英属维尔京群岛(British Virgin Islands)

正式名称维尔京群岛殖民地（Colony of The Virgin Islands）。加勒比海东部英国的独立领地。属维尔京群岛岛链的一部分，此群岛分属英、美两国管辖，英属部分多位在东、北部，包括托土拉、安加达、维尔京格大、约斯特范大克四大岛和三十二个小岛，其中二十多个尚无人居。主要城镇和港口是托土拉岛的罗德城（Road Town）。地形属波多黎各断层山系，由沈积岩、变质岩、火成岩构成，富山岳、礁湖及沙滩等天然景观。除安加达岛外，余均属丘陵地形，最高峰是位在托土拉岛上的塞奇山，海拔521公尺。各岛上均无河流。大多数岛民为非洲奴隶之後裔黑种人或黑白混血。英语为官方语言，宗教以基督教为主。经济以旅游业为主。原住民原为美洲印第安的阿拉瓦克族，曾於1493年哥伦布抵此时，为好战的加勒比人逐出。1555年西班牙王查理五世举兵攻占该岛；至1596年时，加勒比人多半逃离或被杀死。此地亦为海盗出没区，如托土拉岛至1666年英人接管前，一直是荷兰海盗据点，1672年并入英国管辖的背风群岛。1773年维尔京群岛获准自组政府并有民选议院与部分民选的立法会议，19世纪上半期因经济困难，废除自治政府。1872年起在政治上归属背风群岛殖民区，1956年分设为另一殖民区；1967年组织内阁形式之政府，1977年颁布新宪法仍维持此制。总面积153平方公里。人口约18,100（1995）。

English version：

British Virgin Islands

Dependent territory (pop., 1993 est.: 18,000) of the United Kingdom, eastern Caribbean Sea. Part of the island chain of the Virgin Islands, which are divided between the U.K. and the U.S., it consists of four larger islands (Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, and Jost Van Dyke) and many smaller uninhabited islands. The chief town and port is Road Town on Tortola. The majority of British Virgin Islanders are black or mulatto, the descendants of African slaves. English is the chief language and Protestantism is the chief religion. The islands are generally hilly, and many have lagoons with coral reefs and barrier beaches. Tourism is the mainstay of the economy. For the early history, see Virgin Islands of the U.S. The islands were an early haunt for pirates, and Tortola was held by Dutch buccaneers until it was taken by English planters in 1666; it was annexed by the British-administered Leeward Islands in 1672. The English sugar plantations declined after slavery was abolished in the 19th century. The islands were part of the Colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872 until 1956, when the British Virgin Islands became a separate colony.

参考文章

• 英属维尔京群岛的历史沿革专项地理