British Virgin Islands snapshots, introduction, travel info, tourist attractions, and photographs

British Virgin Islands, including Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Outlying Islands, are located between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico. The islands have total land area about 150 square kilometers, about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC.

British Virgin Islands have 22,187 (July 2004 estimate) population, including 83% black, 17% white, Indian, Asian and mixed. English is the official language in this British territory.

First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were soon after (1672) annexed by the English. Today, the economy of British Virgin Islands, one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, which generates an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1997. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since 1959.

With subtropical climate that is tempered by trade winds, British Virgin Islands are quiet, friendly, and beautiful Caribbean paradise with 80 kilometers coastline.

Tortola is the largest and the most populated of British Virgin Islands. It has fine beach resorts and hotels which are some of the most expensive in the Caribbean. Cane Garden Bay is Tortola's most popular beach and a best-known anchorages in the islands. Frenchmen's Cay, which is a little island connected by causeway to Tortola, has a marina, art galleries, shops, and restaurants.

Virgin Gorda is second largest among British Virgin Islands. It has several sandy beaches. The Baths is usually crowded, Spring Bay beach is one of best, and Savannah Bay offers a beautiful long sandy beach.

British Virgin Islands offer you a Caribbean paradise vacation with a enjoyable quiet atmosphere.