Virgin Islands (territory of the US)

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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 sq km
land: 349 sq km
water: 3 sq km

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 sq km

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

Environment—current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources

Environment—international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

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

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Population: 119,827 (July 1999 est.)
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%

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28% (male 17,454; female 16,585)
15-64 years: 63% (male 34,712; female 41,325)
65 years and over: 9% (male 4,237; female 5,514) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.19% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 17.08 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.34 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.84 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 10.07 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.74 years
male: 74.04 years
female: 81.67 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.42 children born/woman (1999 est.)

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

Ethnic groups: black 80%, white 15%, other 5%

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

Languages: English (official), Spanish, Creole

Literacy: NA

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

Data code: VQ

Dependency status: organized, unincorporated territory of the US; administered by 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, 31 March (1917) (from Denmark to US)

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 William Jefferson CLINTON of the US (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993)
head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999) and Lieutenant Governor Gerald 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 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 3 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—Democratic Party 6, independents 5, Republican Party 2, Independent Citizens Movement 2
note: the Virgin Islands elect one representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 3 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2000); results—Dr. Donna GREEN (Democrat) 80%, Victor O. FRAZER (ICM) 20%

Judicial branch: US District Court (judges are appointed by the president); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor)

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party [James O'BRYON Jr.]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Virdin C. BROWN]; Republican Party [Charlotte-Poole DAVIS]

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

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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 number of US tourists in the first five months of 1996 was down by 55% from the same period in 1995, the lingering result of the fierce hurricanes of 1995. Unemployment rose sharply in 1996. The manufacturing sector consists of textile, electronics, pharmaceutical, and watch assembly plants. 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. A major economic problem at the beginning of 1997 was the more than $1 billion in governmental arrears, income tax refunds, payments to vendors, and overdue wages.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$1.2 billion (1987 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: NA%

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$12,500 (1987 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 62%, other 17% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 6.2% (March 1994)

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 (1996)

Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity—consumption: 1.02 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture—products: truck garden products, fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle

Exports: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1992)

Exports—commodities: refined petroleum products

Exports—partners: US, Puerto Rico

Imports: $2.2 billion (c.i.f., 1992)

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

Imports—partners: US, Puerto Rico

Debt—external: $NA

Economic aid—recipient: $NA

Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: US currency is used

Fiscal year: 1 October—30 September

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Telephones: 60,000 (1990 est.)

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

Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 8, shortwave 0 (1988)

Radios: 105,000 (1994 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)

Televisions: 66,000 (1994 est.)

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Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 856 km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km

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

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 2
note: international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix; there is an airfield on St. John (1998 est.)

Airports—with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (1998 est.)

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Military—note: defense is the responsibility of the US

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Disputes—international: none