Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands of the United States
NA
Virgin Islands as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 87 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North | Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
18 fieldsLand useshare of 352 sq km
Location
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Climate
subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November
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
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1998 est.)
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.)
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.)
Government
NA; President of the US William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Governor Dr. Roy L. SCHNEIDER (since 5 January 1995) and Lieutenant Governor Kenneth E. MAPP (since 5 January 1995)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Senate, 15 seats, elected 5 November 1996one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Virgin Islands of the United States
- conventional short form:
- Virgin Islands
- former:
- Danish West Indies
Dependency status
organized, unincorporated territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Suffrage
- 18 years of age;
- universal;
- note-indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch
- 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%
Legislative branch
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%
Judicial branch
- 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
Political parties and leaders
- Democratic Party, Marilyn STAPLETON;
- Independent Citizens' Movement (ICM), Virdin C. BROWN;
- Republican Party, Charlotte-Poole DAVIS
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
Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting | for more than 70% of GDP and 70% of employment.
28 fieldsEconomy-overview
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.
Industries
tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Exports
- total value:
- $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
- commodities:
- refined petroleum products
- partners:
- US, Puerto Rico
Imports
- total value:
- $2.2 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
- commodities:
- crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials
- partners:
- US, Puerto Rico
Telephone system
- domestic:
- modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
- international:
- submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA
Transportation
6 fieldsNetworkskm
Airports
2 note: international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix; there is an airfield on St. John (1997 est.)
Military
1 fieldTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Virgin Islands.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/virgin-islands/1998.