Compare Virgin Islands (2005) - Montserrat (2004)

Compare Virgin Islands (2005) z Montserrat (2004)

	Virgin Islands (2005)	Montserrat (2004)

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: 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.)	0-14 years: 23.3% (male 1,092; female 1,062) 15-64 years: 65.5% (male 2,889; female 3,162) 65 years and over: 11.2% (male 543; female 497) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle	cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers, livestock products
Airports	2 (2004 est.)	1 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.)	total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
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 was devastated and two-thirds of the population fled abroad because of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that began on 18 July 1995.
Birth rate	14.2 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)	17.63 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $560 expenditures: NA (2003)	revenues: $31.4 million expenditures: $31.6 million, including capital expenditures of $8.4 million (1997 est.)
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 September 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	-	East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Death rate	6.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)	7.36 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	NA	$8.9 million (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	As of 31 March 2003, UK's DFID had provided about $328 million in economic relief from volcanic activity, and by 31 March 2006, DFID aid is expected to total $411 million.
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.	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	962.6 million kWh (2002)	2.325 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	1.035 billion kWh (2002)	2.5 million kWh (2001)
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 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5% (2000 census)	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) 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%	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Deborah Barnes JONES (since 10 May 2004) 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	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	refined petroleum products	electronic components, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle
Exports - partners	US, Puerto Rico	US, Antigua and Barbuda
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 - $29 million (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 1% industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.)	agriculture: 5.4% industry: 13.6% services: 81% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $17,200 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $3,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	2% (2002 est.)	-1% (2002 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: 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)	total: 227 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: volcanic eruptions beginning in 1995 destroyed most of the road system (2003)
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	NA (2001)
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
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: 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.)	total: 7.56 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	2.2% (2003)	2.6% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU	Caricom, CDB, ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU
Irrigated land	NA	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	48,900 (2003 est.)	4,521 ; note - lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 1%, industry 19%, services 80% (2003 est.)	agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 11.76% permanent crops: 2.94% other: 85.3% (2001)	arable land: 20% permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (2001)
Languages	English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census)	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 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 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 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: 78.91 years male: 75.08 years female: 82.96 years (2005 est.)	total population: 78.53 years male: 76.39 years female: 80.78 years (2004 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	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	-	none
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 1995)
Natural resources	sun, sand, sea, surf	negligible
Net migration rate	-8.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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	108,708 (July 2005 est.)	9,245 note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA
Population growth rate	-0.07% (2005 est.)	1.03% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	Charlotte Amalie, Limetree Bay	Plymouth (abandoned), Little Bay (anchorages and ferry landing), Carr's Bay
Radio broadcast stations	AM 6, FM 17, shortwave 0 (2004)	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
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: 1.02 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.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.09 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 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: 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	general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 1-664
Telephones - main lines in use	69,400 (2002)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	41,000 (2002)	70 (1994)
Television broadcast stations	16 (2004)	1 (1997)
Terrain	mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land	volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
Total fertility rate	2.19 children born/woman (2005 est.)	1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	9.3% (2003 est.)	6% (1998 est.)

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