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1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)
Virgin Islands
    n 1: a group of islands in northeastern West Indies (east of
         Puerto Rico) discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493;
         owned by United States and Britain

2. CIA World Factbook 2002
Virgin Islands

   Introduction Virgin Islands
   ---------------------------
                            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.
  
   Geography Virgin Islands
   ------------------------
                              Location: Caribbean, islands between the
                                        Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
                                        Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
                Geographic coordinates: 18 20 N, 64 50 W
                        Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
                                  Area: total: 352 sq km
                                        water: 3 sq km
                                        land: 349 sq km
                    Area - comparative: twice the size of Washington, DC
                       Land boundaries: 0 km
                             Coastline: 188 km
                       Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
                                        territorial sea: 12 NM
                               Climate: subtropical, tempered by easterly
                                        trade winds, relatively low
                                        humidity, little seasonal
                                        temperature variation; rainy season
                                        May to November
                               Terrain: mostly hilly to rugged and
                                        mountainous with little level land
                    Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
                                        highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m
                     Natural resources: sun, sand, sea, surf
                              Land use: arable land: 15%
                                        permanent crops: 6%
                                        other: 79% (1998 est.)
                        Irrigated land: NA sq km
                       Natural hazards: several hurricanes in recent years;
                                        frequent and severe droughts and
                                        floods; occasional earthquakes
          Environment - current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources
                      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
  
   People Virgin Islands
   ---------------------
                            Population: 123,498 (July 2002 est.)
                         Age structure: 0-14 years: 26.7% (male 16,926;
                                        female 16,012)
                                        15-64 years: 64.2% (male 35,801;
                                        female 43,443)
                                        65 years and over: 9.1% (male 4,851;
                                        female 6,465) (2002 est.)
                Population growth rate: 1.04% (2002 est.)
                            Birth rate: 15.85 births/1,000 population (2002
                                        est.)
                            Death rate: 5.58 deaths/1,000 population (2002
                                        est.)
                    Net migration rate: 0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population
                                        (2002 est.)
                             Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
                                        under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
                                        15-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female
                                        65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/
                                        female
                                        total population: 0.87 male(s)/
                                        female (2002 est.)
                 Infant mortality rate: 9.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
                                        est.)
              Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.43 years
                                        female: 82.53 years (2002 est.)
                                        male: 74.55 years
                  Total fertility rate: 2.24 children born/woman (2002 est.)
      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
     HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
                                  AIDS:
                     HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
                           Nationality: noun: Virgin Islander(s)
                                        adjective: Virgin Islander
                         Ethnic groups: black 80%, white 15%, other 5%
                                        note: West Indian (45% born in the
                                        Virgin Islands and 29% born
                                        elsewhere in the West Indies) 74%,
                                        US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 5%,
                                        other 8%
                             Religions: Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%,
                                        Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
                             Languages: English (official), Spanish, Creole
                              Literacy: definition: NA
                                        total population: NA%
                                        male: NA%
                                        female: NA%
  
   Government Virgin Islands
   -------------------------
                          Country name: conventional long form: United
                                        States Virgin Islands
                                        conventional short form: Virgin
                                        Islands
                                        former: Danish West Indies
                     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
                       Government type: NA
                               Capital: Charlotte Amalie
              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
                      National holiday: Transfer Day (from Denmark to the
                                        US), 27 March (1917)
                          Constitution: Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
                          Legal system: based on US laws
                              Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; note -
                                        indigenous inhabitants are US
                                        citizens but do not vote in US
                                        presidential elections
                      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)
                                        election results: Dr. Charles Wesley
                                        TURNBULL elected governor; percent
                                        of vote - Dr. Charles W. TURNBULL
                                        (Democrat) 58.9%, former Governor
                                        Roy L. SCHNEIDER (ICM) 41.1%
                                        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
                                        3 November 1998 (next to be held NA
                                        November 2002)
                                        head of government: Governor Dr.
                                        Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5
                                        January 1999) and Lieutenant
                                        Governor Gererd LUZ James II (since
                                        5 January 1999)
                                        cabinet: NA
                    Legislative branch: unicameral Senate (15 seats; members
                                        are elected by popular vote to serve
                                        two-year terms)
                                        elections: last held 7 November 2000
                                        (next to be held NA November 2002)
                                        election results: percent of vote by
                                        party - NA%; seats by party -
                                        Democratic Party 6, ICM 2,
                                        independents 4, no party affiliation
                                        3
                                        note: the Virgin Islands elects one
                                        non-voting representative to the US
                                        House of Representatives; election
                                        last held 7 November 2000 (next to
                                        be held NA November 2002); results -
                                        Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON
                                        (Democrat) elected
                       Judicial branch: US District Court of the Virgin
                                        Islands (under Third Circuit
                                        jurisdiction); Territorial Court
                                        (judges appointed by the governor
                                        for 10-year terms)
         Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party [Arturo
                                        WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens'
                                        Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS];
                                        Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]
          Political pressure groups and NA
                               leaders:
             International organization ECLAC (associate), Interpol
                         participation: (subbureau), IOC
   Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of the US)
     Diplomatic representation from the none (territory of the US)
                                    US:
                      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
  
   Economy Virgin Islands
   ----------------------
                    Economy - overview: Tourism is the primary economic
                                        activity, accounting for more than
                                        70% of GDP and 70% of 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, support
                                        construction projects in the private
                                        sector, expand tourist facilities,
                                        reduce crime, and protect the
                                        environment.
                                   GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.8
                                        billion (2000 est.)
                GDP - real growth rate: NA%
                      GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $15,000
                                        (2000 est.)
           GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA%
                                        industry: NA%
                                        services: NA%
         Population below poverty line: NA%
     Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
                      percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
      Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
                           Labor force: 48,356 (2002 est.)
           Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 1%, industry 20%,
                                        services 79% (1990 est.)
                     Unemployment rate: 4.9% (March 1999)
                                Budget: revenues: $364.4 million
                                        expenditures: $364.4 million,
                                        including capital expenditures of
                                        $NA (1990 est.)
                            Industries: tourism, petroleum refining, watch
                                        assembly, rum distilling,
                                        construction, pharmaceuticals,
                                        textiles, electronics
     Industrial production growth rate: NA%
              Electricity - production: 1.02 billion kWh (1999)
    Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
                                        hydro: 0%
                                        other: 0% (1999)
                                        nuclear: 0%
             Electricity - consumption: 948.6 million kWh (1999)
                 Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
                 Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
                Agriculture - products: fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol
                                        cattle
                               Exports: $NA
                 Exports - commodities: refined petroleum products
                    Exports - partners: US, Puerto Rico
                               Imports: $NA
                 Imports - commodities: crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer
                                        goods, building materials
                    Imports - partners: US, Puerto Rico
                       Debt - external: $NA
              Economic aid - recipient: $NA
                              Currency: US dollar (USD)
                         Currency code: USD
                        Exchange rates: the US dollar is used
                           Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
  
   Communications Virgin Islands
   -----------------------------
         Telephones - main lines in use: 62,000 (1997)
           Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,000 (1992)
                       Telephone system: general assessment: NA
                                         domestic: modern, uses fiber-optic
                                         cable and microwave radio relay
                                         international: submarine cable and
                                         satellite communications; satellite
                                         earth stations - NA
               Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002)
                                 Radios: 107,000 (1997)
          Television broadcast stations: 2 (2002)
                            Televisions: 68,000 (1997)
                  Internet country code: .vi
      Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 50 (2000)
                         Internet users: 12,000 (2000)
  
   Transportation Virgin Islands
   -----------------------------
                                Railways: 0 km
                                Highways: total: 856 km
                                          paved: NA km
                                          unpaved: NA km (2000)
                               Waterways: none
                       Ports and harbors: Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted,
                                          Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix
                         Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
                                Airports: 2 (2001)
           Airports - with paved runways: total: 2
                                          1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2001)
  
   Military Virgin Islands
   -----------------------
                       Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the
                                        US
  
   Transnational Issues Virgin Islands
   -----------------------------------
                                              Disputes - international: none
  
                                       



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