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Introduction: VIRGIN ISLANDS
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.
GEOGRAPHY
Country name: conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form: Virgin Islands
former: Danish West Indies
Capital: Charlotte Amalie
Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Geographic Coordinates: 18 20 N, 64 50 W
Area: total: 352 sq km
land: 349 sq km
water: 3 sq km
Area 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
Elavation Extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m
Natural Resources: sun, sand, sea, surf
GOVERNEMENT
Governement Type: NA
Administratives 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 ( Dependency status:organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior )
Independence  
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: unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
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]
PEOPLE
Population: 108,708 (July 2005 est.)
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.)
Nationality: noun: Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: Virgin Islander
Ethnic groups: black 78%, white 10%, other 12%
note: West Indian 81% (49% born in the Virgin Islands and 32% born elsewhere in the West Indies), US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 4%, other 2%
Religions: Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
Languages: English (official), Spanish, Creole
COMUNICATIONS
Telephones - main lines in use: 69,400 (2002)
Telephones - 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
Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 17, shortwave 0 (2004)
Television broadcast stations: 16 (2004)
Internet country code: .vi
Internet hosts:  
Internet users: 30,000 (2002)
TRANSPORT
Railways:  
Highways: total: 1,257 km
paved: 1,192 km
unpaved: 65 km
note: the only US possession where driving on the left side of the road is practiced (2003)
Waterways:  
Pipelines:  
Ports and harbors: Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix
Merchant marine:  
Airports: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:  
Heliports:  
 
 
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