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Home ----
Caribbean
( B
) ----
British Virgin Islands(overseas
territory of the UK) |
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National Map
Of |
British Virgin Islands |
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National Flag
Of |
British Virgin Islands |
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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)
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National Emblem(Coat Of Arms)
Of |
British Virgin Islands |
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National Anthem
Of |
British Virgin Islands |
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Categories National Symbol Of |
British Virgin Islands |
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Background:
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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. |
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Location:
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Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
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Geographic coordinates:
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18 30 N,
64 30 W |
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Map references:
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Central
America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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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 |
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Area - comparative:
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about 0.9
times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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80 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade
winds |
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Terrain:
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coral
islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m |
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Natural resources:
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NEGL |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67%
other: 73.33% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA |
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Natural hazards:
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hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) |
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Environment - current issues:
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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)
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Geography - note:
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strong
ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico |
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Population:
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22,643
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 21% (male 2,400/female 2,358)
15-64 years: 73.9% (male 8,607/female 8,115)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 614/female 549)
(2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
30.9 years
male: 31.1 years
female: 30.7 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.06%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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14.96
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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4.42
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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10.01
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
18.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.02 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 76.49 years
male: 75.41 years
female: 77.62 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.72
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun:
British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander |
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Ethnic groups:
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black
83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed |
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Religions:
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Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of
God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's
Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%,
other 2% (1991) |
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Languages:
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English
(official) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA% |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands
abbreviation: BVI |
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Dependency status:
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overseas
territory of the UK; internal self-governing |
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Government type:
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NA |
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Capital:
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Road Town
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Administrative divisions:
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none
(overseas territory of the UK) |
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Independence:
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none
(overseas territory of the UK) |
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National holiday:
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Territory
Day, 1 July |
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Constitution:
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1 June
1977 |
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Legal system:
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English
law |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14
October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Orlando D.
SMITH (since 17 June 2003)
cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the
governor from members of the Legislative Council
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary;
governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party or the
leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed
chief minister by the governor |
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Legislative branch:
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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 four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held
NA 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5 |
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Judicial branch:
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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 |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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Caricom
(associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS
(associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none
(overseas territory of the UK) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none
(overseas territory of the UK) |
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Flag description:
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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) |
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Economy - overview:
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The
economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the
Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an
estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated
350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the
islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the
lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the government
began offering offshore registration to companies
wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation
fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000
companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000.
The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late
1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with
regulated statutory gateways for investigation of
criminal 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. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$2.498
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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NA |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1% NA
(2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $38,500 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 6.2%
services: 92% (1996 est.) |
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Labor force:
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12,770
(2004) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
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Unemployment rate:
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3% (1995)
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.5%
(2003) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $121.5 million
expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (1997) |
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Agriculture - products:
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fruits,
vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish |
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Industries:
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tourism,
light industry, construction, rum, concrete block,
offshore financial center |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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34.55
million kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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32.13
million kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2003) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2003) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2003) |
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Oil - consumption:
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410
bbl/day (2003 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA (2001)
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001)
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Exports:
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$25.3
million (2002) |
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Exports - partners:
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Virgin
Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2004) |
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Imports:
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$187
million (2002 est.) |
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Imports - partners:
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Virgin
Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2004) |
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Debt - external:
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$36.1
million (1997) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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NA |
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Currency (code):
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US dollar
(USD) |
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Exchange rates:
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the US
dollar is used |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April -
31 March |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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11,700
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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8,000
(2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: worldwide telephone service
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-284; submarine
cable to Bermuda |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM
5, shortwave 0 (2004) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (plus
one cable company) (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.vg |
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Internet users:
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4,000
(2002) |
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Airports:
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3 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2005 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2005 est.) |
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Roadways:
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total:
177 km
paved: 177 km (2002) |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,825 GRT/155,909 DWT
by type: cargo 1
registered in other countries: 7 (2005) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Road Town
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Military - note:
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defense
is the responsibility of the UK |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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Illicit drugs:
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transshipment point for South American narcotics
destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial
center makes it vulnerable to money laundering |
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