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Country Name

Conventional long form: none

Conventional short form: British Virgin Islands

Abbreviation: BVI

Administrative Divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

National Holiday

Territory Day, 1 July (1956)

Constitution

13 June 2007

Legal System

English common law

International Law Organization Participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Boyd MCCLEARY (since 20 August 2010)

Head of government: Premier Orlando SMITH (since 9 November 2011)

Cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the House of Assembly

Elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed premier by the governor

Legislative Branch

Unicameral House of Assembly (13 elected seats, a speaker elected by the 13 members of the House of Assembly, and 1 non-voting ex officio member in the attorney general; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 7 November 2011 (next to be held in 2015) election results: percent of vote by party - NDP 49.4%, VIP 42%; seats by party - NDP 9, VIP 4

Judicial Branch

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction

Political Parties and Leaders

Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders

The Family Support Network; The Women's Desk other: environmentalists

Flag Description

Blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful); the islands were named by COLUMBUS in 1493 in honor of Saint Ursula and her 11 virgin followers (some sources say 11,000) who reputedly were martyred by the Huns in the 4th or 5th century; the figure on the banner holding a lamp represents the saint, the other lamps symbolize her followers

National Anthem

Year	2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

Government Type

Capital

Name
Road Town
Geographic Coordinates
18 27 N, 64 37 W
Time Difference
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

None (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic Representation from the US