Virgin Islands

Airports

total: 2 usable: 2 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 0 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 2 note: international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix

Highways

total: 856 km paved: NA unpaved: NA

Ports

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

Telecommunications

modern telephone system using fiber-optic cable, submarine cable, microwave radio, and satellite facilities; 58,931 telephones; 98,000 radios; 63,000 TV sets in use; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 8 FM, 4 TV (1988)

Affiliation

(territory of the US)

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 (1990 est.)

Currency

1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

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

Electricity

capacity: 380,000 kW production: 565 million kWh consumption per capita: 5,710 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates

US currency is used

Exports

$2.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: refined petroleum products partners: US, Puerto Rico

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

Imports

$3.3 billion (c.i.f., 1990) commodities: crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials partners: US, Puerto Rico

Industrial production

growth rate 12% (year NA); accounts for NA% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.2 billion (1987)

National product per capita

$11,000 (1987)

National product real growth rate

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. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix.

Unemployment rate

3.7% (1992)

Area

total area: 352 sq km land area: 349 sq km comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

188 km

Environment

current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources natural hazards: rarely affected by hurricanes; subject to frequent severe droughts, floods, earthquakes international agreements: NA

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

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

Location

Caribbean, in the eastern Caribbean Sea, about 110 km east and southeast of Puerto Rico

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

sun, sand, sea, surf

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

Terrain

mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land

Administrative divisions

none (territory of the US)

Capital

Charlotte Amalie

Constitution

Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954

Digraph

VQ

Diplomatic representation in US

none (territory of the US)

Executive branch

chief of state: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993) head of government: Governor Alexander A. FARRELLY (since 5 January 1987); Lieutenant Governor Derek M. HODGE (since 5 January 1987); election 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%

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

Legal system

based on US

Legislative branch

unicameral

Member of

ECLAC (associate), IOC

Names

conventional long form: Virgin Islands of the United States conventional short form: Virgin Islands

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

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

Senate

elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 2 November 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (15 total) number of seats by party NA

Suffrage

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

Territorial Court

handles civil matters up to $50,000, small claims, juvenile, domestic, misdemeanors, and traffic cases

Type

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

US District Court

handles civil matters over $50,000, felonies (persons 15 years of age and over), and federal cases

US House of Representatives

elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 2 November 1994); results - Ron DE LUGO reelected as delegate; seats - (1 total); seat by party NA; note - the Virgin Islands elect one representative to the US House of Representatives

US diplomatic representation

none (territory of the US)

Birth rate

19.41 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

5.2 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

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

12.54 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

45,500 (1988) by occupation: tourism 70%

Languages

English (official), Spanish, Creole

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.29 years male: 73.6 years female: 77.2 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality

noun: Virgin Islander(s) adjective: Virgin Islander

Net migration rate

-19.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

97,564 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.52% (1994 est.)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

2.53 children born/woman (1994 est.)