The British Virgin Islands are a group of islands located in the Caribbean Sea. The islands are part of the United States Virgin Islands. The British Virgin Islands have a population of about 32,000 people. The official language is English. The economy is based on tourism and financial services. The currency is the British Virgin Islands dollar. The British Virgin Islands were first settled by the Dutch in 1667. In 1917, they were acquired by the United States as part of the Treaty of Bardo. Today the islands are a self-governing territory of the United States with an elected government. The capital is Road Town.