_#_Climate: subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
_#_Terrain: coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep,
hilly
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures
33%; forest and woodland 7%; other 33%
_#_Environment: subject to hurricanes and tropical storms from July
to October
_#_Note: strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
_*_People
_#_Population: 12,396 (July 1991), growth rate 1.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 14 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 77 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--British Virgin Islander(s); adjective--British
Virgin Islander
_#_Ethnic divisions: black over 90%, remainder of white and Asian
origin
_#_Religion: Protestant 86% (Methodist 45%, Anglican 21%, Church of
God 7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%,
other 2%), Roman Catholic 6%, none 2%, other 6% (1981)
_#_Language: English (official)
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1970)
_#_Labor force: 4,911 (1980)
_#_Organized labor: NA% of labor force
_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: Road Town
_#_Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: 1 June 1977
_#_Legal system: English law
_#_National holiday: Territory Day, 1 July
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief minister,
Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
_#_Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor John Mark Ambrose HERDMAN (since NA 1986);