lower revenue per head than charter boat tourists and hotel based tourists. They are nonetheless important to the substantial (and politically important) taxi driving community. Tourists at Oahu island, Hawaii Tourism is the act of travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes, and also refers to the provision of services in support of this act. ... The Beach in Calella, Spain. ... Snorkel A snorkel (also spelled schnorkel or schnorchel) is a tube that allows a person, vehicle, or vessel to draw air while submerged under water. ... Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef. ... A modern yacht A yacht (From Dutch Jacht meaning hunt) was originally defined as a light, fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries. ... Pacific Sky sails under Sydney Harbour Bridge A cruise ship is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ships amenities are considered an essential part of the experience. ...

Substantial revenues are also generated by the registration of offshore companies. As of 2004, over 550,000 companies were so registered. In 2000 KPMG reported in its survey of offshore jurisdictions for the United Kingdom government that over 41% of the world's offshore companies were formed in the British Virgin Islands. Since 2001, financial services in the British Virgin Islands have been regulated by the independent Financial Services Commission. An offshore company is a company which does not conduct substantial business in its country of incorporation. ... A tax haven is a place where certain taxes are levied at a low rate or not at all. ... The BVI Financial Services Commission is an autonomous regulatory authority responsible for the regulation, supervision and inspection of all financial services in and from within the British Virgin Islands, including insurance, banking, trustee business, company management, mutual funds business as well as the registration of companies, limited partnerships, intellectual property...

Agriculture and industry account for only a small proportion of the islands' GDP. Agricultural produce includes fruit, vegetables, sugar cane, livestock and poultry, and industries include rum distillation, construction and boatbuilding.

Since 1959, the official currency of the British Virgin Islands has been the US dollar, also used by the United States Virgin Islands. ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory[1], the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ...

[edit] Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the British Virgin Islands

The population of the Islands is around 21,730 at 2003. The majority of the population (83%) are Afro-Caribbean, descended from the slaves brought to the islands by the British. Other large ethnic groups include those of British and other European origin. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require rewriting and/or reformatting. ... Afro-Caribbean may refer to: the British Afro-Caribbean community other members of the African diaspora in or from the Carribean This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ...

The 1999 census reports:

Black 83.36%

White 7.28% (includes British, Portuguese, & Syrian/Lebanese)

Mixed 5.38%

East Indian 3.14%

Others 0.84%

The islands are predominantly Protestant Christian (86%). The largest individual denominations are Methodist (33%), Anglican (17%), and Catholic (10%). Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ...

[edit] Transport

Main article: Transportation on the British Virgin Islands

Being a small group of islands, transportation is limited. There are 113 km of roads. The main airport (Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, also known as Beef Island Airport) is located on Beef Island, which lies off the eastern tip of Tortola. Virgin Gorda and Anegada have their own smaller airports. The main harbour is in Road Town. Railways: 0 km Highways: total: 113 km (1995 est. ... Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (IATA: EIS, ICAO: TUPJ), previously known as Beef Island Airport, is the main airport serving the British Virgin Islands, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean. ... Road Town, located on Tortola island, is the capital of the British Virgin Islands. ...

[edit] Music

Main article: Music of the Virgin Islands

The traditional music of the British Virgin Islands is called fungi after the local cornmeal dish with the same name, often made with okra. The special sound of fungi is due to a unique local fusion between African and European music. It functions as a medium of local history and folklore and is therefore a cherished cultural form of expression that is part of the curriculum in BVI schools. The fungi bands, also called "scratch bands", use instruments ranging from calabash, washboard, bongos and ukulele, to more traditional western instruments like keyboard, banjo, guitar, bass, triangle and saxophone. Apart from being a form of festive dance music, fungi often contains humorous social commentaries, as well as BVI oral history.^[3] The Virgin Islands are partially controlled by the United Kingdom and the United States, and have had long-standing cultural ties to the island nations to the south as well as to various European colonialists. ... Cornmeal products include tortillas and taco shells. ... Binomial name Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench Okra, or ladys finger, is a flowering plant in the mallow family Malvaceae, originating somewhere near present-day Ethiopia. ... Binomial name Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl. ... Bongos being played Bongos are a percussion instrument. ... Ukulele The ukulele (Hawaiian: , IPA pronunciation: ; Anglicised pronunciation usually IPA: ), or uke, is a fretted string instrument which is, in its construction, essentially a smaller, four-stringed version of the guitar. ...

[edit] See also

• List of British Virgin Islands-related topics
• Communications on the British Virgin Islands
• Demographics of the British Virgin Islands
• Military of the British Virgin Islands
• Music of the Virgin Islands
• Politics of the British Virgin Islands
• Virgin Islands Creole

This is a list of topics related to British Virgin Islands. ... Telephones - main lines in use: 9,000 (1994) Telephones - mobile cellular: NA Telephone system: worldwide telephone service domestic: NA international: submarine cable to Bermuda 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... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require rewriting and/or reformatting. ... Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK See also : British Virgin Islands Categories: British Virgin Islands ... The Virgin Islands are partially controlled by the United Kingdom and the United States, and have had long-standing cultural ties to the island nations to the south as well as to various European colonialists. ... Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI Data code: VI Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK Government type: NA Capital: Road Town Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK) Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK) National holiday: Territory Day, 1... Virgin Islands Creole is a linguistic variety spoken in the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. ...

[edit] References

• ↑  Non-Self-Governing Territories listed by General Assembly in 2002. United Nations Special Committee of 24 on Decolonization. Retrieved on 10 March, 2005.

1. ^ Wilson, Samuel M. ed. The Indigenous People of the Caribbean. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1997. ISBN 0813016924
2. ^ CIA. Economy: British Virgin Islands. The World Factbook, CIA publications, 19 December. 2006. Retrieved 25 December. 2006.
3. ^ Penn, Dexter J.A. Music of the British Virgin Islands: Fungi. Retrieved 25 December 2006.

[edit] External links

Find more information on British Virgin Islands by searching Wikipedia's sister projects
	Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary
	Textbooks from Wikibooks
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Images and media from Commons
	News stories from Wikinews
	Learning resources from Wikiversity

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo. ... Image File history File links Wikiquote-logo. ... Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Image File history File links Wikiversity-logo-Snorky. ...

[edit] Official sites

• The Government of the BVI, London Office - Official government site
• British Virgin Islands: Nature's Little Secrets- Official site of the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board
• The British Virgin Islands Welcome - Official, bi-monthly BVI Tourist Board publication
• The British Virgin Islands Ports Authotity - Official site
• National Parks Trust of the British Virgin Islands - Official site
• British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission - Official site

[edit] News and media

• BVI News Online - Daily News (Online) of the British Virgin Islands
• The Island Sun - Weekly newspaper of the British Virgin Islands
• The BVI Beacon - Weekly newspaper of the British Virgin Islands
• BVI Standpoint - Weekly newspaper of the British Virgin Islands

[edit] Directories

• British Virgin Islands travel guide from Wikitravel
• Open Directory Project - British Virgin Islands directory category

v • d • e

Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

Antigua and Barbuda • Bahamas¹ • Barbados • Belize • Dominica • Grenada • Guyana • Haiti¹ • Jamaica • Montserrat² • Saint Kitts and Nevis • Saint Lucia • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines • Suriname • Trinidad and Tobago The Caribbean Community and Common Market or CARICOM was established by the Treaty of Chaguaramas[1] which came into effect on August 1, 1973. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_CARICOM.svg Flag of the Caribbean Community, based on image at the World Flag Database. ... Motto: Country Above Self Anthem: O Land of Beauty! Royal anthem: God Save the Queen Capital (and largest city) Basseterre Official languages English Government Parliamentary democracy Commonwealth Realm  - Monarch Queen Elizabeth II  - Governor-General Sir Cuthbert Sebastian  - Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas Independence From the United Kingdom   - Date 19 September... Lc redirects here. ... Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — whose people are described as Vincentians — is an independent sovereign state of the Caribbean, having a British colonial history and now part of the Commonwealth of Nations. ... Motto: Together we aspire, together we achieve Anthem: Forged From The Love of Liberty Capital Port of Spain Largest town Chaguanas [1] Official languages English Government Republic  - President George Maxwell Richards  - Prime Minister Patrick Manning Independence    - from the UK 31 August 1962  Area  - Total 5,128 km² (172nd) 1,979...

Associate members: Anguilla • Bermuda • Cayman Islands • British Virgin Islands • Turks and Caicos Islands

Observer status: Aruba • Colombia • Dominican Republic • Mexico • Netherlands Antilles • Puerto Rico • Venezuela

¹ member of the community but not the CARICOM (Caribbean) Single Market and Economy
² territory of the United Kingdom awaiting British instruments of entrustment to join the CSME

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British overseas territories and crown dependencies

Overseas territories: Anguilla • Bermuda • British Antarctic Territory • British Indian Ocean Territory • British Virgin Islands • Cayman Islands • Falkland Islands • Gibraltar • Montserrat • Pitcairn Islands • Saint Helena (Ascension Island, Tristan da Cunha) • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands • Turks and Caicos Islands Motto: (Royal) (French) God and my right Anthem: God Save the Queen  United Kingdom(orange) – on the European continent(camel & white) – in the European Union(camel) [] Capital London Official languages de facto English Government  - Monarch Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair Formation    - 24 March 1603   - Acts of Union 1... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Location of the British Overseas Territories (British Antarctic Territory and Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus not shown) A British Overseas Territory is one of 16 territories which are under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but not considered part of the United Kingdom itself. ... Motto: Research and Discovery Anthem: God Save the Queen Status Overseas territory of the United Kingdom Official language(s) - Commissioner Tony Crombie Administrator Michael Richardson Area 1,395,000 km² Population c. ... Anthem: God Save the Queen Capital Georgetown Largest city Georgetown Official languages English Government Dependency of St. ... Motto: Our faith is our strength Anthem: God Save the Queen Capital Edinburgh of the Seven Seas Status Dependency of Saint Helena Official language(s) English Governor Michael Clancy Administrator Mike Hentley Area 201 km² Population ~280 Currency Saint Helenian pound (SHP) at parity with the UK Pound Sterling (GBP... Motto: Leo Terram Propriam Protegat (Latin: Let the Lion protect his own land or May the Lion protect his own land) Official language English Capital Grytviken Commissioner Alan Huckle Area  - Total  - % water not ranked 3,903 km² - Population  - Total (2006 E)  - Density not ranked ~20 n/a; Currency GBP Time...

Crown dependencies: Guernsey • Jersey • Isle of Man Crown dependencies are possessions of the British Crown, as opposed to overseas territories or colonies of the United Kingdom. ...

Sovereign base areas: Akrotiri and Dhekelia The UK Sovereign Base Areas are those British military base areas located in countries formerly ruled by the United Kingdom which were retained by it and not handed over when those countries attained independence. ... Anthem: God Save the Queen Capital Episkopi Cantonment Official languages English Government Sovereign Base Areas  - Administrator Richard Lacey British overseas territory    - Established 1960  Area  - Total 254 km² 98 sq mi  Population  - Density n/a/km² (n/a) n/a/sq mi Currency Cypriot pound (CYP) Time zone EET (UTC+2...