Virgin Islands (2007) | New Zealand (2001) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
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 | 93 counties, 9 districts*, and 3 town districts**; Akaroa, Amuri, Ashburton, Bay of Islands, Bruce, Buller, Chatham Islands, Cheviot, Clifton, Clutha, Cook, Dannevirke, Egmont, Eketahuna, Ellesmere, Eltham, Eyre, Featherston, Franklin, Golden Bay, Great Barrier Island, Grey, Hauraki Plains, Hawera*, Hawke's Bay, Heathcote, Hikurangi**, Hobson, Hokianga, Horowhenua, Hurunui, Hutt, Inangahua, Inglewood, Kaikoura, Kairanga, Kiwitea, Lake, Mackenzie, Malvern, Manaia**, Manawatu, Mangonui, Maniototo, Marlborough, Masterton, Matamata, Mount Herbert, Ohinemuri, Opotiki, Oroua, Otamatea, Otorohanga*, Oxford, Pahiatua, Paparua, Patea, Piako, Pohangina, Raglan, Rangiora*, Rangitikei, Rodney, Rotorua*, Runanga, Saint Kilda, Silverpeaks, Southland, Stewart Island, Stratford, Strathallan, Taranaki, Taumarunui, Taupo, Tauranga, Thames-Coromandel*, Tuapeka, Vincent, Waiapu, Waiheke, Waihemo, Waikato, Waikohu, Waimairi, Waimarino, Waimate, Waimate West, Waimea, Waipa, Waipawa*, Waipukurau*, Wairarapa South, Wairewa, Wairoa, Waitaki, Waitomo*, Waitotara, Wallace, Wanganui, Waverley**, Westland, Whakatane*, Whangarei, Whangaroa, Woodville
note: there may be a new administrative structure of 16 regions (Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wanganui-Manawatu, Wellington, West Coast) that are subdivided into 57 districts and 16 cities* (Ashburton, Auckland*, Banks Peninsula, Buller, Carterton, Central Hawke's Bay, Central Otago, Christchurch*, Clutha, Dunedin*, Far North, Franklin, Gisborne, Gore, Grey, Hamilton*, Hastings, Hauraki, Horowhenua, Hurunui, Hutt*, Invercargill*, Kaikoura, Kaipara, Kapiti Coast, Kawerau, Mackenzie, Manawatu, Manukau*, Marlborough, Masterton, Matamata Piako, Napier*, Nelson*, New Plymouth, North Shore*, Opotiki, Otorohanga, Palmerston North*, Papakura*, Porirua*, Queenstown Lakes, Rangitikei, Rodney, Rotorua, Ruapehu, Selwyn, Southland, South Taranaki, South Waikato, South Wairarapa, Stratford, Tararua, Tasman, Taupo, Tauranga, Thames Coromandel, Timaru, Upper Hutt*, Waikato, Waimakariri, Waimate, Waipa, Wairoa, Waitakere*, Waitaki, Waitomo, Wanganui, Wellington*, Western Bay of Plenty, Westland, Whakatane, Whangarei) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 21.8% (male 11,897/female 11,696)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 34,204/female 37,911) 65 years and over: 11.7% (male 5,642/female 7,098) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years:
22.36% (male 442,738; female 421,462) 15-64 years: 66.11% (male 1,281,781; female 1,272,674) 65 years and over: 11.53% (male 193,895; female 251,579) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle | wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef, dairy products; fish |
Airports | 2 (2007) | 111 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
total:
44 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total:
67 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 42 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 1,910 sq km
land: 346 sq km water: 1,564 sq km |
total:
268,680 sq km land: 268,670 sq km water: 10 sq km note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands |
Area - comparative | twice the size of Washington, DC | about the size of Colorado |
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 British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand withdrew from a number of defense alliances during the 1970s and 1980s. In recent years the government has sought to address longstanding native Maori grievances. |
Birth rate | 13.68 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 14.28 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
revenues:
$19.2 billion expenditures: $19.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
Capital | name: Charlotte Amalie
geographic coordinates: 18 21 N, 64 56 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Wellington |
Climate | subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November | temperate with sharp regional contrasts |
Coastline | 188 km | 15,134 km |
Constitution | Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 | consists of a series of legal documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments and The Constitution Act 1986 which is the principal formal charter |
Country name | conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies abbreviation: USVI |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: New Zealand abbreviation: NZ |
Currency | - | New Zealand dollar (NZD) |
Death rate | 6.59 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 7.56 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $30.8 billion (2000 est.) |
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 | none (territory of the US) | chief of mission:
Ambassador Carol MOSELEY-BRAUN embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington mailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, FPO AP 96531-1001 telephone: [64] (4) 472-2068 FAX: [64] (4) 478-1701 consulate(s) general: Auckland |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of the US) | chief of mission:
Ambassador James Brendan BOLGER chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800 FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York |
Disputes - international | none | territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency) |
Economic aid - donor | - | ODA, $123 million (1995) |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | - |
Economy - overview | Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP and employment. The islands hosted 2.6 million visitors in 2005. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are small but growing components of the economy. The islands are vulnerable 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 1984 the government has accomplished major economic restructuring, moving an agrarian economy dependent on concessionary British market access toward a more industrialized, free market economy that can compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes, broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector, and contained inflationary pressures. Inflation remains among the lowest in the industrial world. Per capita GDP has been moving up toward the levels of the big West European economies. New Zealand's heavy dependence on trade leaves its growth prospects vulnerable to economic performance in Asia, Europe, and the US. With the FY00/01 budget pushing up pension and other public outlays, the government's ability to meet fiscal targets will depend on sustained economic growth. |
Electricity - consumption | 926.4 million kWh (2005) | 35.295 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 996.1 million kWh (2005) | 37.952 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
30.49% hydro: 61.42% nuclear: 0% other: 8.09% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 475 m |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Cook 3,764 m |
Environment - current issues | lack of natural freshwater resources | deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from outside |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation |
Ethnic groups | black 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5% (2000 census) | New Zealand European 74.5%, Maori 9.7%, other European 4.6%, Pacific Islander 3.8%, Asian and others 7.4% |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 2.2502 (January 2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999), 1.8632 (1998), 1.5083 (1997), 1.4543 (1996) |
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 John DeJONGH (since 1 January 2007) cabinet: NA elections: under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as the Virgin Islands, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 7 and 21 November 2006 (next to be held November 2010) election results: John DeJONGH elected governor; percent of vote - John DeJONGH 57.3%, Kenneth MAPP 42.7% |
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Silvia CARTWRIGHT (since 4 April 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 10 December 1999) and Deputy Prime Minister Jim ANDERTON (since 10 December 1999) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general for a three-year term; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general |
Exports | NA bbl/day | $14.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | refined petroleum products | dairy products, meat, fish, wool, forestry products, manufactures |
Exports - partners | US, Puerto Rico (2006) | Australia 22%, US 14%, Japan 13%, UK 7% (1999) |
Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | 1 July - 30 June |
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 with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $67.6 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1%
industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.) |
agriculture:
8% industry: 23% services: 69% (1999) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $17,700 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2% (2002 est.) | 3.6% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 18 20 N, 64 50 W | 41 00 S, 174 00 E |
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 | about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world |
Highways | - | total:
92,200 km paved: 53,568 km (including at least 144 km of expressways) unpaved: 38,632 km (1996) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
0.3% highest 10%: 29.8% (1991 est.) |
Imports | NA bbl/day | $14.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials | machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, consumer goods, plastics |
Imports - partners | US, Puerto Rico (2006) | Australia 24%, US 17%, Japan 12%, UK 4% (1999) |
Independence | none (territory of the US) | 26 September 1907 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 6.2% (2000) |
Industries | tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics | food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining |
Infant mortality rate | total: 7.69 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.75 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
6.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.2% (2003) | 2.4% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | IOC, UPU | ABEDA, ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNTAET, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 36 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA | 2,850 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Superior Court of the Virgin Islands (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms) | High Court; Court of Appeal |
Labor force | 43,980 (2004 est.) | 1.88 million (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 1%
industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.) |
services 65%, industry 25%, agriculture 10% (1995) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 5.71%
permanent crops: 2.86% other: 91.43% (2005) |
arable land:
9% permanent crops: 5% permanent pastures: 50% forests and woodland: 28% other: 8% (1993 est.) |
Languages | English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census) | English (official), Maori |
Legal system | based on US laws | based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for Maoris; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
Legislative branch | unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 8, ICM 4, independent 3 note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008) |
unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (120 seats; members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 27 November 1999 (next must be called by November 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NZLP 49, NP 39, Alliance 10, ACT New Zealand 9, Green Party 7, NZFP 5, UNZ 1 note: NZLP and Alliance formed the government coalition; the National Party became the opposition party |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 79.2 years
male: 75.4 years female: 83.22 years (2007 est.) |
total population:
77.99 years male: 75.01 years female: 81.1 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90-95% est. male: NA% female: NA% (2005 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
continental shelf:
200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total:
9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 72,389 GRT/109,018 DWT ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 1, container 1, petroleum tanker 2, railcar carrier 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | - |
Military branches | - | New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $883 million (FY97/98) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.1% (FY97/98) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
1,000,102 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
841,915 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 20 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males:
26,480 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917) | Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) |
Nationality | noun: Virgin Islander(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Virgin Islander |
noun:
New Zealander(s) adjective: New Zealand |
Natural hazards | several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes | earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity |
Natural resources | sun, sand, sea, surf | natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone |
Net migration rate | -8.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 4.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | - | petroleum products 160 km; natural gas 1,000 km; liquefied petroleum gas or LPG 150 km |
Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE] | ACT, New Zealand [Richard PREBBLE]; Alliance (a coalition of the New Labor Party, Democratic Party, New Zealand Liberal Party, and Mana Motuhake) [Jim ANDERTON]; Green Party [Jeanette FITZSIMONS and Rod DONALD]; National Party or NP [Jenny SHIPLEY]; New Zealand First Party or NZFP [Winston PETERS]; New Zealand Labor Party or NZLP [Helen CLARK]; United New Zealand or UNZ [Peter DUNNE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 108,448 (July 2007 est.) | 3,864,129 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% (2002) | NA% |
Population growth rate | -0.171% (2007 est.) | 1.14% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Tauranga, Wellington |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 6, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2005) | AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998) |
Radios | - | 3.75 million (1997) |
Railways | - | total:
3,913 km narrow gauge: 3,913 km 1.067-m gauge (519 km electrified) (1999) |
Religions | Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% | Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 33% (1986) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.017 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.902 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.795 male(s)/female total population: 0.912 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth:
1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal; 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:
excellent domestic and international systems domestic: NA international: submarine cables to Australia and Fiji; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 71,700 (2005) | 1.84 million (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 80,300 (2005) | 588,000 (1998) |
Television broadcast stations | 5 (2006) | 41 (plus 52 medium-power repeaters and over 650 low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land | predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains |
Total fertility rate | 2.16 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.8 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 6.2% (2004) | 6.3% (2000 est.) |
Waterways | - | 1,609 km
note: of little importance in satisfying total transportation requirements |