Geography
The Virgin Islands archipelago, in the Caribbean, is divided into two Territories: the British Virgin Islands and the United States Virgin Islands.

The British Virgin Islands (BVI), an Overseas Territory of the UK, is east of Puerto Rico.

The capital is Road Town on the island of Tortola. Other islands in the BVI group include Virgin Gorda and Anegada. There are a number of smaller islands.

The volcanic islands are steep and hilly; the coral islands are fairly flat. The climate is subtropical with temperatures moderated by trade winds.

Environment
The BVI National Parks Trust is responsible for the territory's conservation areas. Sage Mountain National Park, the British Virgin Island's first National Park, was established in the 1960s. Today, there are around twenty National Parks and Marine Parks.

Trees growing in the British Virgin Islands are the banana, coconut, mango, papaya and tamarind. The white cedar is the national tree.

Wildlife includes iguanas, tree frogs and bats. Birds such as the Green-throated Carib, a hummingbird, and the small yellow-breasted Bananaquit also inhabit the islands.

Architecture
Traditional buildings in the Caribbean are made from wooden boards and often painted white or pastel colours. Features include jalousie (louvre) windows and decorative fretwork.

Colonial architecture in the BVI can be seen in and around Road Town, for example, the Post Office and the Anglican Church, built in the mid nineteenth century.

Population
The population of the BVI was estimated at 20,600 in 2018.

Languages
English is the official language in the British Virgin Islands.

Religion
The majority of the people in the BVI are Christians; a significant number are Protestant and some are Roman Catholic.

Food
Flat bread and roti pancakes, filled with curried meat, seafood and vegetables, are popular in the British Virgin Islands. Cornmeal and okra, used to make a popular dish known as fungi, is often served with seafood.

Shellfish and fish are caught daily. Meat and chicken are used in a variety of recipes.

Cassava, sweet potatoes, breadfruit and plantains are grown.

Local fruits include bananas, coconuts, guavas, tamarinds, mangoes, papayas, passion fruit and pineapples.

Soursop fruit is used to make a milky juice. Other local drinks are bush tea and grape-tree wine. Rum is produced in the BVI.

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