Background: During the 17th century the archipelago was divided into two territorial units one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane produced by slave labor drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish portion which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.

Geographic coordinates: 18 20 N, 64 50 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 352 km²
Land: 349 km²
Water: 3 km²
Comparative: twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 188 km

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

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

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m

Natural resources: sun, sand, sea, surf

Land use
Arable land: 15%
Permanent crops: 6%
Permanent pastures: 26%
Forests and woodland: 6%
Other: 47% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

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

Population: 118,211 (July 1998 est.)
Note: 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%
Growth rate: 1.16% (1998 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Virgin Islander(s)
Adjective: Virgin Islander

Ethnic groups: black 80%, white 15%, other 5%

Languages: English (official), Spanish, Creole

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 29% (male 17,310; female 16,502)
15-64 years: 64% (male 34,434; female 40,645)
65 years and over: 7% (male 4,065; female 5,255) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.16% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 16.45 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.01 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.13 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

Environment
Current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources
International agreements party to: NA
International agreements signed but not ratified: NA

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.84 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 9.6 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.3 years
Male: 74.68 years
Female: 82.15 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.32 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Literacy: NA

Country name
Conventional long form: Virgin Islands of the United States
Conventional short form: Virgin Islands
Former: Danish West Indies