The British Virgin Islands make up the
northeastern extremity of the Greater Antilles.
Known for their sheltered, clear blue sailing
waters and the stunning beauty of the
mountainous islands, the British Virgin Islands
lie some 60 miles east of Puerto Rico. Although
there are over 50 islands, rocks and cays
dotting the sparkling blue sea, many of them are
uninhabited.The British Virgin Islands consists
of four larger islands (Tortola, Anegada, Virgen
Gorda, and Jost Van Dyke) and 32 smaller islands
and islets, of which more than 20 are
uninhabited, the largest of the islands is
Tortola.
The British Virgin Islands were
initially populated by the Ciboney Indians who
arrived on stone age canoes from the Americas. A
few hundred years later, the Arawak Indians
arrived from South America. The Arawaks settled
throughout the Virgin Islands and lead a simple
agricultural lifestyle, they produced exquisite
pottery and ornaments and maintained a strictly
hereditary society. The Arawaks peacefully
dominated the islands for many years until the
arrival of the Carib Indians who worked their
way north from South America.
In 1555
these islands were invaded by Europeans and by
1596 most of the indigenous population was
decimated. Dutch buccaneers held Tortola until
it was taken over in 1666 by English planters,
who established a plantation economy and for the
next 150 years, developed the sugar industry
through the labor of African slaves. When
slavery was abolished in 1838, the plantation
economy quickly faltered and the majority of the
white population left for Europe.
The
islands dozed, a forgotten corner of the British
Empire, until 1966 when a new constitution
granting greater autonomy to the islands was
approved. while the governor is still appointed
by the Queen of England, his or her limited
powers concentrate on external affairs and local
security.
The boulder-covered beach known
as The Baths has made Virgin Gorda famous with
travelers. Christopher Columbus actually named
the island, translated to read "Fat Virgin." He
thought that the mountain framing of Virgin
Gorda looked similar to a protruding
stomach.
Tortola of all the islands has
the largest population and English is the
official language which is spoken in a Calypso
dialect.
The hybrid Caribbean culture is
evident in the food, in the music and in the
handmade sloops that many locals use for
fishing. A lot of islanders of African descent
retain a strong belief in the spirit world;
ghosts (jumbies) often get blames for bad things
and credited for good things on the islands. The
inspirational antics of Bro Nansi, a wily
spidery character who prevailed in adverse
circumstances, wore an integral part of West
African slave culture.
Called the
Emancipation Festival, Carnival is celebrated in
the British Virgin Islands mainly in Tortola. It
is a celebration for the emancipation of the
islands' African slaves. It is a two-week affair
of colour noise, calypso, and steel bands.
Pageants and floats are in the streets and
everyone have a great time. This year's
Emancipation Festival will take place July 22
through August 7, 2006.