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Compare Virgin Islands (2004) - French Polynesia (2006)
Compare Virgin Islands (2004) z French Polynesia (2006)
| Virgin Islands (2004) | French Polynesia (2006) | |
 |  | |
| 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 | none (overseas lands of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are five archipelagic divisions named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, Iles Sous-le-Vent
note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from French Polynesia |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 23.8% (male 13,116; female 12,770)
15-64 years: 66% (male 33,944; female 37,870) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 4,855; female 6,220) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 26.1% (male 36,541/female 34,999)
15-64 years: 67.9% (male 96,769/female 89,593) 65 years and over: 6.1% (male 8,428/female 8,248) (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle | coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee; poultry, beef, dairy products |
| Airports | 2 (2003 est.) | 51 (2006) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
total: 39
over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 25 under 914 m: 7 (2006) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 7 (2006) |
| Area | total: 352 sq km
land: 349 sq km water: 3 sq km |
total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
land: 3,660 sq km water: 507 sq km |
| Area - comparative | twice the size of Washington, DC | slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut |
| 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. | The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year moratorium. The tests were suspended in January 1996. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded. |
| Birth rate | 14.49 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 16.68 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $560
expenditures: NA (2003) |
revenues: $865 million
expenditures: $644.1 million; including capital expenditures of $185 million (1996) |
| Capital | Charlotte Amalie | name: Papeete
geographic coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November | tropical, but moderate |
| Coastline | 188 km | 2,525 km |
| Constitution | Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
| Country name | conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies |
conventional long form: Overseas Lands of French Polynesia
conventional short form: French Polynesia local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynesie Francaise local short form: Polynesie Francaise former: French Colony of Oceania |
| Currency | US dollar (USD) | - |
| Death rate | 6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 4.69 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Debt - external | NA | $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 | overseas lands of France; overseas territory of France from 1946-2004 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of the US) | none (overseas lands of France) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of the US) | none (overseas lands of France) |
| Disputes - international | none | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | NA | $580 million (2004) |
| Economy - overview | 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. | Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence agricultural economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. With the halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the military contribution to the economy fell sharply. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Other sources of income are pearl farming and deep-sea commercial fishing. The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products. The territory benefits substantially from development agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social services. |
| Electricity - consumption | 957.9 million kWh (2001) | 459.2 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - production | 1.03 billion kWh (2001) | 493.7 million kWh (2003) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m |
| Environment - current issues | lack of natural freshwater resources | NA |
| 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% |
Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4% |
| Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002), 133.26 (2001)
note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro |
| 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 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: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Anne BOQUET (since September 2005)
head of government: President of French Polynesia Oscar TEMARU (since 3 March 2005); President of the Territorial Assembly Antony GEROS (since 9 May 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the territorial government and the president of the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly for five-year terms (no term limits) |
| Exports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day |
| Exports - commodities | refined petroleum products | cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat |
| Exports - partners | US, Puerto Rico | France 46.3%, Japan 20.8%, Niger 12.8%, US 12.5% (2005) |
| Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | calendar year |
| 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 | two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave pattern on the lower half and gold and white ray pattern on the upper half; a stylized red, blue and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the French flag is used for official occasions |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2002 est.) | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1%
industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.) |
agriculture: 3.1%
industry: 19% services: 76.9% (2002) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $17,200 (2002 est.) | - |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2% (2002 est.) | NA% (2001 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 20 N, 64 50 W | 15 00 S, 140 00 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 | includes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 coral); Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru |
| Government - note | - | under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating to police and justice, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned after those of the French prime minister |
| Heliports | - | 1 (2006) |
| 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 |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Imports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day |
| Imports - commodities | crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials | fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment |
| Imports - partners | US, Puerto Rico | France 52.7%, Singapore 14.9%, NZ 6.8%, US 6.6% (2005) |
| Independence | - | none (overseas lands of France) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA | NA% |
| Industries | tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics | tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 8.21 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 8.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.55 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.2% (2003) | 1.1% (2006 est.) |
| International organization participation | Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU | FZ, ICFTU, PIF (observer), SPC, UPU, WMO |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | 10 sq km (2003) |
| Judicial branch | US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms) | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif |
| Labor force | 48,900 (2003 est.) | 65,870 (December 2005) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 1%, industry 19%, services 80% (2003 est.) | agriculture: 13%
industry: 19% services: 68% (2002) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 11.76%
permanent crops: 2.94% other: 85.29% (2001) |
arable land: 0.75%
permanent crops: 5.5% other: 93.75% (2005) |
| Languages | English (official), Spanish, Creole | French 61.1% (official), Polynesian 31.4% (official), Asian languages 1.2%, other 0.3%, unspecified 6% (2002 census) |
| Legal system | based on US laws | based on French system |
| 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 |
unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (57 seats - changed from 49 seats for May 2004 election; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 28, Union for Democracy 27, New Star 1, This Country is Yours 1; after by-elections of 13 February 2005 seating was as follows: People's Rally for the Republic 27, Union for Democracy 27, and Alliance for a New Democracy 3 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, UMP 1 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.75 years
male: 74.91 years female: 82.82 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 76.1 years
male: 73.69 years female: 78.63 years (2006 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
definition: age 14 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1977 est.) |
| Location | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | Oceania, archipelagoes in the South Pacific Ocean about one-half of the way from South America to Australia |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Oceania |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Merchant marine | none | total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 23,684 GRT/17,291 DWT
by type: cargo 4, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 1 (France 1) registered in other countries: 2 (Wallis and Futuna 2) (2006) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | defense is the responsibility of France |
| Military branches | - | no regular military forces; Gendarmerie and National Police Force |
| National holiday | Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
| Nationality | noun: Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: Virgin Islander |
noun: French Polynesian(s)
adjective: French Polynesian |
| Natural hazards | several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes | occasional cyclonic storms in January |
| Natural resources | sun, sand, sea, surf | timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower |
| Net migration rate | -8.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 2.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE] | Alliance for a New Democracy or ADN [Nicole BOUTEAU and Philip SCHYLE](includes the parties The New Star and This Country is Yours); Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]; People's Rally for the Republic of Polynesia or RPR (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; Union for Democracy or UPD [Oscar TEMARU] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
| Population | 108,775 (July 2004 est.) | 274,578 (July 2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
| Population growth rate | -0.05% (2004 est.) | 1.48% (2006 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix | - |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002) | AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998) |
| Religions | Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% | Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6% |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal; note - island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: modern system with total digital switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay international: country code - 1-340; submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 69,400 (2002) | 53,400 (2005) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 41,000 (2002) | 87,000 (2005) |
| Television broadcast stations | 2 (2002) | 7 (plus 17 low-power repeaters) (1997) |
| Terrain | mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land | mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs |
| Total fertility rate | 2.21 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 2.01 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 9.3% (2003 est.) | 11.8% (1994) |
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