:Virgin Islands Geography

Total area:
    352 km2
Land area:
    349 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    188 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    12 nm
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth)
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    none
Climate:
    subtropical, tempered by easterly tradewinds, relatively low humidity,
    little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November
Terrain:
    mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
Natural resources:
    sun, sand, sea, surf
Land use:
    arable land 15%; permanent crops 6%; meadows and pastures 26%; forest and
    woodland 6%; other 47%
Environment:
    rarely affected by hurricanes; subject to frequent severe droughts, floods,
    earthquakes; lack of natural freshwater resources
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

:Virgin Islands People

Population:
    98,942 (July 1992), growth rate -1.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
    21 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -26 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    13 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    74 years male, 77 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.7 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Virgin Islander(s); adjective - Virgin Islander; US citizens
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%
Religions:
    Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
Languages:
    English (official), but Spanish and Creole are widely spoken
Literacy:
    NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
    45,500 (1988)
Organized labor:
    90% of the government labor force

:Virgin Islands Government

Long-form name:
    Virgin Islands of the United States
Type:
    organized, unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Office of
    Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Capital:
    Charlotte Amalie
Administrative divisions:
    none (territory of the US)
Independence:
    none (territory of the US)
Constitution:
    Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
Legal system:
    based on US
National holiday:
    Transfer Day (from Denmark to US), 31 March (1917)
Executive branch:
    US president, popularly elected governor and lieutenant governor
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Senate
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)
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
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
Member of:
    ECLAC (associate), IOC, applied for associate membership in OECS in February
    1990
Diplomatic representation:
    none (territory of the US)
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

:Virgin Islands Economy

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.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $1.2 billion, per capita $11,000; real growth
    rate NA% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    NA%
Unemployment rate:
    2.0% (1990)
Budget:
    revenues $364.4 million; expenditures $364.4 million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA (FY90)
Exports:
    $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
  commodities:
    refined petroleum products
  partners:
    US, Puerto Rico
Imports:
    $3.7 billion (c.i.f., 1988)
  commodities:
    crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials
  partners:
    US, Puerto Rico
External debt:
    $NA
Industrial production:
    growth rate 12%
Electricity:
    358,000 kW capacity; 532 million kWh produced, 5,360 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction,
    pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Agriculture:
    truck gardens, food crops (small scale), fruit, sorghum, Senepol cattle
Economic aid:
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $42
    million
Currency:
    US currency is used
Exchange rates:
    US currency is used
Fiscal year:
    1 October - 30 September

:Virgin Islands Communications

Highways:
    856 km total
Ports:
    Saint Croix - Christiansted, Frederiksted; Saint Thomas - Long Bay, Crown
    Bay, Red Hook; Saint John - Cruz Bay
Airports:
    2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m;
    international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix
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)

:Virgin Islands Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the US