216 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
216 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
VIRGIN ISLANDS
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(territory of the US)
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 352 km2; land area: 349 km2
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Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington,
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DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 188 km
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Maritime claims:
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Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
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Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: subtropical, tempered by easterly tradewinds, relatively
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low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to
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November
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Terrain: mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level
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land
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Natural resources: sun, sand, sea, surf
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Land use: arable land 15%; permanent crops 6%; meadows and pastures
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26%; forest and woodland 6%; other 47%
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Environment: rarely affected by hurricanes; subject to frequent
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severe droughts, floods, earthquakes; lack of natural freshwater
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resources
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Note: important location 1,770 km southeast of Miami and 65 km east
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of Puerto Rico, along the Anegada Passage--a key shipping lane for the
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Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural, deepwater harbors
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in the Caribbean
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PEOPLE
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Population: 99,404 (July 1991), growth rate 0.7% (1991)
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Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 76 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Virgin Islander(s); adjective--Virgin Islander
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Ethnic divisions: West Indian (45% born in the Virgin Islands and
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29% born elsewhere in the West Indies) 74%, US mainland 13%, Puerto
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Rican 5%, other 8%; black 80%, white 15%, other 5%; Hispanic origin 14%
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Religion: Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%,
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other 7%
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Language: English (official), but Spanish and Creole are widely
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spoken
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Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
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Labor force: 45,500 (1988)
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Organized labor: 90% of the government labor force
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Virgin Islands of the United States
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Type: organized, unincorporated territory of the US administered by
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the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the
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Interior
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Capital: Charlotte Amalie
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Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)
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Independence: none (territory of the US)
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Constitution: Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 serves as the
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constitution
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Legal system: based on US
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National holiday: Transfer Day (from Denmark to US), 31 March
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(1917)
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Executive branch: US president, governor, lieutenant governor
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Legislative branch: unicameral Senate
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Judicial branch: US District Court handles civil matters over
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$50,000, felonies (persons 15 years of age and over), and federal cases;
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Territorial Court handles civil matters up to $50,000 small claims,
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juvenile, domestic, misdemeanors, and traffic cases
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Leaders:
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Chief of State and Head of Government--President George
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BUSH (since 20 January 1989), represented by Governor Alexander A.
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FARRELLY (since 5 January 1987); Lieutenant Governor Derek HODGE (since
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5 January 1987)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Democratic Party, Marilyn STAPLETON;
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Independent Citizens' Movement (ICM), Virdin BROWN;
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Republican Party, Charlotte-Poole DAVIS
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Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US
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citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
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Elections:
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Governor--last held NA 1986 (next to be held NA 1990);
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results--Alexander FARRELLY (Democratic Party) defeated
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Adelbert BRYAN (ICM);
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Senate--last held 6 November 1990 (next to be held 3 November
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1992);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(15 total) number of seats by party NA;
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US House of Representatives--last held 6 November 1990
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(next to be held 3 November 1992);
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results--the Virgin Islands elects one nonvoting representative
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Member of: ECLAC (associate), IOC
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Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)
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Flag: white with a modified US coat of arms in the center between
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the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows an
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eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other
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with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue
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panel
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ECONOMY
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Overview: Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for
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more than 70% of GDP and 70% of employment. The manufacturing sector
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consists of textile, electronics, pharmaceutical, and watch assembly
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plants. The agricultural sector is small, most food being imported.
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International business and financial services are a small but growing
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component of the economy. The world's largest petroleum refinery is at
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Saint Croix.
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GDP: $1.0 billion, per capita $9,000; real growth rate NA% (1985)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
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Unemployment rate: 2.0% (1990)
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Budget: revenues $470 million; expenditures $322 million,
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including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90)
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Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
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commodities--refined petroleum products;
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partners--US, Puerto Rico
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Imports: $3.7 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
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commodities--crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building
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materials;
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partners--US, Puerto Rico
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External debt: $NA
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Industrial production: growth rate 12%
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Electricity: 358,000 kW capacity; 532 million kWh produced,
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5,360 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum
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distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
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Agriculture: truck gardens, food crops (small scale), fruit,
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sorghum, Senepol cattle
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Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
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commitments (1970-88), $34.5 million
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Currency: US currency is used
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Exchange rates: US currency is used
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Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Highways: 856 km total
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Ports: Saint Croix--Christiansted, Frederiksted;
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Saint Thomas--Long Bay, Crown Bay, Red Hook; Saint John--Cruz Bay
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Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways
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1,220-2,439 m; international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix
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Telecommunications: 44,280 telephones; stations--4 AM, 6 FM, 3 TV;
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modern system using fiber-optic cable, submarine cable, microwave radio,
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and satellite facilities; 90,000 radios; 56,000 TVs
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
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