British Virgin Islands Introduction 2008

Background:
First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.

NOTE: The information regarding British Virgin Islands on this page is re-published from the 2008 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of British Virgin Islands Introduction 2008 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about British Virgin Islands Introduction 2008 should be addressed to the CIA.