Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) - Virgin Islands (2003)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) z Virgin Islands (2003)

	British Indian Ocean Territory (2006)	Virgin Islands (2003)

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: 26% (male 16,685; female 15,794) 15-64 years: 64.4% (male 36,241; female 44,157) 65 years and over: 9.5% (male 5,078; female 6,823) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle
Airports	1 (2006)	2 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002)
Area	total: 54,400 sq km land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands	total: 352 sq km land: 349 sq km water: 3 sq km
Area - comparative	land area is 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 that 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	-	15.8 births/1,000 population (2003 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	-	5.68 deaths/1,000 population (2003 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 including Diego Garcia; in 2001 the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1965 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to 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. The country makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.	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, reduce crime, and protect the environment.
Electricity - consumption	NA kWh	957.9 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military	1.03 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
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 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%
Exchange rates	-	the US dollar is used
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); 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 Vargrave RICHARDS (since NA January 2003) 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 NA 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%
Exports	-	NA (2001)
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 - $2.4 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	2% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E	18 20 N, 64 50 W
Geography - note	archipelago of 55 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: 856 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: the only US possession where driving on the left side of the road is practiced (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	-	NA (2001)
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	-	total: 9 deaths/1,000 live births male: 10.12 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	2% (1992)
International organization participation	-	ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	50 (2000)
Irrigated land	0 sq km	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	-	49,000 (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services 79% (1990 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)	arable land: 15% permanent crops: 6% other: 79% (1998 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 6 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 8, ICM NA, no party affiliation NA 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 NA November 2004); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) reelected
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: 78.59 years male: 74.73 years female: 82.68 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Location	archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, 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	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm	exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	-	none (2002 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 (2003 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]
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 in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2006 est.)	124,778 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	NA%
Population growth rate	-	1.02% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002)
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: 0.82 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2003 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	65,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	2,000 (1992)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	2 (2002)
Terrain	flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)	mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
Total fertility rate	-	2.22 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	4.9% (March 1999)
Waterways	-	none

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