Located 60 miles east of Puerto Rico, close to the US Virgin Islands, it has a subtropical climate, and its capital, tortora, has developed roads. The British Virgin Islands consists of 50 islands with an area of 59 square miles, and about 15 islands are inhabited. The largest is tortora, with an area of 2 1 square mile and a population of 1.9 million. The British Virgin Islands is an autonomous and politically stable British colony, which is legislated by an independent Legislative Assembly. It has become an important center for developing overseas business activities. The island's two pillar industries are tourism and offshore company registration. The existence of many major banks in the world and advanced communication and transportation facilities make the British Virgin Islands an ideal offshore financial center. At present, more than 250,000 offshore companies have registered in the British Virgin Islands, which makes the British Virgin Islands one of the fastest-growing offshore investment centers in the world. It is legal to use US dollars in the British Virgin Islands, and English is the official language.