Virgin Islands (2007) | Saint Helena (2004) | |
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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 | 1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha* |
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: 18.9% (male 710; female 689)
15-64 years: 71.4% (male 2,739; female 2,559) 65 years and over: 9.7% (male 319; female 399) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle | corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, crawfish (on Tristan da Cunha) |
Airports | 2 (2007) | 1 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 1,910 sq km
land: 346 sq km water: 1,564 sq km |
total: 410 sq km
land: 410 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Saint Helena Island, Ascension, and the island group of Tristan da Cunha, which consists of Tristan da Cunha Island, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, and the three Nightingale Islands |
Area - comparative | twice the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than twice 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. | Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, Saint Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th century. It acquired fame as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE's exile, from 1815 until his death in 1821, but its importance as a port of call declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. Ascension Island is the site of a US Air Force auxiliary airfield; Gough Island has a meteorological station. |
Birth rate | 13.68 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 12.68 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
revenues: $11.2 million
expenditures: $11 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY92/93) |
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) |
Jamestown |
Climate | subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November | Saint Helena - tropical; marine; mild, tempered by trade winds; Tristan da Cunha - temperate; marine, mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena) |
Coastline | 188 km | 60 km |
Constitution | Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 | 1 January 1989 |
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: Saint Helena |
Currency | - | Saint Helenian pound (SHP) |
Death rate | 6.59 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 6.47 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | NA (1996) |
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 | $12.6 million (1995); note - $5.3 million from UK (1997) |
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. | The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which amounted to about $5 million in 1997 or almost one-half of annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns income from fishing, the raising of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, 25% of the work force has left to seek employment on Ascension Island, on the Falklands, and in the UK. |
Electricity - consumption | 926.4 million kWh (2005) | 4.65 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 996.1 million kWh (2005) | 5 million kWh (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 475 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,060 m |
Environment - current issues | lack of natural freshwater resources | NA |
Ethnic groups | black 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5% (2000 census) | African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25% |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), |
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)
head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief David HOLLAMBY (since 1999); Michael CLANCY (taking office in October 2004) cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, two ex officio officers, and six elected members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is appointed by the monarch |
Exports | NA bbl/day | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | refined petroleum products | fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts |
Exports - partners | US, Puerto Rico (2006) | US 26.7%, Tanzania 21.9%, Indonesia 9.4%, UK 8.7%, Japan 7.4%, Netherlands 7.2%, Nigeria 6.8%, Poland 5%, Spain 4.9% (2003) |
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 Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $18 million (1998 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1%
industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.) |
agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $2,500 (1998 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2% (2002 est.) | NA |
Geographic coordinates | 18 20 N, 64 50 W | 15 56 S, 5 42 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 | harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns |
Highways | - | total: 198 km (Saint Helena 138 km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 20 km)
paved: 168 km (Saint Helena 118km, Ascension 40 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km) unpaved: 30 km (Saint Helena 20 km, Ascension 0 km, Tristan da Cunha 10 km) (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Imports | NA bbl/day | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials | food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts |
Imports - partners | US, Puerto Rico (2006) | UK 29.1%, South Africa 24.7%, Spain 16.4%, Italy 8.8%, Tanzania 8.2%, US 5.8% (2003) |
Independence | none (territory of the US) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA |
Industries | tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics | construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing |
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.) |
total: 19.85 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 23.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.2% (2003) | 3.2% (1997 est.) |
International organization participation | IOC, UPU | ICFTU, UPU |
Irrigated land | NA | NA sq km |
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) | Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court; Small Debts Court; Juvenile Court |
Labor force | 43,980 (2004 est.) | 3,500
note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 1%
industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.) |
agriculture and fishing 6%, industry (mainly construction) 48%, services 46% (1987 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 5.71%
permanent crops: 2.86% other: 91.43% (2005) |
arable land: 12.9%
permanent crops: 0% other: 87.1% (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 | NA |
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 Legislative Council (16 seats, including the speaker, 3 ex officio and 12 elected members; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 15 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 79.2 years
male: 75.4 years female: 83.22 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 77.57 years
male: 74.67 years female: 80.61 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90-95% est. male: NA% female: NA% (2005 est.) |
definition: age 20 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 98% (1987 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 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 |
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) (US citizens)
adjective: Virgin Islander |
noun: Saint Helenian(s)
adjective: Saint Helenian |
Natural hazards | several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes | active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha |
Natural resources | sun, sand, sea, surf | fish |
Net migration rate | -8.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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] | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 108,448 (July 2007 est.) | 7,415 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% (2002) | NA |
Population growth rate | -0.171% (2007 est.) | 0.62% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Georgetown (on Ascension), Jamestown |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 6, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2005) | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Religions | Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% | Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic |
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: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections | NA years of age |
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: can communicate worldwide
domestic: automatic network international: country code - 290; HF radiotelephone from Saint Helena to Ascension Island, which is a major coaxial submarine cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 71,700 (2005) | 2,200 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 80,300 (2005) | 0 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 5 (2006) | 0
note: television programs are received in Saint Helena via satellite and distributed by cable (2002) |
Terrain | mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land | Saint Helena - rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
note: the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin |
Total fertility rate | 2.16 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.54 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 6.2% (2004) | 14% (1998 est.) |