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Geography Stats: compare key data on British Virgin Islands & United Kingdom

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Definitions

  • Area > Comparative: The area of various small countries expressed in comparison to various areas within the United States of America.
  • Area > Comparative to US places: This entry provides an area comparison based on total area equivalents. Most entities are compared with the entire US or one of the 50 states based on area measurements (1990 revised) provided by the US Bureau of the Census. The smaller entities are compared with Washington, DC (178 sq km, 69 sq mi) or The Mall in Washington, DC (0.59 sq km, 0.23 sq mi, 146 acres).
  • Area > Land: Total land area in square kilometres
  • Area > Land > Per capita: Total land area in square kilometres Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
  • Area > Total: Total area in square kilometers
  • Area > Water: Total water area in square kilometers
  • Climate: A brief description of typical weather regimes throughout the year.
  • Coastline: The total length of the boundary between the land area (including islands) and the sea.
  • Elevation extremes > Highest point: Highest point above sea level
  • Geographic coordinates: This entry includes rounded latitude and longitude figures for the purpose of finding the approximate geographic center of an entity and is based on the Gazetteer of Conventional Names, Third Edition, August 1988, US Board on Geographic Names and on other sources.
  • Land use > Arable land: The percentage of used land that is arable. Arable land is land cultivated for crops that are replanted after each harvest like wheat, maize, and rice
  • Location: The country's regional location, neighboring countries, and adjacent bodies of water.
  • Natural hazards: Potential natural disasters.
  • Natural resources: A country's mineral, petroleum, hydropower, and other resources of commercial importance.
  • Terrain: A brief description of the topography
  • Maritime claims > Territorial sea: territorial sea - the sovereignty of a coastal State extends beyond its land territory and internal waters to an adjacent belt of sea, described as the territorial sea in the LOS Convention (Part II); this sovereignty extends to the air space over the territorial sea as well as its underlying seabed and subsoil; every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles. A full and definitive definition can be found in the Law of the Sea (LOS) Convention.
  • Elevation extremes > Lowest point: This entry is derived from Geography > Elevation extremes, which includes both the highest point and the lowest point.
  • Population density: People per square kilometre, in 1999. At this time the world average was 14.42.
  • Map references: The name of the CIA World Factbook reference map on which a country may be found. The entry on Geographic coordinates may be helpful in finding some smaller countries.
  • Environment > Current issues: This entry lists the most pressing and important environmental problems. The following terms and abbreviations are used throughout the entry:
    Acidification - the lowering of soil and water pH due to acid precipitation and deposition usually through precipitation; this process disrupts ecosystem nutrient flows and may kill freshwater fish and plants dependent on more neutral or alkaline conditions (see acid rain).
    Acid rain - characterized as containing harmful levels of sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxide; acid rain is damaging and potentially deadly to the earth's fragile ecosystems; acidity is measured using the pH scale where 7 is neutral, values greater than 7 are considered alkaline, and values below 5.6 are considered acid precipitation; note - a pH of 2.4 (the acidity of vinegar) has been measured in rainfall in New England.
    Aerosol - a collection of airborne particles dispersed in a gas, smoke, or fog.
    Afforestation - converting a bare or agricultural space by planting trees and plants; reforestation involves replanting trees on areas that have been cut or destroyed by fire.
    Asbestos - a naturally occurring soft fibrous mineral commonly used in fireproofing materials and considered to be highly carcinogenic in particulate form.
    Biodiversity - also biological diversity; the relative number of species, diverse in form and function, at the genetic, organism, community, and ecosystem level; loss of biodiversity reduces an ecosystem's ability to recover from natural or man-induced disruption.
    Bio-indicators - a plant or animal species whose presence, abundance, and health reveal the general condition of its habitat.
    Biomass - the total weight or volume of living matter in a given area or volume.
    Carbon cycle - the term used to describe the exchange of carbon (in various forms, e.g., as carbon dioxide) between the atmosphere, ocean, terrestrial biosphere, and geological deposits.
    Catchments - assemblages used to capture and retain rainwater and runoff; an important water management technique in areas with limited freshwater resources, such as Gibraltar.
    DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane) - a colorless, odorless insecticide that has toxic effects on most animals; the use of DDT was banned in the US in 1972.
    Defoliants - chemicals which cause plants to lose their leaves artificially; often used in agricultural practices for weed control, and may have detrimental impacts on human and ecosystem health.
    Deforestation - ...
    Full definition
  • Land use > Other: The percentage share of used land that is not arable or under permanent crops. This includes permanent meadows and pastures, forests and woodlands, built-on areas, roads, barren land, etc.
  • Land use > Permanent crops: The percentage share of used land on which permanent crops are grown. This is land cultivated for crops that are not replanted after each harvest like citrus, coffee, and rubber. It includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber.
  • Maritime claims > Exclusive fishing zone: Exclusive fishing zone - while this term is not used in the LOS Convention, some States (e.g. the United Kingdom) have chosen not to claim an EEZ, but rather to claim jurisdiction over the living resources off their coast; in such cases, the term exclusive fishing zone is often used.
  • Note: This entry includes miscellaneous geographic information of significance not included elsewhere.
  • Marine Coastline: Length of each country's coastline in kilometers.
  • Forested Land: Forested land as a proportion of total land area, estimate by FAO
  • Area > Water > Per capita: Total water area in square kilometers Per capita figures expressed per 1 million population.
  • Area > Note: This entry includes three subfields. Total area is the sum of all land and water areas delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines. Land area is the aggregate of all surfaces delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines, excluding inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers). Water area is the sum of the surfaces of all inland water bodies, such as lakes, reservoirs, or rivers, as delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines.
  • Area > Total > Per capita: Total area in square kilometers Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
STAT British Virgin Islands United Kingdom HISTORY
Area > Comparative about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Oregon
Area > Comparative to US places about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Oregon
Area > Land 153 sq km
Ranked 212th.
241,590 sq km
Ranked 77th. 1579 times more than British Virgin Islands

Area > Land > Per capita 5.42 sq km per 1,000 people
Ranked 162nd. 37% more than United Kingdom
3.96 sq km per 1,000 people
Ranked 176th.

Area > Total 151 sq km
Ranked 219th.
243,610 sq km
Ranked 81st. 1613 times more than British Virgin Islands

Area > Water 0.0
Ranked 175th.
1,680 sq km
Ranked 94th.

Climate subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Coastline 80 km
Ranked 168th.
12,429 km
Ranked 14th. 155 times more than British Virgin Islands

Elevation extremes > Highest point Mount Sage 521 m Ben Nevis 1,343 m
Geographic coordinates 18 30 N, 64 30 W 54 00 N, 2 00 W
Land use > Arable land 6.67%
Ranked 135th.
24.88%
Ranked 38th. 4 times more than British Virgin Islands

Location Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico Western Europe, islands - including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland - between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea; northwest of France
Natural hazards hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) winter windstorms; floods
Natural resources NEGL coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land
Terrain coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
Maritime claims > Territorial sea 3 nautical mile
Ranked 187th.
12 nautical mile
Ranked 108th. 4 times more than British Virgin Islands

Elevation extremes > Lowest point Caribbean Sea 0 m The Fens -4 m
Population density 127.71 people per sqkm
Ranked 77th.
244.69 people per sqkm
Ranked 48th. 92% more than British Virgin Islands
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Europe
Environment > Current issues limited natural freshwater resources except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola; most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and intends to meet the legally binding target and move toward a domestic goal of a 20% cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the government reduced the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and recycled or composted at least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015
Land use > Other 86.67%
Ranked 132nd. 16% more than United Kingdom
74.93%
Ranked 188th.

Land use > Permanent crops 6.67%
Ranked 47th. 37 times more than United Kingdom
0.18%
Ranked 172nd.

Maritime claims > Exclusive fishing zone 200 nautical mile
Ranked 18th. The same as United Kingdom
200 nautical mile
Ranked 11th.

Note strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
Marine Coastline 80 km
Ranked 168th.
12,429 km
Ranked 14th. 155 times more than British Virgin Islands
Forested Land 20%
Ranked 122nd. 72% more than United Kingdom
11.6%
Ranked 140th.
Area > Water > Per capita 0.0
Ranked 163th.
53 sq km per 1 million peo
Ranked 112th.

Area > Note comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke includes Rockall and Shetland Islands
Area > Total > Per capita 5.42 sq km per 1,000 people
Ranked 168th. 35% more than United Kingdom
4.02 sq km per 1,000 people
Ranked 181st.

Area > A note comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada includes Rockall and <a href=/encyclopedia/Shetland-Islands><a href=/encyclopedia/Shetland-Islands>Shetland</a></a> Islands

SOURCES: CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011; All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; CIA World Factbooks 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013; Heal The World Foundation.; CIA Factbook: List of countries by coastline size; FAO; CIA World Factbook, December 2003

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