IV.

Government and History

The British Virgin Islands has had a representative assembly since 1774. The islands’ present constitution dates from 1967, as amended in 1977 and 1994. The British monarch, represented by a governor, is head of state. The governor is responsible for defence, internal security, external affairs, public services, and the courts. The 15-member Legislative Council consists of 13 popularly elected members—9 representing local constituencies, and 4 “at large” seats covering the whole territory—a speaker, and the Attorney-General, who serves as an ex officio member.

Inhabited first by the Arawak and then by Carib peoples, the islands were first visited by Christopher Columbus in 1493. They were settled by the Dutch from 1648. In 1666 British planters took control of the islands away from the original settlers; in 1672 they became a British colony. During the 17th century the Virgin Islands were frequented by buccaneers and pirates. From 1871 to 1956 the islands were administered as part of the Federation of the Leeward Islands. When the federation was dissolved in 1956, the islands did not join the ultimately short-lived West Indies Federation (1958 to 1962) because of their traditional close links with the US Virgin Islands. Instead, they continued to be administered by the governor of the Leeward Islands until 1960, when direct responsibility was assumed by an appointed administrator (renamed “governor” in 1971). An amendment to the 1967 constitution, which established the legislative council, gave the islands greater self-government. During the 1990s the main concern of the administration has been with the use of the islands by drug traffickers, taking advantage of the many quiet bays. Efforts are being made to improve air and sea defences, and financial regulations have been tightened up to make it harder for the financial services sector to be used for processing the proceeds of drug trafficking.