Virgin Islands (2003) | Montserrat (2002) | |
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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 | 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter |
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.) |
0-14 years: 23.6% (male 1,001; female 986)
15-64 years: 65% (male 2,624; female 2,864) 65 years and over: 11.4% (male 508; female 454) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle | cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products |
Airports | 2 (2002) | none; only airport was destroyed by volcanic activity; a helicopter service to Antigua is used |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002) |
- |
Area | total: 352 sq km
land: 349 sq km water: 3 sq km |
total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | twice the size of Washington, DC | about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | Much of this island has been devastated and two-thirds of the population has fled abroad due to the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano that began on 18 July 1995. |
Birth rate | 15.8 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 17.54 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $364.4 million
expenditures: $364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.) |
revenues: $31.4 million
expenditures: $31.6 million, including capital expenditures of $8.4 million |
Capital | Charlotte Amalie | Plymouth (abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat) |
Climate | subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November | tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 188 km | 40 km |
Constitution | Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 | present constitution came into force 19 December 1989 |
Country name | conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Montserrat |
Currency | US dollar (USD) | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
Death rate | 5.68 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 7.47 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $8.9 million (1997) (1997) |
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 | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of the US) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of the US) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance |
Economy - 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 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. | Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June 1997 closed the airports and seaports, causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998, but lack of housing limited the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops. Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation to the volcano and on public sector construction activity. The UK has launched a three-year $122.8 million aid program to help reconstruct the economy. Half of the island is expected to remain uninhabitable for another decade. |
Electricity - consumption | 957.9 million kWh (2001) | 4.65 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 1.03 billion kWh (2001) | 5 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chances Peak (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) 914 m |
Environment - current issues | lack of natural freshwater resources | land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation |
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% |
black, white |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976) |
Executive branch | 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% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Anthony LONGRIGG (since NA May 2001)
head of government: Chief Minister John OSBORNE (since 5 April 2001) cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes chief minister |
Exports | NA (2001) | $1.5 million (1998) |
Exports - commodities | refined petroleum products | electronic components, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle |
Exports - partners | US, Puerto Rico | US, Antigua and Barbuda (1993) |
Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | 1 April - 31 March |
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 | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $31 million (1999 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 5%
industry: 14% services: 81% (1996 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2,400 (1999 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2% (2001 est.) | -1.5% (1999 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 18 20 N, 64 50 W | 16 45 N, 62 12 W |
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 | the island is entirely volcanic in origin and contains seven active volcanoes |
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) |
total: 269 km
paved: 203 km unpaved: 66 km (1995) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | NA (2001) | $26 million (1998) |
Imports - commodities | crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials | machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials |
Imports - partners | US, Puerto Rico | US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (1993) |
Independence | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics | tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances |
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.) |
7.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2% (1992) | 5% (1998) (1998) |
International organization participation | ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC | Caricom, CDB, ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, WCL |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 50 (2000) | 17 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA 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) | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia, one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court) |
Labor force | 49,000 (2002 est.) | 4,521 (1992); note - lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services 79% (1990 est.) | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 15%
permanent crops: 6% other: 79% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English (official), Spanish, Creole | English |
Legal system | based on US laws | English common law and statutory law |
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 |
unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members elections: last held NA April 2001 (next to be held by November 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPLM 7, NPP 2 note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.59 years
male: 74.73 years female: 82.68 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 78.2 years
male: 76.1 years female: 80.4 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1970 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | - | no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force |
National holiday | Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917) | Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926) |
Nationality | noun: Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: Virgin Islander |
noun: Montserratian(s)
adjective: Montserratian |
Natural hazards | several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes | severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1996) |
Natural resources | sun, sand, sea, surf | NEGL |
Net migration rate | 0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 74.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE] | National Progressive Party or NPP [Reuben T. MEADE]; New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 124,778 (July 2003 est.) | 8,437
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.02% (2003 est.) | 8.43% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix | Plymouth (abandoned), Little Bay (anchorages and ferry landing), Carr's Bay |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 7,000 (1997) |
Railways | 0 km | 0 km (2003) |
Religions | Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% | Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations |
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.) |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay international: submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: NA |
Telephones - main lines in use | 65,000 (1997) | 4,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 2,000 (1992) | 70 (1994) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (2002) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land | volcanic islands, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland |
Total fertility rate | 2.22 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 1.81 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 4.9% (March 1999) | 6% (1998 est.) |
Waterways | none | none |