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Motto: |
Vigilate |
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History |
The territory was originally inhabited by Caribs and Arawaks. In
1648, the Dutch established the first permanent European
Community. In 1666, British planters took control of the islands
which became a British colony in 1672. A ministerial system of
government was introduced in 1967.The islands were part of the
British colony of the Leeward Islands from 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; the US
dollar is the legal currency. |
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Geography |
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Location: |
Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
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Geographic coordinates:
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18 30 N, 64 30 W
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean
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Area:
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151 sq km
land: 151 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited
islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda,
Jost van Dyke
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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80 km
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Maritime claims:
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exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm
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Climate:
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subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade
winds
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Terrain:
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coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep,
hilly
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
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Natural resources:
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NEGL |
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Land use:
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Land use:
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67%
other: 73.33% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km
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Natural hazards:
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hurricanes and tropical storms (Julyto
October)
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Environment - current issues:
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limited natural fresh water
resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most
of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)
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Geography - note:
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strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and
Puerto Rico
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People
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Population:
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24,491 (July 2009 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 19.8% (male
2,454/female 2,387)
15-64 years: 74.4% (male 9,346/female 8,881)
65 years and over: 5.8% (male 734/female 689) (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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1.837% (2009 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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14.62 births/1,000 population
(2009 est.) |
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Death rate:
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4.37 deaths/1,000 population
(July 2009 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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8.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2009 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun: British Virgin
Islander's
adjective: British Virgin Islander
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Ethnic groups:
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black 83.4%, white 7%, other 9.6%
(includes Indian and mixed) (2004 Census)
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Religions:
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Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%,
Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%,
Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic
10%, other 2%, none 2% (1991)
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Languages:
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English (official)
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
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Government |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands
abbreviation: BVI
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Dependency status:
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overseas territory of the UK
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Government type:
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NA
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Capital:
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Road Town
geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W |
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Administrative divisions:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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Independence:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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National holiday:
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New Years Day (1 January); H. Lavity Stoutt's Birthday (1
March); Commonwealth Day (8 March) ; Good Friday; Easter Monday;
Whit Monday; Sovereign's Birthday; Territory Day; Festival
Monday, Festival Tuesday, Festival Wednesday (first Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday in August); St. Ursula's Day (October);
Christmas Day (25 December); Boxing Day (26 December)
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Constitution:
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1 June 1977
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Legal system:
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English law
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Premier Ralph T. O'NEAL, OBE (since 1999 and
re-elected 23 August 2007). Born in 1933 Hon. Ralph O'Neal, OBE
started his political career as a representative in the
Legislative Council for Virgin Gorda and Anegada and as leader
of the opposition.
cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from
members of the House of Assembly
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the
monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is
usually appointed premier by the governor
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral House of Assembly (13
elected seats and 1 non-voting ex officio member in the attorney
general; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member
from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members;
members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 20 August 2007 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - VIP 45.2%, NDP
39.6%, independent 15.2%; seats by party - VIP 10, NDP 2,
independent 1
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Judicial branch:
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Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of
the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal; (one judge of the
Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High
Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction
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Political parties and leaders:
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Concerned Citizens Movement or
CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando
SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands
Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] |
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International organization participation:: |
Caricom (associate), CDB,
Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WFTU
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none (overseas territory of
the UK)
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (overseas territory
of the UK)
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Date of CARICOM Associate: |
2 July 1991 |
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Flag description:
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blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper
hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the
outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either
side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the
Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)
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Economy |
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Overview:
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The economy, one of the most prosperous in
the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, which generates an
estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists,
mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1997. In the mid-1980s, the
government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to
incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate
substantial revenues. An estimated 250,000 companies were on the offshore
registry by yearend 1997. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in
late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated
statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to
make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international
business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity;
poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements.
Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the
British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959.
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GDP
purchasing power parity:
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$853.4 million (2004 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$839.7 million (2003) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1% (2002 est.)
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GDP - per capita:
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$38,500 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 6.2%
services: 92% (1996 est.)
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Population below poverty line:
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NA%
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2% (2005) |
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Labor force:
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12,770 (2004) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 0.6%
industry: 40%
services: 59.4% (2005)
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Unemployment rate:
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3.6% (1997)
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Budget:
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revenues: $204.7 million
expenditures: $180.4 million (2004)
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Industries:
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tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete
block, offshore financial center
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Agriculture - products:
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fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry;
fish
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Exports:
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$25.3 million (2002) |
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Exports - commodities:
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rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel,
sand
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Exports - partners:
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Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
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Imports:
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$187 million f.o.b.
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Imports - commodities:
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building materials, automobiles,
foodstuffs, machinery
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Currency:
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1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
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Exchange rates:
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US currency is used
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Business Hours: |
Commercial: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m. Monday to Friday
Government: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March
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Communications |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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18,900 (2008) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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23,000 (2008) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: worldwide
telephone service
domestic: fixed line connections exceed 75 per 100 persons and
mobile cellular subscribership is approaching 100 per 100
persons
international: country code - 1-284; connected via submarine
cable to Bermuda; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS)
submarine cable provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the
eastern Caribbean (2008)
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM
5, short-wave 0 (2004)
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (plus one cable company) (1997)
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Internet Country code:
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.vg
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Internet
Hosts:
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465 (2008) |
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Internet users:
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4,000 (2002) |
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Transportation
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Roadways: |
total: 200 km
paved: 200 km (2007)
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Ports and
Terminals:
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Road Town
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Merchant marine:
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registered in other countries: 1
(Panama 1) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 153
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Airports:
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4 (2009 est.) ; Main airport; Terrance B. Lettsome International
Airport (Beef Island) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009 est.)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009 est.)
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Military
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Defense is the responsibility of the UK
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Main Source of Information: the Central Intelligence Agency
World Factbook |
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Items of Interest |
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National Anthem: |
"God Save the Queen"
God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save The Queen.
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save The Queen.
O Lord our God, arise,
Scatter our enemies,
And make them fall;
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks;
On thee our hopes we fix:
God save us all.
Thy choicest gifts in store,
On her be pleased to pour,
Long may she reign.
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice,
God save The Queen.
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Highest National Award: |
BVI Badge of Honour |
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Favourite Local Cuisine: |
Fish and Fungi |
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