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
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 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: 11.76%
Permanent crops: 2.94%
Other: 85.3% (2001)

Irrigated land: NA

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

Population: 108,708 (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: -0.07% (2005 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Virgin Islander
Adjective: Virgin Islander

Ethnic groups: black 76.2% white 13.1% Asian 1.1% other 6.1% mixed 3.5% (2000 census)

Languages: English 74.7% Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8% French or French Creole 6.6% other 1.9% (2000 census)

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 23.1% (male 12,676/female 12,421)
15-64 years: 66.2% (male 34,069/female 37,918)
65 years and over: 10.7% (male 5,125/female 6,499) (2005 est.)

Median age
Total: 36.52 years
Male: 35.6 years
Female: 37.33 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.07% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 14.2 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 6.26 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: -8.64 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 est.)

Environment
Current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male/female
Total population: 0.91 male/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 8.03 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 9.11 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.88 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.91 years
Male: 75.08 years
Female: 82.96 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.19 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: NA%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

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

Government type: NA

Capital: Charlotte Amalie

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

National holiday: Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US) 27 March (1917)

Constitution: Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954

Legal system: based on US laws

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

Executive branch
Chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001)
Head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999)
Cabinet: NA
Elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held November 2006)
Election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL reelected governor; percent of vote - Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (Democrat) 50.5%, John de JONGH 24.4%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 10, ICM 2, independent 3
Note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) reelected

Judicial branch: US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms)

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]

International organization participation: Interpol (subbureau) IOC UPU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (territory of the US)
From the us: none (territory of the US)

Flag description: white 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 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 80% of GDP and employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining textiles electronics pharmaceuticals and watch assembly. The agricultural sector is small with most food being imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The islands are subject to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline to support construction projects in the private sector to expand tourist facilities to reduce crime and to protect the environment.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $2.5 billion (2002 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 2% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $17,200 (2002 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1%
Industry: 19%
Services: 80% (2003 est.)

Agriculture products: fruit vegetables sorghum; Senepol cattle

Industries: tourism petroleum refining watch assembly rum distilling construction pharmaceuticals textiles electronics

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 48,900 (2003 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 1%
By occupation industry: 19%
By occupation services: 80% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9.3% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA
Highest 10: NA

Budget
Revenues: $560
Expenditures: NA (2003)

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.2% (2003)

Exports: NA
Commodities: refined petroleum products
Partners: US Puerto Rico

Imports: NA
Commodities: crude oil foodstuffs consumer goods building materials
Partners: US Puerto Rico

Debt external: NA

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used

Electricity
Production: 1.035 billion kWh (2002)
Consumption: 962.6 million kWh (2002)
Exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Imports: 0 kWh (2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 69,400 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 41,000 (2002)

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; 2 submarine cable connections (Taino Carib, Americas-1); satellite earth stations - NA

Internet
Country code: .vi
Users: 30,000 (2002)

Airports: 2 (2004 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Disputes international: none