Geography of the British Virgin Islands

British Virgin Islands
Map of British Virgin Islands
Map of British Virgin Islands
Map
Geography
LocationCaribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean
Coordinates18°30′N 64°30′W / 18.500°N 64.500°W / 18.500; -64.500
ArchipelagoLeeward Islands
Area151 km2 (58 sq mi)
Coastline80 km (50 mi)
Highest pointMount Sage 521m
Administration
Overseas territoryBritish Virgin Islands
Demographics
Population37,891 (July, 2021)

The British Virgin Islands (BVI) are one of three political divisions of the Virgin Islands archipelago located in the Lesser Antilles, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. The BVI are the easternmost part of the island chain. The land area totals (151 km2 (58 sq mi)) (about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC) and comprises 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands.[1] The islands of Tortola (54 km2 (21 sq mi)), Anegada (36 km2 (14 sq mi)), Virgin Gorda (21 km2 (8 sq mi)) and Jost van Dyke (10 km2 (4 sq mi)) are the largest.[2] Maritime claims include 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi) territorial sea and a 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi) exclusive fishing zone.[1] In terms of land use, it is 20% arable land, 6.67% permanent crops and 73.33% other as of a 2005 figure. It has strong ties to nearby U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Terrain

British Virgin Islands - NASA ALI Earth Observing-1 (Visible Color) Satellite Image

The majority of the islands are steep and hilly due to their volcanic origin.[3] The lowest point of the island chain is the Caribbean Sea while the highest point is Mount Sage at 521 metres (1,709 ft) above sea level and there are 80 kilometres (50 mi) of coastline.[1] Other than Anegada, the islands are composed of pyroclastic rock and mixed deposits of diorite and tonalite[4] Anegada is geologically distinct, being composed of carbonate reef deposits.[4] The entire archipelago, together with Puerto Rico to the west, is the above-water high points on an underwater ridge that was once a continuous land mass during the Pleistocene epoch.[5] This bank formed from tectonic forces at the boundary where the Caribbean Plate collides with the North American Plate.[5] In the British Virgin Islands forest cover is around 24% of the total land area, equivalent to 3,620 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 3,710 hectares (ha) in 1990.[6]

Settlements

The capital of the territory and the main port of entry for yachts and cruise ships visiting the BVI is Road Town on Tortola.[3] In 2010, The United Nations found that 83% or the BVI population lived on Tortola, making Road Town the largest population center of the islands.[7]

Spanish Town on Virgin Gorda, also known as "The Valley", is the second largest settlement and the original capital of the territory.[8] Virgin Gorda was mined for copper in the 17th through 19th centuries but declined when the mine closed in 1867. The creation of a yacht harbour and resort by Laurance Rockefeller in the early 1960s turned Spanish Town into a wealthy tourist destination.[2]

Residents on Jost van Dyke, Anegada, Cooper lsland, Great Camanoe Island and other locations collectively make up just over 2% of the population.[7]

Climate

The British Virgin Islands have a tropical savanna climate, moderated by the trade winds. Temperatures vary little throughout the year. In the capital, Road Town, typical daily maxima are around 32 °C (89.6 °F) in the summer and 29 °C (84.2 °F) in the winter. Typical daily minima are around 24 °C (75.2 °F) in the summer and 21 °C (69.8 °F) in the winter. Rainfall averages about 1,150 mm (45.3 in) per year, higher in the hills and lower on the coast. Rainfall can be quite variable, but the wettest months on average are September to November and the driest months on average are February and March. Hurricanes occasionally hit the islands, with the hurricane season running from June to November.

Climate data for Road Town, British Virgin Islands
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean maximum °C (°F) 26
(78) 		25.3
(77.5) 		25.3
(77.6) 		25.9
(78.6) 		26.7
(80.1) 		27.5
(81.5) 		27.8
(82.1) 		28.1
(82.6) 		28.2
(82.8) 		27.9
(82.2) 		27.2
(80.9) 		26.3
(79.3) 		28.2
(82.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) 25
(77) 		24.7
(76.5) 		24.8
(76.6) 		25.3
(77.6) 		26
(79) 		26.9
(80.5) 		27.2
(80.9) 		27.4
(81.4) 		27.5
(81.5) 		27
(81) 		26.5
(79.7) 		25.7
(78.3) 		26.2
(79.2)
Mean minimum °C (°F) 24.4
(75.9) 		24.1
(75.4) 		24.2
(75.5) 		24.7
(76.4) 		25.4
(77.7) 		26.2
(79.2) 		26.3
(79.4) 		26.6
(79.9) 		26.6
(79.9) 		26.3
(79.4) 		25.7
(78.2) 		25
(77) 		24.1
(75.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 41
(1.6) 		33
(1.3) 		33
(1.3) 		46
(1.8) 		84
(3.3) 		66
(2.6) 		86
(3.4) 		110
(4.2) 		130
(5.2) 		140
(5.6) 		120
(4.9) 		58
(2.3) 		947
(37.5)
Average rainy days 10 8 7 8 12 11 13 15 15 15 14 12 140
Average relative humidity (%) 77 77 76 78 81 81 81 81 81 81 79 77 79
Mean daily daylight hours 8.4 8.6 8.8 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.6 9.3 9.0 8.6 8.3 8.2 9.0
Source: Climate-data.org[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "British Virgin Islands". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b Peffer, Randall (2001). Lonely Planet Virgin Islands. Melbourne: Lonely Planet. ISBN 0864427352.
  3. ^ a b "Our Islands". Government of the Virgin Islands. British Virgin Islands government. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b Wilson, F.H.; Orris, G.; Gray, F. (2019). Preliminary Geologic Map of the Greater Antilles and the Virgin Islands: Open-File Report 2019-1036 (Report). U.S. Geological Survey. doi:10.3133/ofr20191036. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  5. ^ a b Rankin, Douglas W. (2002). Geology of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1631 (PDF) (Report). U.S. Geological Survey. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  6. ^ Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2023.
  7. ^ a b United Nations Statistics Division (2010). Virgin Islands 2010 Population and Housing Census Report (PDF) (Report). New York: United Nations. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour". Bareboats BVI. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Road Town climate". Climate-data.org. Retrieved 9 July 2021.

Read other articles:

2022 Madrid summit

2022 NATO summit meeting in Spain NATO Summit Madrid 20222022 Madrid SummitHost countrySpainDate29–30 June 2022Venue(s)Institución Ferial de MadridCitiesMadridFollows2022 Brussels extraordinary summitPrecedes2023 Vilnius summitWebsitewww.nato.int The 2022 Madrid summit was a meeting of the heads of state and heads of government of the thirty members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), their partner countries, and the European Union, held in Madrid, Spain, on 29–30 June 2022...

 

 

Consciousness (Pat Martino album)

1975 studio album by Pat MartinoConsciousnessStudio album by Pat MartinoReleased1975RecordedOctober 7, 1974 Generation Sound Studio, New York CityGenreJazzLength43:31LabelMuseMR 5039ProducerMichael CuscunaPat Martino chronology Pat Martino/Live!(1974) Consciousness(1975) Starbright(1976) Consciousness is an album by guitarist Pat Martino which was recorded in 1974 and first released on the Muse label.[1][2] Reception Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllMusi...

 

 

Дьяковская культура

Дьяковская культураЖелезный век Географический регион Центральная Россия Датировка VII век до н. э. — V век н. э. Носители Финно-угры, позднее с примесью балтов[1] Преемственность ←текстильной керамики → Борщёвская культура Дьяко́вская культу́ра — археологичес�...

De Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth

DH.80A Puss Moth Le DH.80A Puss Moth immatriculé G-ABLS, photographié en 2003 à l'aéroport Shoreham, en Angleterre. Constructeur aéronautique de Havilland Aircraft Company Type Avion utilitaire léger Premier vol 9 septembre 1929 Mise en service Mars 1930 Nombre construit 284 exemplaires(produits de 1929 à 1933) Dimensions modifier  Le De Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth était un avion utilitaire léger monoplan triplace à aile haute, conçu et produit par le constructeur britann...

 

 

Veikkausliiga 2017

Veikkausliiga 2017 Competizione Veikkausliiga Sport Calcio Edizione 108ª Organizzatore SPL/FBF Date dal 5 aprile 2017al 28 ottobre 2017 Luogo  Finlandia Partecipanti 12 Sito web Veikkausliiga Risultati Vincitore HJK(28º titolo) Secondo KuPS Retrocessioni HIFKJJK Statistiche Miglior marcatore Aleksei Kangaskolkka (16) Incontri disputati 198 Gol segnati 542 (2,74 per incontro) Cronologia della competizione 2016 2018 Manuale HIFKHJK Inter Turku PS Kemi SJK KuPS Lahti IF...

 

 

趙家驤

追晉陸軍二級上將趙家驤將軍个人资料出生1910年 大清河南省衛輝府汲縣逝世1958年8月23日(1958歲—08—23)（47—48歲） † 中華民國福建省金門縣国籍 中華民國政党 中國國民黨获奖 青天白日勳章（追贈）军事背景效忠 中華民國服役 國民革命軍 中華民國陸軍服役时间1924年－1958年军衔 二級上將 （追晉）部队四十七師指挥東北剿匪總司令部參謀長陸軍�...

Democratic Progressive Party

Taiwanese political party For other uses, see Democratic Progressive Party (disambiguation). This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Democratic Progressive Party – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Democratic Progressive P...

 

 

Seagrass

Plants that grow in marine environments Not to be confused with seaweed, plant-like algae, or with beachgrass, a terrestrial plant SeagrassesTemporal range: 70–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Zostera marina – the most abundant seagrass species in the Northern Hemisphere Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Monocots Order: AlismatalesR.Br. ex Bercht. & J.Presl Families See Taxonomy Seagrasses are the only flowering plants w...

 

 

Malenga-Nagsore

Place in Centre-Est Region, Burkina FasoMalenga-NagsoreCountry Burkina FasoRegionCentre-Est RegionProvinceBoulgou ProvinceDepartmentTenkodogo DepartmentPopulation (2005 est.) • Total3,340 Malenga-Nagsore is a town in the Tenkodogo Department of Boulgou Province in south-eastern Burkina Faso. As of 2005, the town has a population of 3,340.[1] References ^ Burkinabé government inforoute communale Archived 2008-10-11 at the Wayback Machine vte Boulgou ProvinceCapit...

الميثان على المريخ

هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (أغسطس 2021) ما زال مصدر الميثان على المريخ غير معلوم، ويظهر رصده في هذه الصورة. عتبر وجود الميثان في الغلاف الجوي للمريخ محل اهتمام للعديد من الجيولوجيين وعلماء الأحياء ...

 

 

اختبار امتصاص ضد اللولبيات التألقي

اختبار امتصاص ضد اللولبيات التألقي[1] (بالإنجليزية: Fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test)‏ ويُعرف اختصارًا FTA-ABS، هو اختبار لمرض الزهري.[2] يستخدم هذا الاختبار الأجسام المضادة المُخصصة لأنواع اللولبية الشاحبة، ويكون الاختبار مخصصًا للولبية الشاحبة بعكس بعض الاختبارات الأخرى...

 

 

List of Soap characters

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: List of Soap characters – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Chester and Benson. The Tates and Campbells with Benson. Soap is an American sitcom television series that originally ran on ABC fro...

Jaime, Duke of Braganza

This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (February 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Duke of Braganza JaimeD. Jaime I; Ducal Palace of Vila ViçosaDuke of BraganzaTenure20 June 1483 – 20 September 1532PredecessorFernando IISuccessorTeodósio IBorn1479Vila Viçosa Castle, Alentejo, Kingdom of PortugalD...

 

 

منف

منف أنقاض قاعة رمسيس الثاني في ميت رهينةأنقاض قاعة رمسيس الثاني في ميت رهينة اسم بديل دائم وجميل (من نفر) في الهيروغليفية منف(لغة مصرية وسطى)ⲙⲟⲩⲛ ⲛⲟϥⲣⲓ (الترجمة القبطية) الأماكن الأبدية (جد سوت) في الهيروغليفية منف(لغة مصرية مبكرة) بيت الروح (كا) بتاح (حوت كا بتاح) في الهي�...

 

 

桑珠孜区

桑珠孜區བསམ་འགྲུབ་རྩེ་ཆུས།县桑珠孜區全景坐标：29°16′18″N 88°53′18″E / 29.27172°N 88.88839°E / 29.27172; 88.88839国家 中华人民共和国隶属行政区西藏自治區日喀則市政府駐地城南街道政府 • 區委書記王波 • 區長索朗羅布面积 • 总计3,664.72 平方公里（1,414.96 平方英里）海拔4,000 公尺（13,000 英�...

Religious and political symbols in Unicode

Characters representing cultural, political and religious symbols This article contains special characters. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols. Unicode contains a number of characters that represent various cultural, political, and religious symbols. Most, but not all, of these symbols are in the Miscellaneous Symbols block. The majority of them are treated as graphic symbols that are not characters. [1] Exceptions to this include cha...

 

 

Aziz Dweik

Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Aziz Dweikعزيز دويكPresident of the Palestinian National AuthorityIncumbentAssumed office 19 October 2016(disputed with Mahmoud Abbas)Preceded byMahmoud AbbasIn office15 January 2009[1][2] – 2 June 2014(disputed with Mahmoud Abbas)Preceded byMahmoud AbbasSucceeded byMahmoud AbbasSpeaker of the Palestinian Legislative CouncilIncumbentAssumed office 29 March 2006Preceded byRawhi Fattouh Personal detailsBor...

 

 

Toh Chin Chye

Singaporean politician (1921–2012) Toh Chin ChyeDUNU杜进才Minister for HealthIn office2 June 1975 – 5 January 1981Prime MinisterLee Kuan YewPreceded byChua Sian ChinSucceeded byGoh Chok TongMinister for Science and TechnologyIn office16 April 1968 – 1 June 1975Prime MinisterLee Kuan Yew[1]Preceded byOffice establishedSucceeded byLee Chiaw MengDeputy Prime Minister of SingaporeIn office5 June 1959 – 2 August 1968Prime MinisterLee Kuan YewPreceded b...

Pierre Loti

French naval officer, novelist, and Turkophile Louis Marie-Julien ViaudPierre Loti on the day of his reception at the Académie Française, 7 April 1892Born(1850-01-14)14 January 1850Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, FranceDied10 June 1923(1923-06-10) (aged 73)Hendaye, FrancePen namePierre LotiOccupationFrench navy officer, novelistNationalityFrenchSignature Pierre Loti (French: [pjɛʁ lɔti]; pseudonym of Louis Marie-Julien Viaud [lwi maʁi ʒyljɛ̃ vjo]; 14 January 1850 �...

 

 

麓

この項目では、地形について説明しています。薩摩藩（現：鹿児島県・宮崎県の一部）の集落については「麓集落」をご覧ください。 富士山の西の麓の朝霧高原を望む（毛無山からの眺望）。 イタリア南部のナポリの町は噴火が止んだヴェスヴィオ山の麓まで伸びている。 スイスの山すそでは放牧が行われている。 麓（ふもと、英語: foothills, piedmont）は、山体の�...