Virgin Islands

Airports

2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m; international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix

Highways

856 km total

Ports

Saint Croix - Christiansted, Frederiksted; Saint Thomas - Long Bay, Crown Bay, Red Hook; Saint John - Cruz Bay

Telecommunications

44,280 telephones; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 8 FM, 4 TV; modern system using fiber-optic cable, submarine cable, microwave radio, and satellite facilities; 98,000 radios; 63,000 TV (1988)

Note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Agriculture

truck gardens, food crops (small scale), fruit, sorghum, Senepol cattle

Budget

revenues $364.4 million; expenditures $364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90)

Currency

US currency is used

Economic aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $42 million

Electricity

358,000 kW capacity; 532 million kWh produced, 5,360 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates

US currency is used

Exports

$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988) commodities: refined petroleum products partners: US, Puerto Rico

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GDP

purchasing power equivalent - $1.2 billion, per capita $11,000; real growth rate NA% (1987)

Imports

$3.7 billion (c.i.f., 1988) commodities: crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials partners: US, Puerto Rico

Industrial production

growth rate 12%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

Overview

Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for more than 70% of GDP and 70% of employment. The manufacturing sector consists of textile, electronics, pharmaceutical, and watch assembly plants. The agricultural sector is small, most food being imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. The world's largest petroleum refinery is at Saint Croix.

Unemployment rate

2.0% (1990)

Climate

subtropical, tempered by easterly tradewinds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November

Coastline

188 km

Comparative area

slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC

Disputes

none

Environment

rarely affected by hurricanes; subject to frequent severe droughts, floods, earthquakes; lack of natural freshwater resources

Land area

349 km2

Land boundaries

none

Land use

arable land 15%; permanent crops 6%; meadows and pastures 26%; forest and woodland 6%; other 47%

Maritime claims

Contiguous zone: 12 nm Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

sun, sand, sea, surf

Note

important location 1,770 km southeast of Miami and 65 km east of Puerto Rico, 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

Terrain

mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land

Total area

352 km2

Administrative divisions

none (territory of the US)

Capital

Charlotte Amalie

Constitution

Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954

Diplomatic representation

none (territory of the US)

Elections

Governor: last held 6 November 1990 (next to be held November 1994); results - Governor Alexander FARRELLY (Democratic Party) 56.5% defeated Juan LUIS (independent) 38.5% Senate: last held 6 November 1990 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (15 total) number of seats by party NA US House of Representatives: last held 6 November 1990 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results - Ron DE LUGO reelected as nonvoting delegate seats - (1 total); seat by party NA; note - the Virgin Islands elects one nonvoting representative to the US House of Representatives

Executive branch

US president, popularly elected governor and lieutenant governor

Flag

white with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows an 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

Independence

none (territory of the US)

Judicial branch

US District Court handles civil matters over $50,000, felonies (persons 15 years of age and over), and federal cases; Territorial Court handles civil matters up to $50,000 small claims, juvenile, domestic, misdemeanors, and traffic cases

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Governor Alexander A. FARRELLY (since 5 January 1987); Lieutenant Governor Derek M. HODGE (since 5 January 1987)

Legal system

based on US

Legislative branch

unicameral Senate

Long-form name

Virgin Islands of the United States

Member of

ECLAC (associate), IOC, applied for associate membership in OECS in February 1990

National holiday

Transfer Day (from Denmark to US), 31 March (1917)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party, Marilyn STAPLETON; Independent Citizens' Movement (ICM), Virdin C. BROWN; Republican Party, Charlotte-Poole DAVIS

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Type

organized, unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Birth rate

21 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

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%; black 80%, white 15%, other 5%; Hispanic origin 14%

Infant mortality rate

13 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

45,500 (1988)

Languages

English (official), but Spanish and Creole are widely spoken

Life expectancy at birth

74 years male, 77 years female (1992)

Literacy

NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Nationality

noun - Virgin Islander(s); adjective - Virgin Islander; US citizens

Net migration rate

-26 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

90% of the government labor force

Population

98,942 (July 1992), growth rate -1.0% (1992)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

2.7 children born/woman (1992)