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| Independence Year : Population : 21000 Life Expectancy : 75.4 Capital : 537 GNP : 612.00 GNP Old : 573.00 Local Name : British Virgin Islands Government Form : Dependent Territory of the UK Location : Caribbean, east of Puerto Rico Terrain : Coral islands are relatively flat; the volcanic islands steep and hilly Climate : Subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds Ethnic Group : Black 83%, White, Indian, Asian and mixed. Religions : Christianity Official Website :www.bvi.gov.vg | 
Genral Information - Virgin Islands, British
Background
The British Virgin Islands comprise more than 40 Caribbean islands and islets, 16 of them are inhabited. First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848. The economy of BVI is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. |
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