Map of U.S. Virgin Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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. In 2017, Hurricane Irma passed over the northern Virgin Islands of Saint Thomas and Saint John and inflicted severe damage to structures, roads, the airport on Saint Thomas, communications, and electricity. Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Maria passed over the island of Saint Croix in the southern Virgin Islands, inflicting considerable damage with heavy winds and flooding rains.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 1,910 km²
Land: 346 km²
Water: 1,564 km²
Comparative: twice the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 188 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

Terrain: mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little flat land

Elevation
Highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Natural resources

Land use
Agricultural land: 9.4% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 2.6% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 6.3% (2023 est.)
Forest: 58.2% (2023 est.)
Other: 32.4% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 1 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

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


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Population
Total: 104,377 (2024 est.)
Male: 49,520
Female: 54,857
Distribution: overall population density throughout the islands is relatively low, but concentrations appear around Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas and Christiansted on St. Croix
Growth rate: -0.54% (2024 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups

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

Religions: Protestant 65.5%, Roman Catholic 27.1%, other Christians 2.2%, other 1.5%, none 3.7% (2010 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 18.7% (male 9,983/female 9,547)
15-64 years: 59.8% (male 29,519/female 32,899)
65 years and over: 21.5% (2024 est.) (male 10,018/female 12,411)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 67.2 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 31.3 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 35.9 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 2.8 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 43 years (2024 est.)
Male: 42.1 years
Female: 43.9 years

Population growth rate: -0.54% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 11.1 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 9.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate

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

Urbanization
Urban population: 96.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: -0.11% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 52,000 CHARLOTTE AMALIE (capital) (2018)

Environment

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 7.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 8.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.7 years (2024 est.)
Male: 77.6 years
Female: 84.1 years

Total fertility rate: 1.97 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Total: 0.9% of population (2022 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 12.1% (2024 est.); 12.4% (2023 est.); 13.1% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment


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Country name

Government type

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)
Etymology: named in honor of Danish King CHRISTIAN V’s wife, Charlotte AMALIE of Hesse-Kassel, after the colony was established in 1672

Administrative divisions: no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 3 islands are considered second-order: Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system: US common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2025)
Head of government: Governor Albert BRYAN, Jr. (since 7 January 2019)
Cabinet: Territorial Cabinet appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate
Election/appointment process: 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, but they can vote in the Democratic and Republican party 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)
Most recent election date: 8 November 2022
2022: Albert BRYAN, Jr. reelected governor; percent of vote - Albert BRYAN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 56%, Kurt VIALET (independent) 38%
2018: Albert BRYAN, Jr. elected governor in the second round; percent of vote in first round - Albert BRYAN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 38.1%, Kenneth MAPP (independent) 33.5%, Adlah 'Foncie' DONASTORG, Jr. (independent) 16.5%, other 11.9%; percent of vote in second round- Albert BRYAN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 54.5%, Kenneth MAPP (independent) 45.2%, other 0.3%
Expected date of next election: November 2026

Legislative branch
Note: the Virgin Islands delegate to the US House of Representatives 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

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

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 its left, with a shield of seven red and six white vertical stripes below a blue panel

National symbols

National anthem
Title: 'The Star-Spangled Banner'
Lyrics/music: Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITH
History: official anthem, as a US territory

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -1.3% (2022 est.); 3.7% (2021 est.); -1.6% (2020 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: -1.3% (2022 est.); 3.7% (2021 est.); -1.6% (2020 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 68.9% (2022 est.)
Government consumption: 34.4% (2022 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 7.5% (2016 est.)
Investment in inventories: 15% (2016 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 97.4% (2022 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -108.3% (2022 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products

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

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force: 47,200 (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 12.1% (2024 est.); 12.4% (2023 est.); 13.1% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 12.1% (2024 est.); 12.4% (2023 est.); 13.1% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.496 billion (2016 est.)
Expenditures: $1.518 billion (2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $4.549 billion (2022 est.); $4.069 billion (2021 est.); $1.62 billion (2020 est.)
Note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, jewelry, recreational boats, watches, rum (2019); top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $5.058 billion (2022 est.); $4.057 billion (2021 est.); $3.184 billion (2020 est.)
Note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, crude petroleum, rubber piping, jewelry, beer (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates


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Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 326,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 618.819 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 50.181 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 97.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 2.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Exports: 4 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 16,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions: 2.378 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 2.378 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 76,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 88 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 80,000 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 80 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet
Users percent of population: 64% (2017 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 9,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2022 est.)


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (2025)

Heliports: 4 (2025)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 2 (2023)
By type: general cargo 1, other 1

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs