Tortola
is the largest and most populated of the British Virgin
Islands, a group of islands which form part of the
archipelago of the Virgin Islands.
Tortola
is a mountainous island 13.5 miles (19 km) long and
3 miles (5 km) wide which was formed by volcanic activity;
its highest peak is Mount Sage at 1750 feet (530 m).
The population of Tortola is 23,908. The principal
settlement is Road Town, the capital of the British
Virgin Islands.
Financial
services are the main source of income to the island.
The hugely popular International Business Companies
Act, passed in the early 1980s, led to huge growth
in government revenue. BVI residents are amongst the
most afluent in the Eastern Caribbean. Because of
this, a large number of residents from other Caribbean
islands work there.
Even
though the British Virgin Islands (BVI) are under
the British flag, the U.S. dollar is the official
currency. The island is home to many offshore companies
that do business worldwide.
Visitors
either arrive by boat or fly to Beef Island and drive
across the short Queen Elizabeth Bridge to Tortola.
White-sand beaches, such as Cane Garden Bay, are popular
attractions.
Further
infomration on the Britisha Virgin Islands can be
found at Wikipedia.
|
