Tortola () 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. It has a surface area of with a total population of 23,908, with 9,400 residents in Road Town. Mount Sage is its highest point at 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. The most severe destruction was on Tortola. News reports over the next day or two described the situation as "devastation".
Etymology
The name Tortola may be an anglicization of the island's original Dutch name Ter-Tholen (or Nieu-Ter-Tholen),named after Tholen, a coastal island that is part of the Netherlands.
Some sources have claimed that Christopher Columbus named the island Tórtola, meaning "turtle dove" in Spanish. Other sources, however, say Columbus named the island Santa Ana