British Virgin Islands
facts

The British Virgin Islands, located in the northeast Caribbean, are a collection of gorgeous islands that used to be inhabited by pirates and sailors. Lying 60 miles east of Puerto Rico, they are exquisite tropical destinations, visited by tourists from all over the world. These islands are comprised of hidden caves and fascinating inlets, and for the most part they are incredibly small in size. Only Tortola and Virgin Gorda are of reasonable stature in geographic terms. The colony of Tortola itself is only 24 square miles, and its capital, Road Town, has emerged as a haven for yacht chartering. This came about after the development of Wickhams Cay, a 70-acre marina and landfill. The southern coast of Tortola mainly consists of great mountains, and the northern coast a fabulous white-sand beach with beautiful bays and banana trees.

Virgin Gorda, only a 12-mile ferry ride away, is equally glorious, with just as rich a history. Both Tortola and Virgin Gorda are controlled by the British , but are controlled loosely, and they are basically free to do as they please. They are governed well, and you will find yourself safe and comfortable in both of these destinations. The locals are friendly and eager to assist you, and for being such tiny locations, there are a wonderful amount of activities to choose from, and plenty of tremendous sightseeing locations and fun to be had.

A wonderful array of water sports is available to the tourists of Tortola and Virgin Gorda, and the restaurants are quite pleasant as well. Taking a ferry or motorboat to any of the other 40 islands in the vicinity is also a great way to spend an afternoon. There are plenty of relatively unexplored, uninhabited regions for you to jaunt around and see what you can find. Taking guided island tours are very enjoyable, as they are both informative and exciting.

The boulder-covered beach known as The Baths has made Virgin Gorda famous with travelers. Christopher Columbus actually named the island, translated to read "Fat Virgin." He thought that the mountain framing of Virgin Gorda looked similar to a protruding stomach. One of the most private and solitude tourist centers in all of the world, Virgin Gorda became slightly more bustling after Little Dix Bay Hotel opened there and started to thrive in the 1960's. One thing for sure, Tortola and Virgin Gorda remain tranquil yet lovely and are wonderful locations to visit.

Geography
The British Virgin Islands make up the northeastern extremity of the Greater Antilles. Puerto Rico lies about 80 km to the West. The British Virgin Islands consists of four larger islands (Tortola, Anegada, Virgen Gorda, and Jost Van Dyke) and 32 smaller islands and islets, of which more than 20 are uninhabited. the total area of the British Virgin Islands is 153 sq., km. and the largest of the islands is Tortola with an area of 54 sq. km.

Geologically the British Virgin Islands is an extension of the central fault-block mountains of Puerto Rico and composed of sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks. There are a variety of features which include mountains lagoons with coral reefs and barrier beaches. Except for Anegada, the islands are hilly. The highest in all the Virgin Islands is Mount Sage on Tortola reaching an elevation of 543 meters. There are no rivers in the British Virgin Islands. The chief town and port is Road Town on Tortola.

History
Arawaks and Caribs initially occupied the British Virgin Islands, but in 1555 these islands were invaded by Europeans and by 1596 most of the indigenous population was decimated. Dutch buccaneers held Tortola until it was taken over in 1666 by English planters, who established a plantation economy and for the next 150 years, developed the sugar industry through the labor of African slaves. When slavery was abolished in 1838, the plantation economy quickly faltered and the majority of the white population left for Europe.

The islands dozed, a forgotten corner of the British Empire, until 1966 when a new constitution granting greater autonomy to the islands was approved. while the governor is still appointed by the Queen of England, his or her limited powers concentrate on external affairs and local security.

Economy
The British Virgin Islands economic mainstays are tourism- revolving around diving and yachting and financial services. agriculture accounts for about 10% of the GDP with crops such as fruits and vegetables, while sugar cane is grown for the rum production industry. The country's main export are bananas, construction aggregates (gravel and sand), fresh fish and rum.

People & Culture
The great majority of British Virgin Islanders are blacks and mulattos, the descendants of African slaves. Whites constitute a small minority although their number has grown considerably over the past 30 years. Tortola of all the islands has the largest population and English is the official language which is spoken in a Calypso dialect. Protestant denominations dominate the religious groups with Methodists being the largest single group.

The hybrid Caribbean culture is evident in the food, in the music and in the handmade sloops that many locals use for fishing. A lot of islanders of African descent retain a strong belief in the spirit world; ghosts (jumbies) often get blames for bad things and credited for good things on the islands. The inspirational antics of Bro Nansi, a wily spidery character who prevailed in adverse circumstances, wore an integral part of West African slave culture.

Places of Interest
On Tortola there is the Sage Mountain National Park, the North Shore shell Museum and numerous beaches. Virgen Gorda offers the Baths and numerous opportunities for snorkeling and other water based activities.