| a town on SE Tortola, in the NE West Indies: capital of the British Virgin Islands. 3500. |
| a British colony comprising several small islands (largest, Tortola) in the West Indies, E of Puerto Rico. 10,500; 67 sq. mi. (174 sq. km). Capital: Road Town. |
Road Town  (rōd)  The capital of the British Virgin Islands, on Tortola Island in the West Indies east of Puerto Rico. It is a port of entry. Population: 8,440. |
Road Town
chief town and port of Tortola Island and tourist centre for the British Virgin Islands, situated on the western side of Road Bay about halfway along the southern coast. The name derives from the nautical term "the roads," a place less sheltered than a harbour but in which ships may lie at anchor. A 67-acre (27-hectare) area called Wickham's Cay was joined to the mainland as part of a large reclamation project undertaken to develop tourism. Fires periodically swept the town, and the oldest extant building dates from 1840 (though some water cisterns are older). Pop. (2000 est.) 8,000.
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