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
land: 349 sq km
water: 3 sq km

Area - comparative:
twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
188 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low
humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season
September 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: 11.76%
permanent crops: 2.94%
other: 85.3% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA

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:
108,708 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.1% (male 12,676/female 12,421)
15-64 years: 66.2% (male 34,069/female 37,918)
65 years and over: 10.7% (male 5,125/female 6,499) (2005 est.)

Median age:
total: 36.52 years
male: 35.6 years
female: 37.33 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.07% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:
14.2 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:
6.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate:
-8.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:
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 (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.03 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.11 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.91 years
male: 75.08 years
female: 82.96 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.19 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate