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Home  >  World  > Caribbean  > Virgin Islands - British General Information Area: 153 sq km (59 sq miles). Population: 19,864 (official estimate 1999). Population Density: 129.8 per sq km. Capital: Road Town, Tortola. Population: 5000 (1997). GEOGRAPHY: The 56 islands, rocks and cays of the British Virgin Islands, only 16 of which are inhabited, make up the larger part of an archipelago forming the northern extremity of the Leeward Islands in the eastern Caribbean. They are situated approximately 100km (62 miles) east of Puerto Rico, adjoining the US Virgin Islands. The islands are volcanic in origin, with the exception of Anegada, which is formed of coral and limestone and is the lowest lying. The topography is otherwise mountainous, the highest point being Tortola’s Sage Mountain, which rises to 550m (1800ft). There are remnants of a primeval rainforest on Tortola. Government: British Overseas Territory since 1672. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor Frank Savage since 1998. Head of Government: Chief Minister Ralph O’Neal since 1996. Language: English. Religion: Mainly Christian, including Methodist (45 per cent) Anglican (21 per cent) and Roman Catholic (6 per cent). Time: GMT - 4. Electricity: 110/60 volts AC, 60Hz. American two-pin plugs are used. Communications:   Telephone IDD is available. Country code: 1 284 49. There are no area codes. Outgoing international code: 00. Mobile telephone TDMA network operated by CCT Boatphone (e-mail: mail@bvicellular.com; website: www.bvicellular.com). Visitors with TDMA handsets can register in advance or after arrival on the islands (by dialling 0). Handsets can be hired. Fax Cable & Wireless provides a service. Internet ISPs include Caribsurf (website: www.caribsurf.com) and Cable & Wireless (website: www.candw.vg). Services are available in some hotels. There are a few Internet cafes. Post Airmail to Europe takes up to a week. Press The Island Sun and the BVI Beacon are published weekly. The tourist board publishes The Welcome every two months. BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice): MHz 15.19 12.10 6.195 5.975 Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov): MHz 13.79 9.455 6.130 5.995 Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd. Terms and Conditions apply.