This article is about the British Overseas Territory. For the island group, which also includes the United States Virgin Islands and Spanish Virgin Islands, seeVirgin Islands.
The British Virgin Islands consist of the main islands ofTortola,Virgin Gorda,Anegada andJost Van Dyke, along with more than 50 other smaller islands andcays.[8] About 16 of the islands are inhabited.[6] 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;[4] current estimates put the population at 35,802 (July 2018).[6]
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.[9][10][11]
The islands were named "Santa Úrsula y las Once Mil Vírgenes" byChristopher Columbus in 1493 after the legend ofSaint Ursula and the 11,000 virgins.[6][8] The name was later shortened to "the Virgin Islands".[6]
The official name of the territory is still simply the "Virgin Islands", but the prefix "British" is often used. This is commonly believed to distinguish it from the neighbouring American territory which changed its name from the "Danish West Indies" to "Virgin Islands of the United States" in 1917. However, local historians have disputed this, pointing to a variety of publications and public records dating from between 21 February 1857 and 12 September 1919 where the territory is referred to as theBritish Virgin Islands.[12] British Virgin Islands government publications continue to begin with the name "The territory of the Virgin Islands", andthe territory's passports simply refer to the "Virgin Islands", and all laws begin with the words "Virgin Islands". Moreover, the territory's Constitutional Commission has expressed the view that "every effort should be made" to encourage the use of the name "Virgin Islands".[13] But various public and quasi-public bodies continue to use the name "British Virgin Islands" or "BVI", including BVI Finance, BVI Electricity Corporation, BVI Tourist Board, BVI Athletic Association,BVI Bar Association and others.[citation needed]
In 1968 the British Government issued a memorandum requiring that the postage stamps in the territory should say "British Virgin Islands" (whereas previously they had simply stated "Virgin Islands"), a practice which is still followed today.[12] This was likely to prevent confusion following on from the adoption of US currency in the territory in 1959, and the references to US currency on the stamps of the territory.[14]
It is generally thought that the Virgin Islands were first settled by theArawak from South America around 100 BC to AD 200, though there is some evidence ofAmerindian presence on the islands as far back as 1500 BC.[15][8][16] The Arawaks inhabited the islands until the 15th century when they were displaced by theKalinago (Island Caribs), a tribe from theLesser Antilles islands.[citation needed]
The first European sighting of the Virgin Islands was by the Spanish expedition ofChristopher Columbus in 1493 on his second voyage to the Americas, who gave the islands their modern name.[8][17][18]
TheSpanish Empire claimed the islands by discovery in the early 16th century, but never settled them, and subsequent years saw the English, Dutch, French, Spanish, and Danish all jostling for control of the region, which became a notorious haunt forpirates.[8] There is no record of any native Amerindian population in the British Virgin Islands during this period; it is thought that they either fled to safer islands or were killed.[8]
The Dutch established apermanent settlement on the island ofTortola by 1648,[8] frequently clashing with the Spanish who were based on nearby Puerto Rico. In 1672, the English captured Tortola from the Dutch, and the English annexation ofAnegada andVirgin Gorda followed in 1680.[19][20] Meanwhile, over the period 1672–1733, the Danish gained control of the nearby islands ofSaint Thomas,Saint John andSaint Croix (i.e. the modern US Virgin Islands).[citation needed]
The British islands were considered principally a strategic possession. The British introducedsugar cane which was to become the main crop and source of foreign trade, and large numbers ofslaves were forcibly brought from Africa to work on the sugar cane plantations.[8] The islands prospered economically until the middle of the nineteenth century, when a combination of theabolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1834, a series of disastrous hurricanes, and the growth in thesugar beet crop in Europe and the United States[21] significantly reduced sugar cane production and led to a period of economic decline.[8]
In 1917, the United States purchased theDanish Virgin Islands for US$25 million, renaming them theUnited States Virgin Islands. Economic linkages with the US islands prompted the British Virgin Islands to adopt the US dollar as its currency in 1959.[6]
The British Virgin Islands were administered variously as part of theBritish Leeward Islands or withSt. Kitts and Nevis, with an administrator representing the British Government on the islands.[8] The islands gained separate colony status in 1960 and became autonomous in 1967 under the new post of Chief Minister.[8] Since the 1960s, the islands have diversified away from their traditionally agriculture-based economy towards tourism and financial services, becoming one of the wealthiest areas in the Caribbean.[8] The constitution of the islands was amended in 1977, 2004 and 2007, giving them greater local autonomy.[8]
Map of the British Virgin Islands. Note: Anegada is farther away from the other islands than shown.
The British Virgin Islands comprise around 60 tropical Caribbean islands, ranging in size from the largest, Tortola, being 20 km (12 mi) long and 5 km (3 mi) wide, to tiny uninhabitedislets, altogether about 150 square kilometres (58 square miles) in extent. They are located in theVirgin Islands archipelago, a few miles east of theUS Virgin Islands, and about 95 km (59 mi) from thePuerto Rican mainland. About 150 km (93 mi) east south-east liesAnguilla. TheNorth Atlantic Ocean lies to the east of the islands, and theCaribbean Sea lies to the west. Most of the islands are volcanic in origin and have a hilly, rugged terrain.[8] The highest point isMount Sage on Tortola at 521m.[6][8] Anegada is geologically distinct from the rest of the group, being a flat island composed of limestone and coral.[8][6] The British Virgin Islands contain theLeeward Islands moist forests andLeeward Islands xeric scrub terrestrial ecoregions.[23] In the British Virgin Islandsforest cover is around 24% of the total land area, equivalent to 3,620 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 3,710 hectares (ha) in 1990.[24][25]
The British Virgin Islands have atropical savanna climate, moderated bytrade winds.[8] Temperatures vary little throughout the year. In the capital,Road Town, typical daily maxima are around 32 °C (89.6 °F) in the summer and 29 °C (84.2 °F) in the winter. Typical daily minima are around 26 °C (78.8 °F) in the summer and 23 °C (73.4 °F) in the winter. Rainfall averages about 1,150 mm (45.3 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 November and the driest months on average are February and March.
Climate data for Cyril E. King Airport (1991–2020 normals)
On 6 September 2017,Hurricane Irma struck the islands, causing extensive damage, especially on Tortola, and killing four people.[28][29][30] TheCaribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency declared a state of emergency.[31][32] Visiting Tortola on 13 September 2017, UK Foreign SecretaryBoris Johnson said that he was reminded of photos of Hiroshima after it had been hit by the atom bomb.[33]
By 8 September, the UK government sent troops with medical supplies and other aid.[34] More troops were expected to arrive a day or two later, butHMS Ocean, carrying more extensive assistance, was not expected to reach the islands for another two weeks.[35]
EntrepreneurRichard Branson, a resident ofNecker Island, called on the UK government to develop a massive disaster recovery plan to include "both through short-term aid and long-term infrastructure spending".[36] PremierOrlando Smith also called for a comprehensive aid package to rebuild the territory. On 10 September UK Prime MinisterTheresa May pledged £32 million to the Caribbean for a hurricane relief fund and promised that the UK government would match donations from the public to the British Red Cross appeal.[37] Specifics were not provided to the news media as to the amount that would be allocated to the Virgin Islands.[31][38] Boris Johnson's visit to Tortola on 13 September 2017 during his Caribbean tour was intended to confirm the UK's commitment to helping restore British islands but he provided no additional comments on the aid package.[39][40] He did confirm that HMSOcean had departed for the BVI carrying items like timber, buckets, bottled water, food, baby milk, bedding and clothing, as well as ten pick-up trucks, building materials and hardware.[41]
The UK offered to underwrite rebuilding loans up to US$400m as long as there was accountability as to how the monies were spent. Successive NDP and VIP governments declined, despite there having been created a Recovery & Development Authority led by highly skilled infrastructure personnel, many of whom were ex-military with decades of infrastructure rebuilding expertise from war zones and natural disaster sites. Many wealthy residents also proposed a large rebuilding plan, starting with key infrastructure, such as the high school. Nearly five years later, there was no sign of any such rebuilding of the high school or certain other key infrastructure.
Themost recent constitution was adopted in 2007 (the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007)[42][43] and came into force when theLegislative Council was dissolved for the2007 general election. The head of government under the constitution is thePremier (before the new constitution the office was referred to asChief 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.Elections are held roughly every four years. Acabinet is nominated by the Premier and appointed and chaired by the Governor. The Legislature consists of the King (represented by the Governor) and aunicameralHouse of Assembly made up of 13 elected members plus theSpeaker and theAttorney General.[6][8]
On 8 June 2022, subordinate UK legislation was made allowing for direct rule for the islands.[44] However, theBritish Government decided on that date not to implement direct rule.[45]
The British Virgin Islands is a unitary territory. The territory is divided into nine electoral districts, and each voter is registered in one of those districts.[46] Eight of the nine districts are partly or wholly on Tortola, and encompass nearby neighbouring islands. Only the ninth district (Virgin Gorda and Anegada) does not include any part of Tortola. At elections, in addition to voting their local representative, voters also cast votes for four candidates who are elected upon an at-large territory-wide basis.
Crime in the British Virgin Islands is comparatively low by Caribbean standards. While statistics and hard data are relatively rare, and are not regularly published by governmental sources in the British Virgin Islands, the then-Premier did announce that in 2013 there was a 14% decline in recorded crime compared to 2012.[47] Homicides are rare,[48] with just one incident recorded in 2013.
The Virgin Islands Prison Service operates a single facility, His Majesty's Prison in East End, Tortola.[49]
The British and US Virgin Islands sit at the axis of a major drugs transshipment point between Latin America and the continental United States.[6] The AmericanDrug Enforcement Administration regards the adjacent US territories of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands as a "High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area".[50]
The twin pillars of the economy are financial services (60%) and tourism (roughly 40–45% of GDP).[51][6][52]
Economically however, financial services associated with the territory's status as anoffshore financial centre are by far the more important.[5] 51.8% 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).[53] According to Transparency International, the British Virgin Islands is one of the top incorporation hubs for anonymous companies used to conceal assets and stolen funds.[9]
The official currency of the British Virgin Islands has been the United States dollar (US$) since 1959, the currency also used by theUnited States Virgin Islands.[6]
The British Virgin Islands enjoys one of the more prosperous economies of the Caribbean region, with a per capita average income of around $47,000 (2022 est.)[54]
Although it is common to hear criticism in the British Virgin Islands' press aboutincome inequality, no serious attempt has been made by economists to calculate aGini coefficient or similar measure of income equality for the territory. A report from 2000 suggested that, despite the popular perception, income inequality was actually lower in the British Virgin Islands than in any otherOECS state,[55] although in global terms income equality is higher in the Caribbean than in many other regions.
Tourism accounts for approximately 45% of national income.[51] The islands are a popular destination for US citizens.[51] Tourists frequent the numerous white sand beaches, visitThe Baths on Virgin Gorda,snorkel thecoral reefs near Anegada, or experience the well-known bars of Jost Van Dyke. The BVI are known as one of the world's greatest sailing destinations, and charter sailboats are a very popular way to visit less accessible islands. Established in 1972,[57] the BVI hosts the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival.[58] A substantial number of the tourists who visit the BVI arecruise ship passengers, and 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.
Financial services account for over half of the income of the territory. The majority of this revenue is generated by the licensing ofoffshore companies and related services. The British Virgin Islands is a significant global player in theoffshore financial services industry.[59] Since 2001, financial services in the British Virgin Islands have been regulated by the independentFinancial Services Commission.
The BVI is relied upon for its sophisticated Commercial Court division of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, as well as the more recent BVI Arbitration Centre. Caribbean KCs and British KCs preside over the majority of important cases and the laws of the Virgin Islands are based on English laws, meaning the jurisdiction provides clarity and consistency should parties require commercial disputes to be resolved. Owing to the international nature of BVI companies' operations and asset holdings, the BVI Commercial Court routinely hears highly sophisticated matters at the cutting edge of cross-border litigation and enforcement, where billions of dollars are at issue.
Citco, also known as the Citco Group of Companies and the Curaçao International Trust Co., is a privately owned globalhedge fundadministrator headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, founded in 1948.[60] It is the world's largest hedge fund administrator, managing over $1 trillion in assets under administration.[61]
In May 2022, the banking sector of the British Virgin Islands comprised only seven commercial banks[62] and one restricted bank, 12 authorised custodians, two licensed money services businesses and one licensed financing service provider.[63]
The British Virgin Islands is frequently referred to as a "tax haven" by campaigners and NGOs, including Oxfam. Successive governments in the British Virgin Islands have implemented tax exchange agreements and verified beneficial ownership information of companies following the2013 G8 summit putting their governance and regulatory regimes far ahead of many "onshore" jurisdictions.
On 10 September 2013, British Prime MinisterDavid Cameron said "I do not think it is fair any longer to refer to any of the Overseas Territories or Crown Dependencies as tax havens. They have taken action to make sure that they have fair and open tax systems. It is very important that our focus should now shift to those territories and countries that really are tax havens."[64][65] Yet journalist and author for The Economist, Nicholas Shaxson, writes in his 2016Treasure Islands, tax havens and the men who stole the world: "...Britain sits, spider-like, at the centre of a vast international web of tax havens, which hoover up trillions of dollars' worth of business and capital from around the globe and funnel it up to the City of London. The British Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories – ...the British Virgin Islands... are some of the biggest players in the offshore world."(pp. vii–viii) Shaxson points out that despite BVI having fewer than 25000 inhabitants, hosts over 800,000 companies.
In the April 2016Panama Papers leak, while all of the wrongdoing by Mossack Fonseca personnel occurred in Panama and the US, the British Virgin Islands was by far the most commonly used jurisdiction by clients ofMossack Fonseca.[66]
In 2022, the verified nature of beneficial ownership registers of the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies were a crucial tool in giving effect tosanctions against Russia and Belarus, enabling the efficient identification and seizure of yachts, real estate and businesses.
On 30 June 2014, The British Virgin Islands[67] was deemed to have an Inter- Governmental Agreement (IGA) with the United States of America with respect to the "Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act" of the United States of America.
The Model 1 Agreement (14 Pages)[68] recognises that:The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland provided a copy of the Letter of Entrustment which was sent to the Government of the British Virgin Islands, to the Government of the United States of America "via diplomatic note of 28 May 2014".
The Letter of Entrustment dated 14 July 2010 was originally provided to the Government of the British Virgin Islands and authorised the Government of the BVI "to negotiate and conclude Agreements relating to taxation that provide for exchange of information on tax matters to the OECD standard" (Paragraph 2 of the FATCA Agreement). Via an "Entrustment Letter" dated 24 March 2014, The Government of the United Kingdom, authorised the Government of the BVI to sign an agreement on information exchange to facilitate the Implementation of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.[68] On 27 March 2017, the US Treasury site disclosed that the Model 1 agreement and related agreement were "In Force" on 13 July 2015.
Under the UK Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2018, beneficial ownership of companies in British overseas territories such as the British Virgin Islands must be publicly registered for disclosure by 31 December 2020.[69] The Government of the British Virgin Islands has not yet formally challenged this law, yet has criticised it, noting that it violates the Constitutional sovereignty granted to the islands, and would in practice be relatively ineffective in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, while raising serious privacy and human rights issues. Further, this would put the British Virgin Islands in a position where it would be at a severe disadvantage because other International Finance Centres do not have this in place, and in the case of the US and the UK, there is very little near-term prospect of the same.[69]
In late 2022, both of the US and EU appeared to have endorsed the British Overseas Territories' beneficial ownership register regimes.[70] In a judgement dated 22 November 2022, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has at last decided that open public access to the beneficial owner registers of EU member state companies is no longer valid, as it is in contravention of articles 7 and 8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the Charter). The US appears to have come to a similar conclusion regarding balancing confidentiality and legitimate privacy with the Anti-Money Laundering advantages of having verified beneficial ownerships registers.[71] The resultant goal appears to be to bring the US in line with the current Cayman and BVI regimes. The UK's Crown Dependencies have already stated that they will not implement public registers without beforehand having received fresh legal advice on the matter and it is thought that the Overseas Territories would logically take a similar position. The UK is yet to come out in support of the BOTs and CDs and their current gold standard regulatory positions.
Agriculture and industry account for only a small proportion of the islands' GDP.[6] Agricultural produce includes fruit, vegetables, sugar cane, livestock and poultry, and industries include rum distillation, construction and boat building. Commercial fishing is also practised in the islands' waters.[8]
The British Virgin Islands is heavily dependent on migrant workers, and over 50% of all workers on the islands are of a foreign descent. Only 37% of the entire population were born in the territory.[4] The national labour-force is estimated at 12,770, of whom approximately 59.4% work in the service sector but less than 0.6% are estimated to work in agriculture (the balance working in industry).[72][6] The British Virgin Islands has met challenges in recruiting sufficient numbers in recent years, having been affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria, and having continued to lag behind other jurisdictions in providing a reliable permanent residence regime. This has had a knock-on effect in limiting schooling and amenities when compared to IFCs like Cayman, UAE, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
CARICOM status and the CARICOM Single Market Economy
In recognition of the CARICOM (Free Movement) Skilled Persons Act which came into effect in July 1997 in some of the CARICOM countries such as Jamaica and which has been adopted in other CARICOM countries,[75] such as Trinidad and Tobago,[76][77] it is possible that CARICOM nationals who hold the "A Certificate of Recognition of Caribbean Community Skilled Person" may be allowed to work in the BVI under normal working conditions.
Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island
There are 113 kilometres (70 mi) 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 and is accessible by theQueen Elizabeth II Bridge.Cape Air, andAir Sunshine are among the airlines offering scheduled service.[78]Virgin Gorda andAnegada have their own smaller airports. Private air charter services operated by Island Birds Air Charter fly directly to all three islands from any major airport in the Caribbean.[79] Helicopters are used to get to islands with no runway facilities; Antilles Helicopter Services is the only helicopter service based in the country.
The main harbour is inRoad Town. There are also ferries that operate within the British Virgin Islands and to the neighbouring United States Virgin Islands. Cars in the British Virgin Islandsdrive on the left just as they do in the United Kingdom and the United States Virgin Islands. However, most cars areleft hand drive,[80] because they are imported from the United States. The roads are often quite steep, narrow and winding, and ruts, mudslides and rockfall can be a problem when it rains.
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the territory was 28,054.[4] Estimates put the population at 35,800 (July 2018) yet in 2022, it is thought to be much less than 30,000 in Irma's wake and with people having left during COVID lockdowns due to unemployment in the tourism industry.[6] The majority of the population (76.9%) areAfro-Caribbean, descended from slaves brought to the islands by the British.[8] Other large ethnic groups includeLatinos (5.6%), those ofEuropean ancestry (5.4%),Mixed ancestry (5.4%) and Indian (2.1%).[6]
The 2010 Census reports the main places of origin of residents as follows:[4]
39.1% local born (though many locals go to St. Thomas or the United States for maternity services)[81]
7.2% Guyana
7.0% St. Vincent and the Grenadines
6.0% Jamaica
5.5% United States
5.4% Dominican Republic
5.3% United States Virgin Islands
The islands are heavily dependent upon migrant labour. In 2004, migrant workers accounted for 50% of the total population.[82] 32% of workers employed in the British Virgin Islands work for the government.[83] In the late 2000s the firstOverseas Filipino Worker came to the British Virgin Islands, by 2020 totalBritish Filipino population was about 800.[84]
Unusually, the territory has one of the highest drowning mortality rates in the world, being higher than other high-risk countries such as China and India.[85] 20% of deaths in the British Virgin Islands during 2012 were recorded as drownings,[86][87] all of them being tourists. Despite this, the territory's most popular beach still has no lifeguard presence.[86][88]
Jost Van Dyke Methodist Church in 2010Jost Van Dyke Methodist Church in 2019, after Hurricane Irma
Over 90% of the population who indicated a religious affiliation at the 2010 Census were Christian,[89][90] with the largest individual Christian denominations beingMethodist (17.6%),[89]Anglican (9.5%),Church of God (10.4%), Seventh-Day Adventists (9.0%) andRoman Catholic (8.9%).[4][90] The largest non-Christian faiths in 2010 were Hinduism (1.9%) and Islam (0.9%).[90] However,Hindus andMuslims constitute each approximately 1.2% of the population according to Word Religion Database 2005.[91]
The British Virgin Islands operates several government schools as well as private schools. There is also a community college,H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, that is located on the eastern end of Tortola. This college was named afterLavity Stoutt, the first Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands.[93] There remains segregation in the school system; while BVIslander andBelonger children make up a significant proportion of pupils in private schools, Non-Belongers are prohibited from attending government schools. It is extremely common for students from the British Virgin Islands to travel overseas for secondary and tertiary education, either to theUniversity of the West Indies, or to colleges and universities in either the United Kingdom, United States or Canada. Coaching in certain sports, such as athletics, squash and football is of a high level.
The literacy rate in the British Virgin Islands is high at 98%.[72]
The traditional music of the British Virgin Islands is calledfungi after the localcornmeal dish with the same name, often made withokra. The special sound of fungi is due to a unique local fusion between African and European music. The fungi bands, also called "scratch bands", use instruments ranging fromcalabash, washboard,bongos andukulele, 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.[95]
Because of its location and climate, the British Virgin Islands has long been a haven for sailing enthusiasts. Sailing is regarded as one of the foremost sports in all of the BVI. Calm waters and steady breezes provide some of the best sailing conditions in the Caribbean.[96]
Many sailing events are held in the waters of this country, the largest of which is a week-long series of races called the Spring Regatta, the premier sailing event of the Caribbean, with several races hosted each day. Boats include everything from full-size mono-hull yachts to dinghies. Captains and their crews come from all around the world to attend these races. The Spring Regatta is part race, part party, part festival. The Spring Regatta is normally held during the first week of April.[97]
Since 2009, the BVI have made a name for themselves as a host of international basketball events. The BVI hosted three of the last four events of theCaribbean Basketball Championship (FIBA CBC Championship).[98]
^"God Save the King" is thenational anthem by custom, not statute, and there is no authorised version. Typically only the first verse is usually sung, although the second verse is also often sung as well at state and public events.[3] The wordsKing, he, him, his, used at present, are replaced byQueen, she, her when the monarch is female.
^Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
^In Latin biblical passages and elsewhere, the phrase "vigilate et custodite" appears with the meaning "be vigilant and guard." In everyday English, it's used as "Stay vigilant."
^In the United Kingdom, a major market for sugar from the territory, theSugar Duties Act 1846 also created a considerable downward effect on the price of Caribbean sugar cane.
^"Station: Charlotte Amalie AP, VI VQ".U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved17 June 2021.
^"Her Majesty's Prison". Government of the British Virgin Islands. Retrieved21 January 2020.Her Majesty's Prison P.O. Box 627 East End, Tortola Virgin Islands (British) VG1120
^[1], (Select all countries, "GDP, Per Capita GDP – US Dollars", and "2022" to generate the table),United Nations Statistics Division. Access date: 18 June 2024.
^Thomas-Hope, Elizabeth (2002).Skilled labour migration from developing countries study on the Caribbean Region. International Migration Programme, International Labour Office.ISBN92-2-113282-X.OCLC493627212.
^abThe BVI Beacon, Thursday, 15 August 2013 article entitled "Report: Passports up, marriages down last year".
^Annual Report of the Civil Registry and Passport Office for 2012 which includes "For the 20 per cent that represented drowning, all were tourists who died from snorkelling or diving in the VI waters in and around caves atNorman Island, as well as nearVirgin Gorda...The Virgin Islands should, therefore put safety measures in place such as the dissemination of information to hotels, dive shops and marinas." The same report confirms that the deaths of 86 persons were recorded in the territory during 2012.
^The second paragraphs of the recitals (appearing between Article 1 and Article 2) contains the words: "[T]he society of the Virgin Islands is based upon certain moral, spiritual and democratic values including a belief in God".
24Claimed in 1908; territory formed 1962; overlaps portions of Argentine and Chilean claims, borders not enforced but claim not renounced under theAntarctic Treaty.
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