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Geography of 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 islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke
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% (2005)
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

British Virgin Islands Quickstats

  • Population: 23,552 (July 2007 est.)
  • Area: 153 sq km
  • Density: 260 /km² (68th)
  • GDP (total):
  • GDP (per capita):
  • Literacy: 97.8% (1991 est.)

Languages of British Virgin Islands

Useful to know

  • Currency: U.S. dollar (USD)
  • Dial code: +1 (284)

International Trade

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