Tortola

Tortola

Road Town on Tortola
Tortola The location of Tortola within the British Virgin Islands Show map of British Virgin Islands Tortola Tortola (Caribbean) Show map of Caribbean
Geography
Location	Caribbean Sea
Coordinates	18°25′24″N 64°37′05″W / 18.42333°N 64.61806°W / 18.42333; -64.61806
Archipelago	Virgin Islands
Area	55.7 km2 (21.5 sq mi)
Length	19 km (11.8 mi)
Width	5 km (3.1 mi)
Highest elevation	530 m (1740 ft)
Highest point	Mount Sage
Administration
United Kingdom  British Virgin Islands
British Overseas Territory	British Virgin Islands
Largest settlement	Road Town (pop. 9,400)
Demographics
Demonym	Tortolian
Population	23,491 (2010)[1]
Pop. density	429.23/km2 (1111.7/sq mi)
Additional information
Time zone	AST (UTC-4)
ISO code	VG

Tortola (/tɔːrˈtoʊlə/) is the largest and most populated island of the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands that form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands.^[2] It has a surface area of 55.7 square kilometres (21.5 square miles) with a total population of 23,908, with 9,400 residents in Road Town. Mount Sage is its highest point at 530 metres (1,740 feet) above sea level.

Although the British Virgin Islands (BVI) are under the British flag, it uses the U.S. dollar as its official currency due to its proximity to and frequent trade with the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The island is home to many offshore companies that do business worldwide. Financial services are a major part of the country's economy.

On 6 September 2017, the British Virgin Islands were extensively damaged by Hurricane Irma.^[3] The most severe destruction was on Tortola. News reports over the next day or two described the situation as "devastation".