 Road Town, the largest settlement on Tortola, in 2006 | |
  Tortola The location of Tortola within the British Virgin Islands Show map of British Virgin Islands Tortola Tortola (Caribbean) Show map of Caribbean | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Caribbean Sea |
| Coordinates | 18°25′24″N64°37′05″W / 18.42333°N 64.61806°W /18.42333; -64.61806 |
| Archipelago | Virgin Islands |
| Area | 55.7 km2 (21.5 sq mi) |
| Length | 19 km (11.8 mi) |
| Width | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 530 m (1740 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Sage |
| Administration | |
| British Overseas Territory | British Virgin Islands |
| Largest settlement | Road Town (pop. 9,400) |
| Demographics | |
| Demonym | Tortolian |
| Population | 23,491 (2010)[1] |
| Pop. density | 429.23/km2 (1111.7/sq mi) |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
| ISO code | VG |
Tortola (/tɔːrˈtoʊlə/) is the largest and most populated island of theBritish Virgin Islands, a group of islands that form part of thearchipelago of theVirgin Islands.[2] It has asurface area of 55.7 square kilometres (21.5 square miles) with a total population of 23,908, with 9,400 residents inRoad Town.Mount Sage is its highest point at 530 metres (1,740 feet)above sea level.
Although the British Virgin Islands (BVI) are under the British flag, it uses the U.S. dollar as its official currency due to its proximity to and frequent trade with theU.S. Virgin Islands andPuerto Rico. The island is home to manyoffshore companies that do business worldwide.Financial services are a major part of the country's economy.
On 6 September 2017, the British Virgin Islands were extensively damaged byHurricane Irma.[3] The most severe destruction was on Tortola. News reports over the next day or two described the situation as "devastation".
Local tradition recounts thatChristopher Columbus named the islandTórtola, meaning "turtle dove" in Spanish. In fact, Columbus named the islandSanta Ana. Dutch colonists called it Ter Tholen, afterTholen, a coastal island that is part of theNetherlands. When the British took over, the name evolved to Tortola.[citation needed]
On his second voyage for the Spanish Crown to the Caribbean or West Indies,Christopher Columbus spotted what are now called the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. He named the archipelago after the 11,000 virgins of the 5th-century ChristianmartyrSt. Ursula. TheSpanish made a few attempts to settle the islands, but pirates such asBlackbeard andCaptain Kidd were the first permanent residents.
In the late 16th century[citation needed], theEnglish, who had successfully settled the area contesting claims by theDutch, established a permanent plantation colony on Tortola and the surrounding islands. Settlers developed the islands for thesugarcane industry, with largeplantations dependent on theslave labour ofAfricans bought from local chiefs and transported across the Atlantic. The majority of early settlers came in the late 18th century:Loyalists from the Thirteen Colonies after theAmerican Revolutionary War were given land grants here by the Crown to encourage development. They brought their slaves with them, who outnumbered the British colonists. Thesugar industry dominated Tortola economic history for more than a century until the abolishment of slavery.
In the early 19th century, after Britain abolished the international slave trade, the Royal Navy patrolled the Caribbean to intercept illegal slave ships. The colony settled liberated Africans from these ships on Tortola, in the then-unsettled Kingstown area.St. Phillip's Church was built in the early 19th century in this community as one of the earliest free black churches in the Americas.
After theabolition of slavery in the British colonies in 1834, planters found it difficult to make a profit in the sugar industry based on paying and managing free labour. At this time, Cuba and some South American countries still had slave labour in the sugar industry. In addition, there were changes in the sugar industry, with sugar beet cultivated in England and the United States offering a competing product. During the downturn as sugar agriculture became less profitable, a large proportion of the white landowning population left the British Virgin Islands.[when?] In 1867, an earthquake and tsunami hit the island.
In the late 1970s, the British businessmanKen Bates attempted to lease a large part of the neighbouring island of Anegada on a 199-year lease, but this action was blocked. Noel Lloyd, a local activist, led a protest movement forcing the local government to drop the plan.[4] Today, a park on Tortola is named after Noel Lloyd and features a statue in his honour.[5]
On 6 September 2017, Tortola was extensively damaged byHurricane Irma.[6][7] A report bySky News summarized the aftermath of the storm as: "The scale of the damage on the island of Tortola is truly shocking. You have to see it to appreciate just how massive this storm really was. The East End area of Tortola looks like a war zone; no building is untouched, the debris of entire houses destroyed, yachts, cars and enormous cargo containers is scattered in all directions and this is just one area."[8]
By 8 September, the UK had sent the Royal Engineers and Commandos to reinstate law and order and to set upsatellite communications with the world.[6] More troops were expected to arrive a day or two later, but the shipHMS Ocean, carrying more extensive assistance, was not expected to reach the Virgin Islands for another two weeks.[9] The Premier of the Virgin Islands, Orlando Smith, called for a comprehensive aid package to rebuild the British Virgin Islands (BVI). On 10 September, the UK's prime ministerTheresa May pledged £32 million to the Caribbean for a hurricane relief fund; the UK government would also match donations made by the public via the British Red Cross appeal.[10] Specifics were not provided to the news media as to the amount that would be allocated to each island.[11][12]
British Foreign SecretaryBoris Johnson visited Tortola on 13 September 2017 to confirm the United Kingdom's commitment to helping restore British islands.[13][14] He said he was reminded of photos ofHiroshima after it had been hit by theatom bomb.[15]
Tortola is a mountainous island 19 km (12 mi) long and 5 km (3.1 mi) wide, with an area of 55.7 km2 (21.5 sq mi). Formed byvolcanic activity, its highest peak isMount Sage at 530 metres (1,740 feet). Tortola lies near anearthquake fault, and minor earthquakes are common.
The House of Assembly in the BVI consists of fourteen house representatives (the governor, four at-large, and one representative for each of the nine districts, eight of which are wholly or partially on Tortola). Whilst still under the British rule, the King appoints a Governor. The current Governor isJohn Rankin, who is the Head of Cabinet in the BVI. The House of Assembly is run by the Speaker of the House. The Deputy Governor is David Archer, the Premier isAndrew Fahie. TheNational Democratic Party (NDP) served two straight terms in office until it was defeated by theVirgin Islands Party (VIP) in the2019 general election. The party that rules over the house is determined by if that party has seven or more seats.[16]
The population of Tortola is 23,908. The principal settlement isRoad Town, the capital of the British Virgin Islands, with a population of 9,400.
Provision offinancial services is a major part of the economy. TheInternational Business Companies Act, passed in the early 1980s, encouraged such businesses and has generated significant growth in professional jobs and related revenues. BVI residents are amongst the most affluent in the Eastern Caribbean. Numerous residents from other Caribbean islands also work here.
Citco is a privately owned globalhedge fundadministrator headquartered in Tortola, founded in 1948.[17][18][19][20] It is the world's largest hedge fund administrator, managing over $1 trillion in assets under administration.[21]
Although the British Virgin Islands (BVI) are under the British flag, Tortola uses the U.S. dollar as its official currency due to its proximity to and frequent trade with the U.S. Virgin Islands andPuerto Rico. The island is home to manyoffshore companies that do business worldwide.
The extensive damage (devastation) caused by Hurricane Irma in September 2017 affected the economy.[22] Residents were looking to the UK to provide significant financial aid.[6] Premier Orlando Smith called for a comprehensive aid package to rebuild the British Virgin Islands. The UK pledged £32 million of aid for Caribbean islands that were affected by the hurricane but did not provide specifics as to the amount that would be allocated to the BVI.[11][12]
The northern coast has the best beaches on the island, including Smuggler's Cove, Long Bay, Cane Garden Bay, Brewer's Bay, Josiah's Bay, and Lambert Beach. In addition to beaches, marine activities such as sailing, surfing, scuba diving,kite boarding, and windsurfing are available. Many tourists visit the historic sites and hike in parks. The island is visited regularly by large cruise ships.
Tortola can be reached both by sea and by air. The island hastaxi services.
Flights to Tortola arrive at theTerrance B. Lettsome International Airport. The airport is located onBeef Island, just to the east of Tortola, and is connected by theQueen Elizabeth II Bridge. Many airlines provide scheduled service fromSan Juan. Island Birds Air Charter connects to San Juan,Saint Thomas, Antigua and St Marten.InterCaribbean Airways, Ltd. andSky High Aviation Services offers non-stop flights betweenDominican Republic andBeef Island.American Airlines flies jet service fromMiami to Lettsome, via Saint Thomas.
Multipleferry companies serve the island. The ferries run betweenCharlotte Amalie in the center of St. Thomas, andRed Hook in theEast End of St. Thomas and St. John, and eitherRoad Town or the West End of Tortola.
The British Virgin Islands operates several government schools.[23]
The following pre-primary schools serve Tortola residents:
The following elementary schools serve Tortola residents:[24]
The following High schools serve Tortola Residents:
Eslyn Henley Richiez Learning Centre serves as Tortola's special-needs school.[27]TheH. Lavity Stoutt Community College provides Tortola's tertiary education
Tortola has been one of the Caribbean's primebasketball destinations, hosting three of the last fourCaribbean Basketball Championships.Horse racing is also a popular sport in the Virgin Islands, and Tortola'sEllis Thomas Downs is one of the three race tracks in the region.[28]
Media related toTortola at Wikimedia Commons
