##ciekawa_strona##
Compare West Bank (2008) - Virgin Islands (2006)
Compare West Bank (2008) z Virgin Islands (2006)
| West Bank (2008) | Virgin Islands (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 |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 42.4% (male 551,243/female 524,800)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 704,209/female 670,382) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 36,175/female 49,118) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 22.4% (male 12,261/female 12,056)
15-64 years: 66.4% (male 34,174/female 37,949) 65 years and over: 11.2% (male 5,385/female 6,780) (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products | fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle |
| Airports | 3 (2007) | 2 (2006) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
| Area | total: 5,860 sq km
land: 5,640 sq km water: 220 sq km note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967 |
total: 1,910 sq km
land: 346 sq km water: 1,564 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Delaware | twice the size of Washington, DC |
| Background | The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000, as Israeli forces reoccupied most Palestinian-controlled areas. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement was postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides had not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it did not recognize Israel, would not renounce violence, and refused to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. HAMAS took control of the PA government in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift economic sanctions on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene throughout most of 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. Violent clashes took place between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007, resulting in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau Chief MISHAL in February 2007 signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA. However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June, HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG and through a series of presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the NUG's dismissal and has called for resuming talks with Fatah, but ABBAS has ruled out negotiations until HAMAS agrees to a return of PA control over the Gaza Strip and recognizes the FAYYAD-led government. FAYYAD and his PA government initiated a series of security and economic reforms to improve conditions in the West Bank. ABBAS participated in talks with Israel's Prime Minister OLMERT and secured the release of some Palestinian prisoners and previously withheld customs revenue. During a November 2007 international meeting in Annapolis Maryland, ABBAS and OLMERT agreed to resume peace negotiations with the goal of reaching a final peace settlement by the end of 2008. | 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. |
| Birth rate | 30.99 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 13.96 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $1.149 billion
expenditures: $2.31 billion note: includes Gaza Strip (2006) |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
| 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) |
| Climate | temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters | subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 188 km |
| Constitution | - | Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: West Bank |
conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies abbreviation: USVI |
| Death rate | 3.85 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 6.43 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 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (territory of the US) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (territory of the US) |
| Disputes - international | West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | $1.4 billion; (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.) | $NA |
| Economy - overview | The West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian Authority (PA) - has experienced a general decline in economic conditions since the second intifada began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely a result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of closures and access restrictions in response to security concerns in Israel - which disrupted labor and trading relationships. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread business closures. International aid of at least $1.14 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high unemployment and limited trade opportunities - due to continued closures both within the West Bank and externally - stymied growth. Israel's and the international community's financial embargo of the PA when HAMAS ran the PA during March 2006 - June 2007 has interrupted the provision of PA social services and the payment of PA salaries. Since June the Fayyad government in the West Bank has restarted salary payments and the provision of services but would be unable to operate absent high levels of international assistance. | 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 small but growing components 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. |
| Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 967.3 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - imports | NA kWh | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - production | NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants | 1.04 billion kWh (2003) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 475 m |
| Environment - current issues | adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment | lack of natural freshwater resources |
| Ethnic groups | Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17% | black 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5% (2000 census) |
| Exchange rates | new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003) | the US dollar is used |
| 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) cabinet: NA elections: under the US Consitution, 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 and takes office in January 2007; percent of vote - John DeJONGH 57.3%, Kenneth MAPP 42.7% |
| Exports | $301 million f.o.b.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) | NA bbl/day |
| Exports - commodities | olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone | refined petroleum products |
| Exports - partners | Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006) | US, Puerto Rico (2004) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 October - 30 September |
| 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 |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 8%
industry: 13% services: 79% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.) |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | -8% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.) | 2% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 32 00 N, 35 15 E | 18 20 N, 64 50 W |
| Geography - note | landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 242 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts (August 2005 est.) | 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 |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Imports | $2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) | NA bbl/day |
| Imports - commodities | food, consumer goods, construction materials | crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials |
| Imports - partners | Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006) | US, Puerto Rico (2004) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 2.4% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) | NA% |
| Industries | generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers | tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 18.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 20.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 7.86 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.6% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006) | 2.2% (2003) |
| International organization participation | - | IOC, UPU |
| Irrigated land | 150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003) | NA |
| 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) |
| Labor force | 605,000 (2006) | 43,980 (2004 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 18%
industry: 15% services: 67% (2006) |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.) |
| Land boundaries | total: 404 km
border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km |
0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 16.9%
permanent crops: 18.97% other: 64.13% (2001) |
arable land: 5.71%
permanent crops: 2.86% other: 91.43% (2005) |
| Languages | Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood) | English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census) |
| Legal system | - | based on US laws |
| 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); results - Donna M. CHRISTENSEN (Democrat) reelected |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 73.46 years
male: 71.68 years female: 75.35 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 79.05 years
male: 75.24 years female: 83.09 years (2006 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.4% male: 96.7% female: 88% (2004 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90-95% est. male: NA% female: NA% (2005 est.) |
| Location | Middle East, west of Jordan | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
| Map references | Middle East | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the US |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | - |
| National holiday | - | Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917) |
| Nationality | noun: NA
adjective: NA |
noun: Virgin Islander(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Virgin Islander |
| Natural hazards | droughts | several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes |
| Natural resources | arable land | sun, sand, sea, surf |
| Net migration rate | 2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | -8.73 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] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
| Population | 2,535,927
note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.) |
108,605 (July 2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 46% (2007 est.) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 2.985% (2007 est.) | -0.12% (2006 est.) |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 25, shortwave 0 (2008) | AM 6, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2006) |
| Religions | Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% | Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.736 male(s)/female total population: 1.038 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
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 (2006 est.) |
| Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections |
| Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services international: country code - 970 (2004) |
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 |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 349,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) | 70,900 (2004) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 1.095 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) | 64,200 (2004) |
| Television broadcast stations | 30 (2008) | 5 (2006) |
| Terrain | mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east | mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land |
| Total fertility rate | 4.17 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 2.17 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 18.6% (2006) | 6.2% (2004) |
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