VIRGIN ISLANDS
(territory of the US)
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
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
PEOPLE
Population: 99,404 (July 1991), growth rate 0.7% (1991)
Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 76 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (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%
Religion: Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%,
other 7%
Language: 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
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 serves as the
constitution
Legal system: based on US
National holiday: Transfer Day (from Denmark to US), 31 March
(1917)
Executive branch: US president, governor, 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), represented by Governor Alexander A.
FARRELLY (since 5 January 1987); Lieutenant Governor Derek HODGE (since
5 January 1987)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party, Marilyn STAPLETON;
Independent Citizens' Movement (ICM), Virdin BROWN;
Republican Party, Charlotte-Poole DAVIS
Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US
citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
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
Member of: ECLAC (associate), IOC
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
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: $1.0 billion, per capita $9,000; real growth rate NA% (1985)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 2.0% (1990)
Budget: revenues $470 million; expenditures $322 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)
