View source for Geography of the British Virgin Islands

{{Short description|none}}
 <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Use British English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}

{{Infobox islands
| name                              = British Virgin Islands
| image_name                        = Image:GB Virgin Islands.png
| image_size                        = 
| image_caption                     = Map of British Virgin Islands
| image_alt                         = Map of British Virgin Islands
| map                               = 
| map_alt                           = 
| map_width                         = 
| map_caption                       = 
| map_relief                        = 
| label                             = 
| label_position                    = 
| coordinates                       = {{Coord|18|30|N|64|30|W|scale:1000000|display=title}}
| etymology                         = 
| location                          = Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean
| GridReference                     = <!-- UK only -->
| archipelago                       = [[Leeward Islands]]
| total_islands                     = 
| major_islands                     = 
| area_km2                          = 151
| area_footnotes                    = 
| rank                              = 
| length_km                         = <!-- or |length_m=  -->
| length_footnotes                  = 
| width_km                          = <!-- or |width_m=  -->
| width_footnotes                   = 
| coastline_km                      = 80
| coastline_footnotes               = 
| elevation_m                       = 
| elevation_footnotes               = 
| highest_mount                     = Mount Sage 521m
| country                           = United Kingdom
| country_admin_divisions_title     = [[British Overseas Territories|Overseas territory]]
| country_admin_divisions           = [[British Virgin Islands]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_1   = 
| country_admin_divisions_1         = 
| country_admin_divisions_title_2   = 
| country_admin_divisions_2         = 
| country_capital_type              = 
| country_capital                   = 
| country_largest_city_type         = 
| country_largest_city              = 
| country_capital_and_largest_city  = 
| country_largest_city_population   = 
| country_leader_title              = 
| country_leader_name               = 
| country_area_km2                  = <!-- or |country_area_m2= or |country_area_ha= -->
| demonym                           = 
| population                        = 37,891
| population_as_of                  = July 2021
| population_footnotes              = 
| population_rank                   = 
| population_rank_max               = 
| density_km2                       = 
| density_rank                      = 
| density_footnotes                 = 
| languages                         = 
| ethnic_groups                     = 
| timezone1                         = 
| utc_offset1                       = 
| timezone1_DST                     = 
| utc_offset1_DST                   = 
| website                           = 
| additional_info                   = 
}}

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 ({{convert|151|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}) (about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC) and comprises 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands.<ref name="CIA">{{cite web |title=British Virgin Islands |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/british-virgin-islands/ |website=The World Factbook |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |access-date=9 July 2021}}</ref> The islands of [[Tortola]] ({{convert|21|sqmi|km2|order=flip|abbr=on}}), [[Anegada]] ({{convert|14|sqmi|km2|order=flip|abbr=on}}), [[Virgin Gorda]] ({{convert|8|sqmi|km2|order=flip|abbr=on}}) and [[Jost van Dyke]] ({{convert|4|sqmi|km2|order=flip|abbr=on}}) are the largest.<ref name="lonely">{{cite book |last1=Peffer |first1=Randall |title=Lonely Planet Virgin Islands |date=2001 |publisher=Lonely Planet |location=Melbourne |isbn=0864427352}}</ref> Maritime claims include {{convert|12|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on|lk=in}} territorial sea and a {{convert|200|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on}} [[Exclusive economic zone|exclusive fishing zone]].<ref name="CIA" /> 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 [[United States Virgin Islands|US Virgin Islands]] and [[Puerto Rico]].

== Terrain ==
[[File:British Virgin Islands.jpg|thumb|right|300px|British Virgin Islands – NASA ALI Earth Observing-1 (Visible Color) Satellite Image]]
[[File:BritishVirginIslands2025OSM.png|thumb|Detailed map of the British Virgin Islands]]
The majority of the islands are steep and hilly due to their volcanic origin.<ref name="govbvi">{{cite web |title=Our Islands |url=https://bvi.gov.vg/content/our-islands-0 |website=Government of the Virgin Islands |publisher=British Virgin Islands government |access-date=9 July 2021}}</ref> The lowest point of the island chain is the [[Caribbean Sea]] while the highest point is [[Mount Sage]] at {{convert|521|m|ft}} above sea level and there are {{convert|80|km|mi}} of coastline.<ref name="CIA" />  Other than Anegada, the islands are composed of [[pyroclastic rock]] and mixed deposits of [[diorite]] and [[tonalite]]<ref name="USGSmap">{{cite report |author-last1=Wilson |author-first1=F.H. |author-last2=Orris |author-first2=G. |author-last3=Gray |author-first3=F. |year=2019 |title=Preliminary Geologic Map of the Greater Antilles and the Virgin Islands: Open-File Report 2019-1036 |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey|url=https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20191036 |doi=10.3133/ofr20191036|access-date=10 July 2021|doi-access=free }}</ref> Anegada is geologically distinct, being composed of [[carbonate rock|carbonate]] reef deposits.<ref name="USGSmap" /> 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.<ref name="USGSpp">{{cite report |author-last=Rankin|author-first=Douglas W. |year=2002 |title=Geology of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1631 |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/p1631/P1631-tag.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/p1631/P1631-tag.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |access-date=10 July 2021}}</ref> This [[Ocean bank|bank]] formed from [[tectonic]] forces at the boundary where the [[Caribbean Plate]] collides with the [[North American Plate]].<ref name="USGSpp" /> 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.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}</ref>

== 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.<ref name="govbvi" />  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.<ref name="UN">{{cite report | author = United Nations Statistics Division | author-link = United Nations Statistics Division |year = 2010 | title = Virgin Islands 2010 Population and Housing Census Report | url = https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/sources/census/wphc/BVI/VGB-2016-09-08.pdf | publisher = United Nations | location = New York | access-date = 9 July 2021}}</ref>

[[Spanish Town, British Virgin Islands|Spanish Town]] on Virgin Gorda, also known as "The Valley", is the second largest settlement and the original capital of the territory.<ref>{{cite web |title=Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour |url=https://www.bareboatsbvi.com/virgin-gorda/virgin-gorda-yacht-harbour.php |website=Bareboats BVI |access-date=9 July 2021}}</ref> 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.<ref name="lonely" />

Residents on Jost van Dyke, Anegada, Cooper lsland, Great Camanoe Island and other locations collectively make up just over 2% of the population.<ref name="UN" />

== 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 {{convert|32|°C|1}} in the summer and {{convert|29|°C|1}} in the winter. Typical daily minima are around {{convert|24|°C|1}} in the summer and {{convert|21|°C|1}} in the winter. Rainfall averages about {{convert|1150|mm|1|abbr=on}} 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.

{{Weather box
|location = Road Town, British Virgin Islands
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan avg record high F = 78
|Feb avg record high F = 77.5
|Mar avg record high F = 77.6
|Apr avg record high F = 78.6
|May avg record high F = 80.1
|Jun avg record high F = 81.5
|Jul avg record high F = 82.1
|Aug avg record high F = 82.6
|Sep avg record high F = 82.8
|Oct avg record high F = 82.2
|Nov avg record high F = 80.9
|Dec avg record high F = 79.3
|Jan mean F = 77
|Feb mean F = 76.5
|Mar mean F = 76.6
|Apr mean F = 77.6
|May mean F = 79
|Jun mean F = 80.5
|Jul mean F = 80.9
|Aug mean F = 81.4
|Sep mean F = 81.5
|Oct mean F = 81
|Nov mean F = 79.7
|Dec mean F = 78.3
|Jan avg record low F = 75.9
|Feb avg record low F = 75.4
|Mar avg record low F = 75.5
|Apr avg record low F = 76.4
|May avg record low F = 77.7
|Jun avg record low F = 79.2
|Jul avg record low F = 79.4
|Aug avg record low F = 79.9
|Sep avg record low F = 79.9
|Oct avg record low F = 79.4
|Nov avg record low F = 78.2
|Dec avg record low F = 77
|Jan precipitation inch = 1.6
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.3
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.3
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.8
|May precipitation inch = 3.3
|Jun precipitation inch = 2.6
|Jul precipitation inch = 3.4
|Aug precipitation inch = 4.2
|Sep precipitation inch = 5.2
|Oct precipitation inch = 5.6
|Nov precipitation inch = 4.9
|Dec precipitation inch = 2.3
| Jan rain days  = 10
| Feb rain days  = 8
| Mar rain days  = 7
| Apr rain days  = 8
| May rain days  = 12
| Jun rain days  = 11
| Jul rain days  = 13
| Aug rain days  = 15
| Sep rain days  = 15
| Oct rain days  = 15
| Nov rain days  = 14
| Dec rain days  = 12
| Jan humidity    = 77
| Feb humidity    = 77
| Mar humidity    = 76
| Apr humidity    = 78
| May humidity    = 81
| Jun humidity    = 81
| Jul humidity    = 81
| Aug humidity    = 81
| Sep humidity    = 81
| Oct humidity    = 81
| Nov humidity    = 79
| Dec humidity    = 77
| Jan light = 8.4
| Feb light = 8.6
| Mar light = 8.8
| Apr light = 9.5
| May light = 9.6
| Jun light = 9.7
| Jul light = 9.6
| Aug light = 9.3
| Sep light = 9.0
| Oct light = 8.6
| Nov light = 8.3
| Dec light = 8.2
|source 1 = ''Climate-data.org''<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://en.climate-data.org/north-america/british-virgin-islands/road-town/road-town-28879/ |title=Road Town climate |access-date= 9 July 2021 |publisher=Climate-data.org}}</ref>
|date=July 2012
}}

==See also==
*[[List of Caribbean islands#British Virgin Islands]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Geography of North America}}
{{British Virgin Islands}}
{{North America topic|Climate of}}

[[Category:Geography of the British Virgin Islands| ]]