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; stations--4 AM, 6 FM, 3 TV; modern system using fiber-optic cable, submarine cable, microwave radio, and satellite facilities; 90,000 radios; 56,000 TVs

Note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Agriculture

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

Budget

revenues $470 million; expenditures $322 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90)

Currency

US currency is used

Economic aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $34.5 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

$1.0 billion, per capita $9,000; real growth rate NA% (1985)

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

Comparative area

slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC

Environment

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

Land boundaries

none

Land use

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

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; land area: 349 km2

Administrative divisions

none (territory of the US)

Capital

Charlotte Amalie

Constitution

Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 serves as the constitution

Diplomatic representation

none (territory of the US)

Executive branch

US president, governor, 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 Chief of State and Head of Government--President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989), represented by Governor Alexander A. FARRELLY (since 5 January 1987); Lieutenant Governor Derek HODGE (since 5 January 1987) Democratic Party, Marilyn STAPLETON; Independent Citizens' Movement (ICM), Virdin BROWN; Republican Party, Charlotte-Poole DAVIS

Legal system

based on US

Legislative branch

unicameral Senate

Long-form name

Virgin Islands of the United States

Member of

ECLAC (associate), IOC

National holiday

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

Suffrage

universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections Governor--last held NA 1986 (next to be held NA 1990); results--Alexander FARRELLY (Democratic Party) defeated Adelbert BRYAN (ICM); 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--the Virgin Islands elects one nonvoting representative

Type

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

Birth rate

22 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate

5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

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

19 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force

45,500 (1988)

Language

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

Life expectancy at birth

70 years male, 76 years female (1991)

Literacy

NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

- 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor

90% of the government labor force

Population

99,404 (July 1991), growth rate 0.7% (1991)

Religion

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

Total fertility rate

2.7 children born/woman (1991)