British Virgin Islands 
 

to 1956                            1956 - 15 Nov 1960                         Adopted 15 Nov 1960   Map of British Virgin Islands  Hear National Anthem  "God Save the Queen"  Text of National Anthem Constitution Order (19 Jun 2007) --------------------------- Former Constitution Order (1 Jun 1977- 2007) Capital: Road Town (Spanish Town 1680-1741) Currencies:  US Dollar (USD) (since 1959); British Virgin Islands Dollar (VGD) (from 30 Jun 1973) National Holiday: 1 Jul (1956) Territory Day Population: 23,552 (2007) GDP: $853.4 million (2004) Exports: $25.3 million (2002) Imports: $187 million (2002) Ethnic groups: black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed 17% Total Police Force: 96 (1987) Defense is the Responsibility of the U.K. Merchant marine: 1 ship (2006) Religions: Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991)  International Organizations/Treaties: Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU  British Virgin Islands Chronology 14 Nov 1493                Discovered by Columbus and claimed for Spain,                              island chain named Las Islas Once Mil Virgenes. 1628                       Tortola claimed for England (not settled). 1648 - 1666                Dutch colony on Tortola Island (on Anegada and                              Virgin Gorda until 1680). 1666 - 1672                English occupation of Tortola. 1672                       English colony; part of Antigua. 1672 - 1816                Part of Leeward Islands colony (see Antigua). 1680                       English settle Anegada and Virgin Gorda. 1713                       British crown colony (British Virgin Islands). 1773                       British Virgin Islands administratively united                              (Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke,                              Peter, Norman, Guana, Ginger and Salt Islands). 1816 - 1871                Part St. Christopher, Nevis, Anguilla, and the                               British Virgin Islands colony (see St. Kitts). 1833 -  1 Jan 1960         Part of Leeward Islands colony (see Antigua).  1 Jan 1960                Separate colony. 18 Apr 1967                Autonomous

Governors of Tortola
1648 - 16..                ....
16.. - 16..                Huntum
1672 - 16..                William Stapleton
1707 - 17.                 John Walton
Presidents 
1741                       John Pickering
1742 - 1750                John Hunt
1750 - 1751                James Purcell
Lieutenant-governors
1751 - 1775                John Purcell
1775 - 1782                John Nugent                        (b. 17.. - d. 1814)
Presidents 
1782 - 1811                Vacant
1811 - 1839                Richard Hetherington
1839 - 1850                Edward Hay Drummond Hay            (b. 1815 - d. 1884)
1850 - 1852                Vacant
1852 - 28 Feb 1854         John Cornell Chads                 (b. 1793? - d. 1854)
1854 - 1857                Cornelius Hendricksen Kortright    (b. 1817 - d. 1899)
1857 - 1859                Vacant
1859 - 1861                Thomas Price
1861 - 1864                James Robert Longden               (b. 1827 - d. 1891)
1866 - 1869                Sir Arthur Carlos Henry Rumbold    (b. 1820 - d. 1869)
1869 - 1872                Alexander Wilson Muir
1873 - 1879                Richard Mahoney Hickson
1879 - 1882                John Kemys Spencer-Churchill       (b. 1835 - d. 1913)
1882 - 1884                Richard Henry Kortright Dyett
1884 - 1887                Fredrick Augustus Pickering        (d. 1936)
Administrators
Feb 1887 - 1894            Edward John Cameron                (b. 1858 - d. 1947)
1894 - 12 Feb 1896         Alexander Robert Mackay            (d. 1896)
1896 - 1903                Nathaniel George Cookman
1903 - 1910                Robert Stephen Earl
1910 - 1919                Thomas Leslie Hardtman Jarvis
1919 - 1922                Herbert Walter Peebles             (b. 1877 - d. 1955)
1922 - 1923                R. Hargrove
1923 - 1926                Otho Lewis Hancock                 (b. 1893 - d. 19..)
Aug 1926 - Nov 1926        Thomas Edwin Percival Baynes       (b. 1885 - d. 1952)
                             (acting)
1926 - 1934                Frank Cecil Clarkson               (b. 1882 - d. 19..)
1934 - 1946                Donald Percy Wailling
1946 - 1954                John Augustus Cockburn Cruikshank  (b. 1901)
1954 - 1956                Henry Anthony Camilio Howard       (b. 1913 - d. 1977)
1956 - 1959                Geoffrey Pole Allesbrook           (b. 1918)
1959 - 1962                Gerald Jackson Bryan               (b. 1921)
1962 - 1967                Martin Samuel Staveley             (b. 1921 - d. 1998)
1967 - 1971                John Sutherland Thomson            (b. 1920 - d. 2008)
1971                       Hywel George                       (b. 1924)
1971 - 1972                Derek George Cudmore               (b. 1923 - d. 1981)
Governors
1972 - 1974                Derek George Cudmore               (s.a.)
Jul 1974 - Oct 1978        Walter Wilkinson Wallace           (b. 1923 - d. 2005)
1978 - 1981                James Alfred Davidson              (b. 1922 - d. 2004)
1982 - 1986                David Robert Barwick               (b. 1927)
1986 - 1991                J. Mark A. Herdman                 (b. 1932)
14 Oct 1991 - 21 Jun 1995  Peter Alfred Penfold               (b. 1944)
21 Jun 1995 - 1998         David Mackilligin                  (b. 1939)
 3 Jul 1998 -  5 Oct 2002  Frank Savage                       (b. 1943)
 5 Oct 2002 - 14 Oct 2002  Elton Georges (acting)             (b. 1943)
14 Oct 2002 - 10 Apr 2006  Tom Macan                          (b. 1946)
10 Apr 2006 - 18 Apr 2006  Dancia Penn (f) (acting)           (b. 1951)
18 Apr 2006 -              David Pearey                       (b. 1948)
 

Chief ministers
Apr 1967 - Jun 1971        Hamilton Lavity Stoutt (1st time)  (b. 1929 - d. 1995)  VIP
Jun 1971 - Nov 1979        Willard Wheatley                   (b. 1915)            Non-party
Nov 1979 - Nov 1983        Hamilton Lavity Stoutt (2nd time)  (s.a.)               VIP
Nov 1983 -  1 Oct 1986     Cyril B. Romney                    (b. 1931 - d. 2007)  UP
 1 Oct 1986 - 14 May 1995  Hamilton Lavity Stoutt (3rd time)  (s.a.)               VIP
15 May 1995 - 17 Jun 2003  Ralph T. O'Neal                    (b. 1933)            VIP
17 Jun 2003 - 23 Aug 2007  Orlando D. Smith                   (b. 1944)            NDP
Premier
23 Aug 2007 -              Ralph T. O'Neal                    (s.a.)               VIP

Party abbreviations: NDP = National Democratic Party; UP = United Party; VIP = Virgin Islands Party