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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) - Virgin Islands (2001)
Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) z Virgin Islands (2001)
| British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) | Virgin Islands (2001) | |
 |  | |
| 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 |
| Age structure | - | 0-14 years:
27.27% (male 17,121; female 16,204) 15-64 years: 63.92% (male 35,391; female 42,727) 65 years and over: 8.81% (male 4,638; female 6,130) (2001 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | - | fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle |
| Airports | 1 (2001) | 2
note: international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Area | total: 60 sq km
land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago |
total:
352 sq km land: 349 sq km water: 3 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC | twice the size of Washington, DC |
| Background | Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. | 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. |
| Birth rate | - | 15.9 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Budget | - | revenues:
$364.4 million expenditures: $364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.) |
| Capital | - | Charlotte Amalie |
| Climate | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds | subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November |
| Coastline | 698 km | 188 km |
| Constitution | - | Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 |
| Country name | conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT |
conventional long form:
United States Virgin Islands conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies |
| Currency | - | US dollar (USD) |
| Death rate | - | 5.47 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Debt - external | - | $NA |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London | 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 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (territory of the US) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (territory of the US) |
| Disputes - international | Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA |
| Economy - overview | All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. | 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 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, support construction projects in the private sector, expand tourist facilities, and protect the environment. |
| Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 948.6 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military | 1.02 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m |
| Environment - current issues | NA | lack of natural freshwater resources |
| Ethnic groups | - | black 80%, white 15%, other 5%
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% |
| Exchange rates | - | the US dollar is used |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch |
chief of state:
President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (Since 20 January 2001) head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999) and Lieutenant Governor Gererd LUZ James II (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 3 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2002) election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL elected governor; percent of vote - Dr. Charles W. TURNBULL (Democrat) 58.9%, former Governor Roy L. SCHNEIDER (ICM) 41.1% |
| Exports | - | $NA |
| Exports - commodities | - | refined petroleum products |
| Exports - partners | - | US, Puerto Rico |
| Fiscal year | - | 1 October - 30 September |
| Flag description | white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag | 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 |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $1.8 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2000 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | - | NA% |
| Geographic coordinates | 6 00 S, 71 30 E | 18 20 N, 64 50 W |
| Geography - note | archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility | 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 |
| Highways | total: NA km
paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km |
total:
856 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (2000) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Imports | - | $NA |
| Imports - commodities | - | crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials |
| Imports - partners | - | US, Puerto Rico |
| Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
| Industries | - | tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics |
| Infant mortality rate | - | 9.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | NA% |
| International organization participation | - | ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | 50 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
| Judicial branch | - | US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms) |
| Labor force | - | 47,443 (1990 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services 79% (1990 est.) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
| Land use | arable land: NEGL
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
arable land:
15% permanent crops: 6% permanent pastures: 26% forests and woodland: 6% other: 47% (1993 est.) |
| Languages | - | English (official), Spanish, Creole |
| Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply | based on US laws |
| Legislative branch | - | unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 6, ICM 2, independents 7 note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) elected |
| Life expectancy at birth | - | total population:
78.27 years male: 74.38 years female: 82.39 years (2001 est.) |
| Literacy | - | definition:
NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
| Location | Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
| Map references | Political Map of the World | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | - | none (2000 est.) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 | defense is the responsibility of the US |
| National holiday | - | Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917) |
| Nationality | - | noun:
Virgin Islander(s) adjective: Virgin Islander |
| Natural hazards | NA | several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes |
| Natural resources | coconuts, fish, sugarcane | sun, sand, sea, surf |
| Net migration rate | - | 0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | - | Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHON]; Republican Party [Gary SCROUVE] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
| Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.) |
122,211 (July 2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
| Population growth rate | - | 1.06% (2001 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Diego Garcia | Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios | NA | 107,000 (1997) |
| Railways | - | 0 km |
| Religions | - | Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% |
| Sex ratio | - | at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.83 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections |
| Telephone system | general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) |
general assessment:
NA domestic: modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay international: submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA |
| Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 62,000 (1997) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 2,000 (1992) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 2 (1997) |
| Terrain | flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) | mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land |
| Total fertility rate | - | 2.25 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | - | 4.9% (March 1999) |
| Waterways | none | none |
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