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Part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) is the British overseas territory located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The Virgin Islands are an archipelago in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Sea. The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands, where the Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean.
Christopher Columbus named the islands Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Vírgenes, shortened to Las Vírgenes, after Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgins. Originally, Arawak, Carib and Cermic Indians inhabited the island. Later, European plantation owners and Africans slaves who worked on sugar plantations populated the islands. The descendants of the Black slaves remain the bulk of the population, sharing a common Afro-Caribbean heritage with the rest of the English-speaking Caribbean.
The Virgin Islands are divided into two political entities - British Virgin Islands and US Virgin Islands. the United Kingdom administers islands on the east as an overseas territory that is known as British Virgin Islands. The United States governs St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas and Water Island in the west as an unincorporated territory known as US Virgin Islands. Out of several islands, only 15 of the islands are inhabited in the British Virgin Islands.
The British Virgin Islands comprise around 60 tropical Caribbean islands, ranging in size from the largest, Tortola 20 km long and 5 km wide, to tiny uninhabited islets. The North Atlantic Ocean lies to the north of the islands, and the Caribbean Sea lies to the south. Most of the islands are volcanic in origin and have a hilly, rugged terrain. Anegada is geologically distinct from the rest of the group and is a flat island composed of limestone and coral.
In addition to the 4 main islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke, other islands include Beef Island, Cooper Island, Ginger Island, Great Camanoe, Great Thatch, Guana Island, Mosquito Island, Necker Island, Norman Island, Peter Island and Salt Island
The British Virgin Islands enjoy a tropical climate, moderated by trade winds. Temperatures vary little throughout the year. In the capital, Road Town, typical daily maxima are around 32 °C (90 °F) in the summer and 29 °C (84 °F) in the winter. Typical daily minima are around 24 °C (75 °F) in the summer and 21 °C (70 °F) in the winter. Rainfall averages about 1150 mm (45 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.
Compiled By: Shuchita Bist
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