Virgin Islands (territory of the US)

§1. Virgin Islands Introduction

Background:
  During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial
  units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave
  labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries.
  In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic
  decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.

§2. Virgin Islands Geography

Location:
  Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean,
  east of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates:
  18 20 N, 64 50 W

Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
  total: 352 kmē
  land: 349 kmē
  water: 3 kmē

Area - comparative:
  twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
  0 km

Coastline:
  188 km

Maritime claims:
  exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
  subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity,
  little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November

Terrain:
  mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m

Natural resources:
  sun, sand, sea, surf

Land use:
  arable land: 15%
  permanent crops: 6%
  permanent pastures: 26%
  forests and woodland: 6%
  other: 47% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
  NA kmē

Natural hazards:
  several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and
  floods; occasional earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
  lack of natural freshwater resources

Geography - note:
  important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the
  Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural, deepwater harbors
  in the Caribbean

§3. Virgin Islands People

Population:
  122,211 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 27.27% (male 17,121; female 16,204)
  15-64 years: 63.92% (male 35,391; female 42,727)
  65 years and over: 8.81% (male 4,638; female 6,130) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:
  1.06% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:
  15.9 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:
  5.47 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.83 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  9.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.27 years male: 74.38 years
  female: 82.39 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  2.25 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

Nationality:
  noun: Virgin Islander(s)
  adjective: Virgin Islander

Ethnic groups:
  black 80%, white 15%, other 5%
  note: West Indian (45% born in the Virgin Islands and 29% born elsewhere in
    the West Indies) 74%, US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 5%, other 8%

Religions:
  Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%

Languages:
  English (official), Spanish, Creole

Literacy:
  definition: NA
  total population: NA%
  male: NA%
  female: NA%

§4. Virgin Islands Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
  conventional short form: Virgin Islands
  former: Danish West Indies

Dependency status:
  organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between
  the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of
  Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Government type:
  NA

Capital:
  Charlotte Amalie

Administrative divisions:
  none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative
  divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three islands at
  the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas

National holiday:
  Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917)

Constitution:
  Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954

Legal system:
  based on US laws

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US citizens
  but do not vote in US presidential elections

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001);
    Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (Since 20 January 2001)
  head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January
    1999) and Lieutenant Governor Gererd LUZ James II (since 5 January 1999)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for
    four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same
    ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 3 November
    1998 (next to be held NA November 2002)
  election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL elected governor; percent of
    vote - Dr. Charles W. TURNBULL (Democrat) 58.9%, former Governor Roy L.
    SCHNEIDER (ICM) 41.1%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
  two-year terms)
  elections: last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
    Democratic Party 6, ICM 2, independents 7
  note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US
    House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be
    held NA November 2002); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON
    (Democrat) elected

Judicial branch:
  US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction);
  Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM
  [Usie RICHON]; Republican Party [Gary SCROUVE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  none (territory of the US)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  none (territory of the US)

Flag description:
  white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue
  initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive
  branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed
  shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel

§5. Virgin Islands Economy

Economy - overview:
  Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for more than 70% of
  GDP and 70% of employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a
  year. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles,
  electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. The agricultural sector
  is small, with most food being imported. International business and
  financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. One of
  the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The islands are
  subject to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to
  improve fiscal discipline, support construction projects in the private
  sector, expand tourist facilities, and protect the environment.

GDP:
  purchasing power parity - $1.8 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  NA%

GDP - per capita:
  purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: NA% industry: NA%
  services: NA%

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  NA%

Labor force:
  47,443 (1990 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services 79% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  4.9% (March 1999)

Budget:
  revenues: $364.4 million
  expenditures: $364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990
    est.)

Industries:
  tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction,
  pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  1.02 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0%
  nuclear: 0%
  other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  948.6 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products:
  fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle

Exports:
  $NA

Exports - commodities:
  refined petroleum products

Exports - partners:
  US, Puerto Rico

Imports:
  $NA

Imports - commodities:
  crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials

Imports - partners:
  US, Puerto Rico

Debt - external:
  $NA

Economic aid - recipient:
  $NA

Currency:
  US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
  USD

Exchange rates:
  the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
  1 October - 30 September

§6. Virgin Islands Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  62,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  2,000 (1992)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA domestic: modern, uses fiber-optic cable and
    microwave radio relay
  international: submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite
    earth stations - NA

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
  107,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
  2 (1997)

Televisions:
  68,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
  .vi

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  50 (2000)

Internet users:
  12,000 (2000)

§7. Virgin Islands Transportation

Railways:
  0 km

Highways:
  total: 856 km
  paved: NA km
  unpaved: NA km (2000)

Waterways:
  none

Ports and harbors:
  Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix

Merchant marine:
  none (2000 est.)

Airports:
  2
  note: international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2000 est.)

§8. Virgin Islands Military

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the US

§9. Virgin Islands Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none
