riminal 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.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $311 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.4% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.8% industry: 6.2% services:
92% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.3% (2000)

Labor force: 4,911 (1980)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Unemployment rate: 3% (1995)

Budget: revenues: $121.5 million expenditures: $115.5 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1997)

Industries: tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block,
offshore financial center

Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1985)

Electricity - production: 42 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0%
(1999) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 39.1 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish

Exports: $6.2 million (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand

Exports - partners: Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US

Imports: $230 million (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs,
machinery

Imports - partners: Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US

Debt - external: $36.1 million (1997)

Economic aid - recipient: NA

Currency: US dollar (USD)

Currency code: USD

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications British Virgin Islands

Telephones - main lines in use: 10,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: general assessment: worldwide telephone service
domestic: NA international: submarine cable to Bermuda

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 9,000 (1