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Länder
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Introduction |
British Virgin Islands |
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Background:
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First inhabited by Arawak
and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch
in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part
of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were
granted autonomy in 1967. 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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Geography |
British Virgin Islands |
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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 islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost
van Dyke |
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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% (2005) |
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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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People |
British Virgin Islands |
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Population:
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23,098 (July 2006 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 20.5%
(male 2,403/female 2,331)
15-64 years: 74.3% (male 8,811/female 8,340)
65 years and over: 5.3% (male 636/female 577) (2006 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 31.4 years
male: 31.6 years
female: 31.2 years (2006 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.97% (2006 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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14.89 births/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Death rate:
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4.42 deaths/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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9.22 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 16.72
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 19.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
76.68 years
male: 75.56 years
female: 77.84 years (2006 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.72 children born/woman
(2006 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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Government |
British Virgin Islands |
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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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name: Road Town
geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time) |
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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, amended in
2000
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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
David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006)
head of government: Chief Minister Dr. 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, 1 member
from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; members serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held in 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 |
British Virgin Islands |
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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, made 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 US dollar
as its currency since 1959. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$853.4 million (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% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$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 - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
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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 bbl/day |
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Oil - imports:
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NA bbl/day |
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2003 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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0 cu m (2003 est.) |
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Exports:
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$25.3 million (2002)
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Exports - commodities:
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rum, fresh fish, fruits,
animals; gravel, sand |
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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 - commodities:
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building materials,
automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery |
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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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Currency code:
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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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Communications |
British Virgin Islands |
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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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Radios:
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9,000 (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (plus one cable company)
(1997)
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Televisions:
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4,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.vg |
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Internet hosts:
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480 (2005) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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16 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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4,000 (2002) |
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Transportation |
British Virgin Islands |
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Airports:
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3 (2006) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) |
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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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registered in other
countries: 1 (North Korea 1) (2006) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Road Town |
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Military |
British Virgin Islands |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 18-49:
6,410 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 18-49:
5,295 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males age 18-49:
201 (2005 est.) |
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Military - note:
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defense is the
responsibility of the UK |
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Transnational Issues |
British Virgin Islands |
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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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Information |
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Här hittar du information om alla världens länder. Listan fylls på efter hand
som jag har tid. Tyvärr så är informationen på engelska. |
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-SM3VVZ |
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