Overview
First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands (1872-1960); they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west, and the US dollar is the legal currency. In 2017, Hurricane Irma devastated the island of Tortola. An estimated 80% of residential and business structures were destroyed or damaged, communications disrupted, and local roads rendered impassable.
Geography
- Location
- Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
- Total Area
- 151 sq km
- Climate
- subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
- Terrain
- coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
- Natural Resources
- NEGL; pleasant climate, beaches foster tourism
- Coastline
- 80 km
- Land Borders
- 0 km
People & Society
- Population
- 40,102 (2024 est.)
- Languages
- English (official), Virgin Islands Creole
- Religions
- Protestant 70.2% (Methodist 17.6%, Church of God 10.4%, Anglican 9.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 9.0%, Pentecostal 8.2%, Baptist 7.4%, New Testament Church of God 6.9%, other Protestant 1.2%), Roman Catholic 8.9%, Jehovah's Witness 2.5%, Hindu 1.9%, other 6.2%, none 7.9%, unspecified 2.4% (2010 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- African/Black 76.3%, Latino 5.5%, White 5.4%, mixed 5.3%, Indian 2.1%, East Indian 1.6%, other 3%, unspecified 0.8% (2010 est.)
- Life Expectancy
- 80.1 years (2024 est.)
- Urbanization
- 49.7% of total population (2023)
Government
- Government Type
- Overseas Territory of the UK with limited self-government; parliamentary democracy
- Capital
- Road Town
- Independence
- none (overseas territory of the UK)
- Constitution
- several previous; latest effective 15 June 2007 (The Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007)
- Legal System
- English common law
- Executive Branch
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Daniel PRUCE (since 29 January 2024)
Economy
- Economic Overview
- British Caribbean island territorial economy; strong tourism and services industries; vulnerable to hurricanes; navigating public debt insolvency since 2008 Crisis; considered a tax haven; high electrification costs; major rum exporter
- GDP (Official Rate)
- $1.598 billion (2024 est.)
- Major Industries
- tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore banking center