from
CIA World Factbook 2006
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.
Geography
Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Geographic 18 20 N, 64 50 W
coordinates:
Map Central America and the Caribbean
references:
Area: total: 1,910 sq km
land: 346 sq km
water: 1,564 sq km
Area - twice the size of Washington, DC
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 188 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: 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 lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Crown Mountain 475 m
Natural sun, sand, sea, surf
resources:
Land use: arable land: 5.71%
permanent crops: 2.86%
other: 91.43% (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe
hazards: droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes
Environment - lack of natural freshwater resources
current
issues:
Geography - important location along the Anegada Passage - a key
note: shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has
one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the
Caribbean
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 -0.12% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 13.96 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 6.43 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -8.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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 total: 7.86 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 8.93 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 6.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 79.05 years
expectancy at male: 75.24 years
birth: female: 83.09 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.17 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
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.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form: Virgin Islands
former: Danish West Indies
abbreviation: USVI
Dependency organized, unincorporated territory of the US with
status: policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US
under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular
Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Government NA
type:
Capital: name: Charlotte Amalie
geographic coordinates: 18 21 N, 64 56 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative none (territory of the US); there are no first-order
divisions: administrative divisions as defined by the US
Government, but there are three islands at the second
order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas
National Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917)
holiday:
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 chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US
branch: (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)
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
(eligible for a second term); election last held 7 and
21 November 2006 (next to be held November 2010)
election results: John DeJONGH elected governor and
takes office in January 2007; percent of vote - John
DeJONGH 57.3%, Kenneth MAPP 42.7%
Legislative unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by
branch: popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held
November 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - Democratic Party 8, ICM 4, independent 3
note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting
representative to the US House of Representatives;
election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held
November 2008); results - Donna M.
CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) reelected
Judicial US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third
branch: Circuit jurisdiction); Superior Court of the Virgin
Islands (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year
terms)
Political Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent
parties and Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican
leaders: Party [Gary SPRAUVE]
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International IOC, UPU
organization
participation:
Diplomatic none (territory of the US)
representation
in the US:
Diplomatic none (territory of the US)
representation
from the US:
Flag white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center
description: 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
Economy
Economy - Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting
overview: 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 $1.577 billion (2004 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official NA
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 2% (2002 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $14,500 (2004 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 1%
composition by industry: 19%
sector: services: 80% (2003 est.)
Labor force: 43,980 (2004 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 1%
by occupation: industry: 19%
services: 80% (2003 est.)
Unemployment 6.2% (2004)
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 2.2% (2003)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA
Agriculture - fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle
products:
Industries: tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum
distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles,
electronics
Industrial NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 1.04 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 967.3 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 14,650 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 105,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Exports: $4.234 billion $NA
Exports - refined petroleum products
commodities:
Exports - US, Puerto Rico (2004)
partners:
Imports: $4.609 billion $NA
Imports - crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building
commodities: materials
Imports - US, Puerto Rico (2004)
partners:
Debt - $NA
external:
Economic aid - $NA
recipient:
Currency US dollar (USD)
(code):
Currency code: USD
Exchange the US dollar is used
rates:
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
Communications
Telephones - 70,900 (2004)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 64,200 (2004)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: modern system with total digital
system: 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 AM 6, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2006)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 107,000 (1997)
Television 5 (2006)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 68,000 (1997)
Internet .vi
country code:
Internet 3,855 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 50 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 30,000 (2002)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 2 (2006)
Airports - total: 2
with paved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
Roadways: total: 1,257 km (2004)
Ports and Charlotte Amalie, Limetree Bay
terminals:
Military
Military - defense is the responsibility of the US
note:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - none
international: