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British Virgin Islands (or BVI) is an overseas territory of
the United Kingdom. It is a group of over 50 islands and cays
located in the Caribbean. They include Tortola,
Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van
Dyke, Great Camanoe, Guana Island, Peter
Island, Salt Island, Beef Island, Cooper Island, Ginger
Island, Norman Island, and many other small islands which are
clustered around the Sir Francis Drake Channel. A few of the
islands are privately owned. Necker Island is owned by Sir Richard
Branson and is now an exclusive holiday spot.
The United Nations Committee on Decolonization includes the
British Virgin Islands on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing
Territories.
The British Virgin Islands were sighted and named by Christopher
Columbus on his second voyage in 1493. They were first settled
in 1648 by the Dutch and were annexed by England soon after
in 1672. They were called the "Virgin Islands" until
"British" was added at the end of World War I after
the United States had purchased the nearby Danish West Indies
and renamed them as the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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