ARCHIVE // VI // 1998

Virgin Islands

1998 Edition — territory

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Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture-products) [time series]
truck garden products, fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle
Budget [time series]
revenues: $364.4 million expenditures: $364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]
$NA
Economic aid [time series]
$NA
Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]
Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for more than 70% of GDP and 70% of employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year. The number of US tourists in the first five months of 1996 was down by 55% from the same period in 1995, the lingering result of the fierce hurricanes of 1995. Unemployment rose sharply in 1996. 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. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. A major economic problem at the beginning of 1997 was the more than $1 billion in governmental arrears, in income tax refunds, payments to vendors, and overdue wages.
Electricity - capacity (Electricity-capacity) [time series]
316 million kW (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]
10,285 kWh (1995)
Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]
1 billion kWh (1995)
Exchange rates [time series]
US currency is used
Exports [time series]
total value: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: refined petroleum products partners: US, Puerto Rico
Fiscal year [time series]
1 October-30 September Communications
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity-$1.2 billion (1987 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP-composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Real GDP per capita (GDP-per capita) [time series]
purchasing power parity-$12,500 (1987 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP-real growth rate) [time series]
NA%
Imports [time series]
total value: $2.2 billion (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials partners: US, Puerto Rico
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA%
Industries [time series]
tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate-consumer price index) [time series]
NA%
Labor force [time series]
total: 47,443 (1990 est.) by occupation: agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services 62%, other 17% (1990)
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 4, FM 8, shortwave 0 (1988)
Radios [time series]
105,000 (1994 est.)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
domestic: modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay international: submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]
60,000 (1990 est.)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
4 (1988 est.)
Televisions [time series]
66,000 (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate [time series]
6.2% (March 1994)
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 352 sq km land: 349 sq km water: 3 sq km
Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]
twice the size of Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November
Coastline [time series]
188 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m
Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]
lack of natural freshwater resources
International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]
party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geographic coordinates [time series]
18 20 N, 64 50 W
Geography - note (Geography-note) [time series]
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 [time series]
NA sq km
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 15% permanent crops: 6% permanent pastures: 26% forests and woodland: 6% other: 47% (1993 est.)
Location [time series]
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references [time series]
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims [time series]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts, floods, and earthquakes
Natural resources [time series]
sun, sand, sea, surf
Terrain [time series]
mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
none (territory of the US)
Constitution [time series]
Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: Virgin Islands of the United States conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies
Data code [time series]
VQ
Dependency status [time series]
organized, unincorporated territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
none (territory of the US)
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: President of the US William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993) head of government: Governor Dr. Roy L. SCHNEIDER (since 5 January 1995) and Lieutenant Governor Kenneth E. MAPP (since 5 January 1995) cabinet: NA elections: governor and lieutenant governor of the Virgin Islands elected by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 22 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1998) election results: Dr. Roy L. SCHNEIDER elected governor of the Virgin Islands; percent of vote-Roy L. SCHNEIDER (ICM) 54.7%, former Lieutenant Governor Derek HODGE 42.6%
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
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
Government type [time series]
NA
International organization participation [time series]
ECLAC (associate), IOC
Judicial branch [time series]
US District Court, handles civil matters over $200,000, felonies (persons 15 years of age and over), and federal cases; judges are appointed by the president; Territorial Court, handles civil matters of unlimited cash amount; felonies, small claims, juvenile, domestic, misdemeanors, and traffic cases; judges appointed by the governor
Legal system [time series]
based on US laws
Legislative branch [time series]
unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections: last held 5 November 1996 (next to be held 2 November 1998) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-independents 6, Democrats 5, Republicans 2, Independent Citizens Movement 2 note: the Virgin Islands elects one representative to the US House of Representatives; elections last held 19 November 1996 (next to be held NA November 1998); results - Dr. Donna GREEN (ICM) 51.5%, Victor O. FRAZER (independent) 48.5%
Capital (National capital) [time series]
Charlotte Amalie
National holiday [time series]
Transfer Day, 31 March (1917) (from Denmark to US)
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Democratic Party, Marilyn STAPLETON; Independent Citizens' Movement (ICM), Virdin C. BROWN; Republican Party, Charlotte-Poole DAVIS
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal; note-indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Military
Military - note (Military-note) [time series]
defense is the responsibility of the US
People
Age structure [time series]
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.)
Birth rate [time series]
16.45 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate [time series]
5.01 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
black 80%, white 15%, other 5%
Infant mortality rate [time series]
9.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Languages [time series]
English (official), Spanish, Creole
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 78.3 years male: 74.68 years female: 82.15 years (1998 est.)
Literacy [time series]
NA
Nationality [time series]
noun: Virgin Islander(s) adjective: Virgin Islander
Net migration rate [time series]
0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population [time series]
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%
Population growth rate [time series]
1.16% (1998 est.)
Religions [time series]
Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
Sex ratio [time series]
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.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
2.32 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]
none WAKE ISLAND (territory of the US)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
2 note: international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix; there is an airfield on St. John (1997 est.)
Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]
total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (1997 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 856 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
Merchant marine [time series]
none
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix
Railways [time series]
0 km