Virgin Islands

Broadcast media

about a dozen TV broadcast stations including 1 public TV station; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are available; 24 radio stations (2009)

Internet country code

.vi

Internet users

total: 57,000 | percent of population: 54.8% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 195

Telephone system

general assessment: modern system with total digital switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay | domestic: full range of services available | international: country code - 1-340; submarine cable connections to US, the Caribbean, Central and South America; satellite earth stations - NA (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 76,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 73 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Agriculture - products

fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle

Budget

revenues: $1.223 billion | expenditures: $1.551 billion (2013)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6.5% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 186

Debt - external

$NA

Economy - overview

Tourism, trade, and other services are the primary economic activities, accounting for nearly 60% of the Virgin Island's GDP and about half of total civilian employment. The islands host nearly 3 million tourists per year, mostly from visiting cruise ships. The islands are vulnerable to damage from storms. The agriculture sector is small, with most food being imported. Industry and government each account for about one-fifth of GDP. The manufacturing sector consists of rum distilling, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. A refinery on St. Croix, one of the world’s largest, processed 350,000 barrels of crude oil a day until it was shut down in February 2012, after operating for 45 years. | Federal programs and grants, totaling $241.4 million in 2013, contributed 19.7% of the territory’s total revenues. The economy declined in 2013, due to decreases in exports resulting from the loss of refined oil products. Nevertheless, the economy remains relatively diversified. Along with a vibrant tourism industry, rum exports, trade, and services will be major income sources in future years.

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

Exports

$2.627 billion (2013) | $3.339 billion (2012) | country comparison to the world: 132

Exports - commodities

rum

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GDP (official exchange rate)

$5.075 billion (2013)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$3.792 billion (2013 est.) | $4.143 billion (2012 est.) | $4.288 billion (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 63.6% | government consumption: 28% | investment in fixed assets: 6.1% | investment in inventories: NA% | exports of goods and services: 69.3% | imports of goods and services: -66.9% (2013)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 2% | industry: 20% | services: 78% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$36,100 (2013 est.) | $39,300 (2012 est.) | $40,500 (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 50

GDP - real growth rate

-5.4% (2013 est.) | -13.8% (2012 est.) | -7.5% (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 215

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$2.694 billion (2013) | $3.056 billion (2012) | country comparison to the world: 149

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, electronics

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.1% (2012) | country comparison to the world: 141

Labor force

50,580 (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 192

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 1% | industry: 19% | services: 80% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

28.9% (2002 est.)

Public debt

45.9% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 94

Taxes and other revenues

24.1% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 127

Unemployment rate

13% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 142

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

9.4 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 207

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 207

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 208

Electricity - consumption

600 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 162

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 213

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 33

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 211

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 206

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 141

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 216

Electricity - installed generating capacity

300,000 kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Electricity - production

700 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 157

Electricity access

population without electricity: 10,295 | electrification - total population: 91% | electrification - urban areas: 91% | electrification - rural areas: 80% (2012)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 208

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 208

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 145

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 205

Refined petroleum products - consumption

111,500 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60

Refined petroleum products - imports

119,000 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 42

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Area

total: 1,910 sq km | land: 346 sq km | water: 1,564 sq km | country comparison to the world: 182

Area - comparative

twice the size of Washington, DC

Climate

subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November

Coastline

188 km

Elevation

mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m | highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m

Environment - current issues

lack of natural freshwater resources

Geographic coordinates

18 20 N, 64 50 W

Geography - 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

Irrigated land

1 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 11.5% | arable land 2.9%; permanent crops 2.9%; permanent pasture 5.7% | forest: 57.4% | other: 31.1% (2011 est.)

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes

Natural resources

sun, sand, sea, surf

Population - distribution

while overall population density throughout the islands is relatively low, concentrations appear around Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas and Christiansted on St. Croix

Terrain

mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little flat land

Administrative divisions

none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas

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)

Citizenship

see United States

Constitution

22 July 1954 - the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands functions as a constitution for this territory of the US; revised 1962, 2000 (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands | conventional short form: Virgin Islands | former: Danish West Indies | abbreviation: USVI | note: the myriad islets, cays, and rocks surrounding the major islands reminded Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 of Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgin followers (Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Virgenes), which over time shortened to the Virgins (las Virgenes)

Dependency status

organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (territory of the US)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (territory of the US)

Executive branch

chief of state: President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009) | head of government: Governor Kenneth MAPP (since 5 January 2015), Lieutenant Governor Osbert POTTER (since 5 January 2015) | cabinet: Territorial Cabinet appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate | elections/appointments: president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by an Electoral College of 'electors' chosen from each state; president and vice president serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); under the US Constitution, residents of the Virgin Islands do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in the Democratic and Republican presidential primary elections; governor and lieutenant governor directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held in November 2018) | election results: Kenneth MAPP elected governor; percent of vote in runoff - Kenneth MAPP (independent) 63.9%, Donna CHRISTIAN-CHRISTIANSEN (Democratic Party) 36.1%

Flag description

white field with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in its right talon and three arrows in the left with a superimposed shield of seven red and six white vertical stripes below a blue panel; white is a symbol of purity, the letters stand for the Virgin Islands

Government type

presidential democracy; a self-governing territory of the US

Independence

none (territory of the US)

International organization participation

AOSIS (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WFTU (NGOs)

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands (consists of the chief justice and 2 associate justices); note - court established by US Congress in 2004 and assumed appellate jurisdiction in 2007 | judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Virgin Islands Senate; justices initially serve renewable 10-year terms; chief justice elected to position by peers for a 3-year term | subordinate courts: Superior Court (Territorial Court renamed in 2004); US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (has appellate jurisdiction over the District Court of the Virgin Islands; it is a territorial court and is not associated with a US federal judicial district); District Court of the Virgin Islands

Legal system

US common law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Senate (15 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority popular vote to serve 2-year terms) | elections: last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held on 8 November 2016) | election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA | note: the Virgin Islands directly elects 1 member by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term as a delegate to the US House of Representatives; the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote; election of delegate last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held on 8 November 2016)

National anthem

name: "Virgin Islands March" | lyrics/music: multiple/Alton Augustus ADAMS, Sr. | note: adopted 1963; serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the US, "The Star-Spangled Banner" is official (see United States)

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON] | Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS] | Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

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

Background

The Danes secured control over the southern Virgin Islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sugarcane, produced by African slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish holdings, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Age structure

0-14 years: 17.2% (male 8,933/female 8,776) | 15-24 years: 9.32% (male 4,316/female 5,279) | 25-54 years: 38.51% (male 17,850/female 21,795) | 55-64 years: 14.72% (male 7,284/female 7,873) | 65 years and over: 20.25% (male 9,402/female 11,443) (2016 est.)

Birth rate

10.2 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 194

Death rate

8.9 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 68

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 61.2% | youth dependency ratio: 32.8% | elderly dependency ratio: 28.4% | potential support ratio: 3.5% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 100% of population | rural: 100% of population | total: 100% of population | urban: 0% of population | rural: 0% of population | total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 76%, white 15.6%, Asian 1.4%, other 4.9%, mixed 2.1% | note: 17.4% self-identify as latino (2010 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 7.2 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 164

Languages

English 71.6%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 17.2%, French or French Creole 8.6%, other 2.5% (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 80 years | male: 77 years | female: 83.2 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 41

Major infectious diseases

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

Major urban areas - population

CHARLOTTE AMALIE (capital) 52,000 (2014)

Median age

total: 45.6 years | male: 45.9 years | female: 45.3 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 5

Nationality

noun: Virgin Islander(s) (US citizens) | adjective: Virgin Islander

Net migration rate

-7.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 209

Population

102,951 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 195

Population distribution

while overall population density throughout the islands is relatively low, concentrations appear around Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas and Christiansted on St. Croix

Population growth rate

-0.62% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 230

Religions

Protestant 59% (Baptist 42%, Episcopalian 17%), Roman Catholic 34%, other 7%

Sanitation facility access

urban: 96.4% of population | rural: 96.4% of population | total: 96.4% of population | urban: 3.6% of population | rural: 3.6% of population | total: 3.6% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 0.82 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.82 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female | total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.73 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 167

Urbanization

urban population: 95.3% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 0.25% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

2 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 207

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 | over 3,047 m: 1 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Frederiksted, Limetree Bay

Roadways

total: 1,260 km (2008) | country comparison to the world: 181