of the UK; the US lease on Diego
Garcia expires in 2016
Transnational Issues British Indian Ocean Territory
Disputes - international:
Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its
former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001
were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since
eviction in 1965; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an
immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the
exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to
the largest island in the chain
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
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@British Virgin Islands
Introduction British Virgin Islands
Background:
First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in
1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and
more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the
legal currency.
Geography British Virgin Islands
Location:
Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean,
east of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates:
18 30 N, 64 30 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 153 sq km
land: 153 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited
islands; includes the island of Anegada
Area - comparative:
about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
80 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Terrain:
coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Natural resources:
NEGL
Land use:
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67%
other: 73.33% (2001)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Environment - current issues:
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)
Geography - note:
strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
People British Virgin Islands
Population:
22,643 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
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