Compare Holy See (Vatican City) (2003) - Virgin Islands (2005)

Compare Holy See (Vatican City) (2003) z Virgin Islands (2005)

	Holy See (Vatican City) (2003)	Virgin Islands (2005)

Administrative divisions	none	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: 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.)
Agriculture - products	-	fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle
Airports	none (2002)	2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	-	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 0.44 sq km land: 0.44 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 352 sq km land: 349 sq km water: 3 sq km
Area - comparative	about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC	twice the size of Washington, DC
Background	Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include the failing health of Pope John Paul II, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.	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	-	14.2 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget	revenues: $173.5 million expenditures: $176.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)	revenues: $560 expenditures: NA (2003)
Capital	Vatican City	Charlotte Amalie
Climate	temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to mid-May) with hot, dry summers (May to September)	subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)	188 km
Constitution	Apostolic Constitution of 1967 (effective 1 March 1968)	Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
Country name	conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the Vatican City) conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City) local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano) local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)	conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies
Currency	euro (EUR)	-
Death rate	-	6.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external	-	NA
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
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador R. James "Jim" NICHOLSON embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box 66, APO AE 09624 telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428 FAX: [39] (06) 5758346	none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Gabriel MONTALVO chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121 FAX: [1] (202) 337-4036	none (territory of the US)
Disputes - international	none	none
Economic aid - recipient	none	NA
Economy - overview	This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by an annual tax on Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the world, as well as by special collections (known as Peter's Pence); the sale of postage stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos; fees for admission to museums; and the sale of publications. Investments and real estate income also account for a sizable portion of revenue. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome.	Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP and 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, to support construction projects in the private sector, to expand tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.
Electricity - consumption	NA kWh	962.6 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production	NA kWh	1.035 billion kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: unnamed location 19 m highest point: unnamed location 75 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m
Environment - current issues	NA	lack of natural freshwater resources
Environment - international agreements	party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification	-
Ethnic groups	Italians, Swiss, other	black 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5% (2000 census)
Exchange rates	euros per US dollar - 1.06 1.1324 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)	the US dollar is used
Executive branch	chief of state: Pope JOHN PAUL II (since 16 October 1978) head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo SODANO (since 2 December 1990) cabinet: Pontifical Commission appointed by the pope elections: pope elected for life by the College of Cardinals; election last held 16 October 1978 (next to be held after the death of the current pope); secretary of state appointed by the pope election results: Karol WOJTYLA elected pope	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%
Exports	0 kWh	NA
Exports - commodities	-	refined petroleum products
Exports - partners	-	US, Puerto Rico
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 October - 30 September
Flag description	two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal miter centered in the white band	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 - composition by sector	-	agriculture: 1% industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $17,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	2% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	41 54 N, 12 27 E	18 20 N, 64 50 W
Geography - note	urban; landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; outside the Vatican City, 13 buildings in Rome and Castel Gandolfo (the pope's summer residence) enjoy extraterritorial rights	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
Heliports	1 (2002)	-
Highways	none; all city streets	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)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Imports	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy	NA
Imports - commodities	-	crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials
Imports - partners	-	US, Puerto Rico
Independence	11 February 1929 (from Italy) note: on 11 February 1929, three treaties were signed with Italy which, among other things, recognized the full sovereignty of the Vatican and established its territorial extent; however, the origin of the Papal States, which over the years have varied considerably in extent, may be traced back to the 8th century	-
Industrial production growth rate	-	NA%
Industries	printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps, a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities	tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Infant mortality rate	-	total: 8.03 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.11 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	2.2% (2003)
International organization participation	CE (observer), IAEA, ICFTU, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU, WHO (observer), WIPO, WToO (observer), WTrO (observer)	Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	NA	-
Irrigated land	0 sq km (1998 est.)	NA
Judicial branch	there are three tribunals responsible for civil and criminal matters within Vatican City; three other tribunals rule on issues pertaining to the Holy See note: judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio of Pius XII on 1 May 1946	US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms)
Labor force	NA	48,900 (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	essentially services with a small amount of industry; note - dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican	agriculture 1%, industry 19%, services 80% (2003 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 3.2 km border countries: Italy 3.2 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area) (1998 est.)	arable land: 11.76% permanent crops: 2.94% other: 85.3% (2001)
Languages	Italian, Latin, French, various other languages	English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census)
Legal system	based on Code of Canon Law and revisions to it	based on US laws
Legislative branch	unicameral Pontifical Commission	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
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: 78.91 years male: 75.08 years female: 82.96 years (2005 est.)
Literacy	definition: NA total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA%	definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Location	Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy)	Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references	Europe	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of Italy; Swiss Papal Guards are posted at entrances to the Vatican City to provide security and protect the Pope	defense is the responsibility of the US
Military branches	Swiss Guards Corps (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera)	-
National holiday	Coronation Day of Pope JOHN PAUL II, 22 October (1978)	Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917)
Nationality	noun: none adjective: none	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	none	sun, sand, sea, surf
Net migration rate	-	-8.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Political parties and leaders	none	Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]
Political pressure groups and leaders	none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers)	NA
Population	911 (July 2003 est.)	108,708 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA%
Population growth rate	0.01% (2003 est.)	-0.07% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	none	Charlotte Amalie, Limetree Bay
Radio broadcast stations	AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 2 (1998)	AM 6, FM 17, shortwave 0 (2004)
Railways	total: 0.86 km standard gauge: 0.86 km 1.435-m gauge note: a spur of the Italian Railways system, serving Rome's Saint Peter's station (2001 est.)	-
Religions	Roman Catholic	Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
Sex ratio	-	at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage	limited to cardinals less than 80 years old	18 years of age; universal; note - island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Telephone system	general assessment: automatic exchange domestic: tied into Italian system international: uses Italian 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
Telephones - main lines in use	NA	69,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	NA	41,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1996)	16 (2004)
Terrain	low hill	mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
Total fertility rate	-	2.19 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	9.3% (2003 est.)
Waterways	none	-

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