Tortola is the largest of the British Virgin Islands |
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Archipelago | Virgin Islands |
| Area | 55.7 km2 (21.51 sq mi) |
| Length | 22 km (13.7 mi) |
| Width | 16 km (9.9 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 530 m (1,740 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Sage |
| Country | |
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United Kingdom
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| British Overseas Territory | British Virgin Islands |
| Largest city | Road Town (pop. 9,400) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 23,908 |
| Density | 429.23 /km2 (1,111.7 /sq mi) |
Tortola is the largest and most populated of the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands that form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands. Local tradition recounts that Christopher Columbus named it Tortola, meaning "land of the Turtle Dove". Columbus named the island Santa Ana. The later Dutch settled and called it Ter Tholen, after a coastal island forming part of the west coast of the Netherlands. When the British took over, they altered the name to its present-day Tortola.
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Europeans began making their mark in Tortola history after 1493, when Christopher Columbus spotted what are now called the British and US Virgin Islands and named them after the 11,000 virgins of the 4th-century martyr St. Ursula. The Spanish made a few attempts to settle the area, but pirates such as Blackbeard and Captain Kidd were the first permanent inhabitants of the island.
In the 17th century, the English, who had successfully usurped control of the area from the Dutch, established a permanent plantation colony on Tortola and the surrounding islands. The sugar cane industry, dependent on the slave labor of Africans transported from the continent, dominated Tortola history over the next 150 years. It diminished in the mid-19th century after the abolition of slavery. A large proportion of the white landowning population left the British Virgin Islands during the economic downturn, but the political relationship between the island and the British continued and has been maintained.
Tortola is a mountainous island 13.5 miles (19 km) long and 3 miles (5 km) wide, with an area of 21.5 square miles (55.7 square km). Formed by volcanic activity, its highest peak is Mount Sage at 1750 feet (530 m). Tortola lies near an earthquake fault, and minor earthquakes are common.
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 popular International Business Companies Act, passed in the early 1980s, led to significant growth in government revenue. BVI residents are amongst the most affluent in the Eastern Caribbean. Numerous residents from other Caribbean islands work there.
Although the British Virgin Islands (BVI) are under the British flag, it uses the U.S. dollar as its official currency. The island is home to many offshore companies that do business worldwide.
East end has the best beaches on the island, including Josiah's Bay and Lambert beach.
Tortola can be reached both by sea and by air.
Flights to Tortola arrive at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport. The airport is located on Beef Island, just to the East of Tortola, but it is connected by the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. American Eagle and Air Sunshine provide scheduled service from San Juan. Island Birds Air Charter can connect you from San Juan, St Thomas, Antigua or St Maarten. Tortola also has public busses. There are many ferry companies providing travellers with the opportunity to arrive by sea. The ferries run between Charlotte Amalie, St. John, USVI, Red Hook in the East End of St. Thomas and either Road Town or the West End of Tortola.
The British Virgin Islands operates several government schools. [1]
The following pre-primary schools serve Tortola residents:
The following elementary schools serve Tortola residents: [2]
The following High schools serve Tortola Residents:
Eslyn Henley Richiez Learning Centre serves as Tortola's special needs school.[4]
The H. Lavity Stoutt Community College provides Tortola's Tertiary education
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