rritory Day, 1 July

Constitution: 1 June 1977

Legal system: English law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
February 1952), represented by Governor Francis J. SAVAGE (since NA)

head of government: Chief Minister Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 15 May
1995)

cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members
of the Legislative Council

elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor from among the
members of the Legislative Council

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats;
members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of
9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve
five-year terms)

elections: last held 17 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
VIP 7, CCM 1, NDP 5

Judicial branch: 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

Political parties and leaders: 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]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: Caricom (associate), CDB,
ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate),
UNESCO (associate)

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of the
UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of
the UK)

Flag description: 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)

British Virgin Islands Economy

Economy - overview: The economy, one of the most stable and
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 of