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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. |
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Location:
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Caribbean,
islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
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Geographic coordinates:
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18 20 N, 64 50 W |
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Map references:
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Central
America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total: 352
sq km
water: 3 sq km
land: 349 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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twice the size of
Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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188 km |
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Climate:
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subtropical,
tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity,
little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to
November |
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Terrain:
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mostly hilly to
rugged and mountainous with little level land |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m |
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Natural resources:
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sun, sand, sea,
surf |
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Land use:
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arable land:
15%
permanent crops: 6%
other: 79% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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several
hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and
floods; occasional earthquakes |
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Environment - current issues:
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lack of natural
freshwater resources |
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Geography - note:
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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 |
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Population:
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108,775 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
23.8% (male 13,116; female 12,770)
15-64 years: 66% (male 33,944; female 37,870)
65 years and over: 10.2% (male 4,855; female 6,220)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
35.9 years
male: 35.1 years
female: 36.7 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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-0.05% (2004
est.) |
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Birth rate:
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14.49
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.1 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-8.94 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
8.21 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 9.31 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 78.75 years
male: 74.91 years
female: 82.82 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: Virgin Islander |
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Ethnic groups:
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black 78%, white
10%, other 12%
note: West Indian 81% (49% born in the Virgin Islands
and 32% born elsewhere in the West Indies), US mainland 13%,
Puerto Rican 4%, other 2% |
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Religions:
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Baptist 42%,
Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% |
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Languages:
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English
(official), Spanish, Creole |
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Literacy:
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definition:
NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA% |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form: Virgin Islands
former: Danish West Indies |
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Dependency status:
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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 |
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Government type:
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NA |
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Capital:
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Charlotte Amalie |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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National holiday:
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Transfer Day
(from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917) |
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Constitution:
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Revised Organic
Act of 22 July 1954 |
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Legal system:
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based on US laws |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age;
universal; note - island residents are US citizens but do not
vote in US presidential elections |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
January 2001)
election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL reelected
governor; percent of vote - Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL
(Democrat) 50.5%, John de JONGH 24.4%
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 5 November 2002 (next to
be held NA November 2006)
head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley
TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999)
cabinet: NA |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Senate
(15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
two-year terms)
elections: last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held 2
November 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - Democratic Party 10, ICM 2, independent 3
note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting
representative to the US House of Representatives; election
last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004);
results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) reelected |
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Judicial branch:
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US District Court
of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction);
Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for
10-year terms) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Democratic Party
[Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie
RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none (territory
of the US) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (territory
of the US) |
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Economy - overview:
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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 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, to support
construction projects in the private sector, to expand tourist
facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $2.4 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $19,000 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
1%
industry: 19%
services: 80% (2003 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2% (1992) |
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Labor force:
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49,000 (2002
est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 1%,
industry 19%, services 80% (2003 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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8.7% (2002 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$364.4 million
expenditures: $364.4 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1990 est.) |
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Industries:
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tourism,
petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling,
construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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1.03 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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957.9 million kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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66,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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fruit,
vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle |
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Exports:
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$NA (2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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refined petroleum
products |
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Exports - partners:
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US, Puerto Rico |
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Imports:
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$NA (2002 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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crude oil,
foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials |
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Imports - partners:
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US, Puerto Rico |
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Debt - external:
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$NA (2002 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$NA |
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Currency:
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US dollar (USD) |
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Currency code:
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USD |
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Exchange rates:
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the US dollar is
used |
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Fiscal year:
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1 October - 30
September |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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69,400
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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41,000
(2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: NA
domestic: modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave
radio relay
international: country code - 1-340; submarine cable
and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 5,
FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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2
(2002) |
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Internet country code:
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.vi |
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Internet users:
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30,000
(2002) |
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Railways:
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0 km |
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Highways:
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total: 856
km
paved: NA km
note: the only US possession where driving on the left
side of the road is practiced (2000)
unpaved: NA km |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Ports and harbors:
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Charlotte Amalie,
Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix |
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Merchant marine:
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none |
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Airports:
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2 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2003 est.) |
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Military - note:
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defense is the
responsibility of the US |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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