Full country name: British Virgin Islands

Capital City: Roadtown

Currency: The US dollar is the official currency of the British Virgin Islands, but other currency can be easily exchanged at Virgin Gorda BVI banks.

Population: 19,615
People: African descent (90%), North American, Asian

Language: English

Time: Virgin Gorda BVI falls within the Atlantic Standard Time zone, four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time.

Entry Requirements: A valid passport or a government-issued birth certificate with raised seal can be used by US and Canadian citizens, while citizens of all other countries require a valid passport.
Driving: Driving in the British Virgin Islands is done on the left-hand side of the road.
Voltage: Electricity here is the same as in North America - 110 volts.
 

How to get there: There are no direct flights to the British Virgin Islands from either the US or Canada. The only access by plane is via San Juan in Puerto Rico or St Thomas or St Croix on the US Virgin Islands. From these transit points you can pick up a small plane for the jaunt to Tortola or Virgin Gorda. Heaps of international airlines fly to San Juan, one of the busiest hubs in the Caribbean. American Airlines, Delta and US Airways have direct flights from several US destinations to St Thomas and St Croix. Most flights from Europe connect via Miami or San Juan before flying on to St Thomas.

Events: The BVI Summer Fest is a two week riot of noise and color: calypso, fungi and steel bands shake it up, pageants crown festival queens and people flood the streets. The festival is the British Virgin Islands' own version of Carnival and celebrates the emancipation of the islands' African slaves. Most activity takes place in Road Town on Tortola.

Yachties sail in for the Annual Spring Regatta held in Road Town in April, and windsurfers converge on the islands for the HIHO Races held late June or early July. The competition lasts seven days, and a gaggle of cruisers follows the racers in a weeklong portable party.