British Virgin Islands – from Taíno islands to a self-governing territory
The British Virgin Islands were first settled by Indigenous peoples from South America, and later by Taíno and Kalinago communities. Christopher Columbus sighted the islands on his second voyage in 1493 and named them after Saint Ursula and her legendary eleven thousand virgins. The Indigenous population soon disappeared as a result of Spanish raids and disease.
In the 17th century the islands attracted pirates and settlers of several nations; the Dutch established a presence on Tortola, before English planters took control in 1672. Sugar and cotton plantations were worked by enslaved Africans, and in the 18th century Quakers were also active on Tortola. Slavery was abolished in 1834 under British law, and many freed people later worked their own small farms. When the plantation economy declined, the islands became one of the poorest parts of the region for a long time, and many people emigrated.
For a long period the islands were administered as part of the Leeward Islands. They became a separate colony in 1960 and received their own constitution and ministerial government in 1967. From the late 20th century, yachting tourism and a large offshore financial sector brought prosperity. In 2017 hurricanes Irma and Maria caused widespread destruction, followed by a long recovery.
Today the British Virgin Islands are shaped by their sailing waters, their close-knit communities and a strong sense of Virgin Islander identity.
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