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Geography and Environment of British Virgin Islands
Terrain, climate, natural resources, hazards, and environmental conditions of British Virgin Islands.
Detailed geography
Physical Features
- Terrain
- coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
- Climate
- subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
- Highest Point
- 521 — Mount Sage 521 m
- Lowest Point
- Caribbean Sea 0 m
Borders and Area
- Area (Comparative)
- about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Natural Resources and Hazards
- Natural Resources
- The British Virgin Islands has negligible natural resources in the traditional sense, with no significant deposits of minerals, fossil fuels, or large-scale agricultural land. The islands' terrain is rugged and largely unsuitable for extensive farming, and the small land area limits resource extraction of any kind. The most economically significant natural assets are the surrounding marine environment and the islands' scenic beauty, which together support the territory's thriving tourism and offshore financial services industries. Fisheries provide a modest local resource, and some small-scale agriculture produces fruits and vegetables for domestic consumption. The territory relies heavily on imports to meet its energy and food needs, with ongoing efforts to expand renewable energy capacity, particularly solar power, to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels.
- Natural Hazards
- hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Environment and Land Use
- Current Environmental Issues
- limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)