The British Virgin Islands (BVI), officially the Virgin Islands, are a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean, to the east of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and north-west of Anguilla. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles and part of the West Indies.
Country Code: +1284
International Call Prefix: 011
Tortola is the largest and most populated of the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands that form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands. It has a surface area of 55.7 square kilometres with a total population of 23,908, with 9,400 residents in Road Town. Mount Sage is its highest point at 530 metres above sea level.
The Virgin Islands Party (VIP) is a political party in the British Virgin Islands. It is presently led by former Minister Andrew Fahie. It is the oldest active political party in the British Virgin Islands, and it has won more general elections (seven) than any other political party in the British Virgin Islands.
Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, previously known as Beef Island Airport, is the main airport serving the British Virgin Islands, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean. The airport serves as the gateway to just about all of the islands within the BVI. The airport is also a gateway for inter-Caribbean travelers headed to the nearby U.S. Virgin Islands. Many travellers fly into Beef Island, with the intention of taking a ferry to the other smaller British Virgin Islands. The airport is located on Beef Island, a small island off the main island of Tortola, to which it is connected by the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge.
In practice, basic human rights in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) appear to be respected. Reports of repression of freedom of speech, interference with democracy or the rule of law, and arbitrary arrest and torture are generally non-existent. The BVI have been described as "generally free of human rights abuses".
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the British Virgin Islands face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in the British Virgin Islands since 2001.
The colony of the British Virgin Islands has issued its own stamps since 1866. The first Post Office was opened in Tortola in 1787. At the time postage stamps were not yet invented, and it was not until 1858 that a small supply of adhesive stamps issued by Great Britain depicting Queen Victoria were utilized by the local Post Office. These stamps were cancelled by an A13 postmark and are extremely rare so cancelled.
Sheroma "Brass.Angel" Hodge-Philip is a beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss British Virgin Islands 2010, the official representative of the British overseas territory to the 2011 Miss Universe pageant.
The Central American and Caribbean Age Group Championships in Athletics was hosted for the first time in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, on July 1–2, 2011. The BVI Athletics Association is organizing the event which is part of its 40th anniversary activities. It is the smallest CACAC family member to host a CACAC Championships event, which is held for the first time in the Leeward Islands.
"Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" is the official territorial song of the Virgin Islands. The song was composed by the brother and sister team, Kareem Nelson Hull and Ayana Hull, both Virgin Islanders. The song was adopted as the territorial song by resolution of the House of Assembly of the Virgin Islands on 24 July 2012. As a British Overseas Territory, the Virgin Islands retains "God Save the Queen" as its official national anthem.
Miss British Virgin Islands is a national beauty pageant in British Virgin Islands.
Rosanna Chichester is a beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss British Virgin Islands 2013 and represented British Virgin Islands at Miss World 2014.
There are presently five principal British Virgin Islands news websites publishing news focused upon current affairs in the Territory:
General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 25 February 2019. For the first time, four parties with at least one incumbent member were contesting an election.
Andrew Alturo Fahie is a British Virgin Islands politician and the current Premier of the British Virgin Islands since 26 February 2019. He is also the current Chairman of the Virgin Islands Party in the British Virgin Islands. He is currently the elected member for the First District, a position which he has held since the 1999 general election. He was appointed Chairman of the Virgin Islands Party on 30 November 2016 after winning a leadership contest with incumbent leader, Julian Fraser. On 6 February 2017 he was officially appointed Leader of the Opposition. On 25 February 2019 Fahie led his party to victory in the 2019 British Virgin Islands general election, and was sworn in as Premier the following day.
Events from the year 2017 in the British Virgin Islands.
Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) is a grade 7-12 secondary school in Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
A'yana Keshelle Phillips is a model and beauty pageant titleholder from both the British Virgin Islands & US Virgin Islands who was crowned Miss British Virgin Islands 2018 & Miss World US Virgin Islands 2019. She represented the British Virgin Islands in the 2018 Miss Universe pageant but unplaced. She also represented US Virgin Islands at Miss World 2019 pageant.
The global viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was confirmed to have reached the British Overseas Territory of the British Virgin Islands in March 2020.