Virgin Islands

§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 km²
  land: 349 km²
  water: 3 km²

Area - comparative:
  twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
  0 km

Coastline:
  188 km

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

Climate:
  subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity,
  little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September 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: 5.71%
  permanent crops: 2.86%
  other: 91.43% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  NA

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:
  108,605 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 22.4% (male 12,261/female 12,056)
  15-64 years: 66.4% (male 34,174/female 37,949)
  65 years and over: 11.2% (male 5,385/female 6,780) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 37.1 years
  male: 36.2 years
  female: 38 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  -0.12% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  13.96 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  6.43 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -8.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 7.86 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.93 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.05 years
  male: 75.24 years
  female: 83.09 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  2.17 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

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

Ethnic groups:
  black 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5% (2000 census)

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

Languages:
  English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French Creole
  6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 90-95% est.
  male: NA%
  female: NA% (2005 est.)

§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; island residents 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)
  head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January
    1999)
  cabinet: NA
  elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated
    territories, such as the Virgin Islands, do not vote in elections for US
    president and vice president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on
    the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 5
    November 2002 (next to be held November 2006)
  election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL reelected governor; percent
    of vote - Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (Democrat) 50.5%, John de JONGH
    24.4%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
  two-year terms)
  elections: last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held 7 November 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
    Democratic Party 10, ICM 4, independent 1
  note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US
    House of Representatives; election last held 6 November 2002 (next to be
    held 2 November 2004); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON
    (Democrat) reelected

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 RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  IOC, UPU

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 80% of GDP and
  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
  small but growing components 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, to support construction projects in the private sector, to
  expand tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $2.5 billion (2002 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  NA

GDP - real growth rate:
  2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $17,200 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 1%
  industry: 19%
  services: 80% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
  48,900 (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 1%, industry 19%, services 80% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  9.3% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.2% (2003)

Budget:
  revenues: $NA
  expenditures: $NA

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  1.04 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  967.3 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  14,650 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  105,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Exports:
  $NA

Exports - commodities:
  refined petroleum products

Exports - partners:
  US, Puerto Rico (2004)

Imports:
  $NA

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

Imports - partners:
  US, Puerto Rico (2004)

Debt - external:
  $NA

Economic aid - recipient:
  $NA

Currency (code):
  US dollar (USD)

Exchange rates:
  the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
  1 October - 30 September

§6. Virgin Islands Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  70,900 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  41,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern system with total digital switching, uses
    fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
  domestic: full range of services available
  international: country code - 1-340; 2 submarine cable connections (Taino
    Carib, Americas-1); satellite earth stations - NA

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 6, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2006)

Television broadcast stations:
  5 (2006)

Internet country code:
  .vi

Internet hosts:
  3,818 (2005)

Internet users:
  30,000 (2002)

§7. Virgin Islands Transportation

Airports:
  2 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 1,257 km (2004)

Ports and terminals:
  Charlotte Amalie, Limetree Bay

§8. Virgin Islands Military

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the US

§9. Virgin Islands Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none


<Factbook 2006>
