Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: subtropical, tempered by easterly tradewinds, relatively low
humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November

Terrain: mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land

Natural resources: sun, sand, sea, surf

Land use: 15% arable land; 6% permanent crops; 26% meadows and pastures;
6% forest and woodland; 47% other

Environment: rarely affected by hurricanes; subject to frequent severe
droughts, floods, earthquakes; lack of natural freshwater resources

Note: important location 1,770 km southeast of Miami and 65 km east of
Puerto Rico, along the Anegada Passage--a key shipping lane for the Panama
Canal; St. Thomas has one of the best natural, deepwater harbors in the
Caribbean

- People
Population: 99,200 (July 1990), growth rate - 0.3% (1990)

Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: - 20 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 76 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Virgin Islander(s); adjective--Virgin Islander

Ethnic divisions: 74% West Indian (45% born in the Virgin Islands and 29%
born elsewhere in the West Indies), 13% US mainland, 5% Puerto Rican, 8% other;
80% black, 15% white, 5% other; 14% of Hispanic origin

Religion: 42% Baptist, 34% Roman Catholic, 17% Episcopalian, 7% other

Language: English (official), but Spanish and Creole are widely spoken

Literacy: 90%

Labor force: 45,000 (1987)

Organized labor: 90% of the government labor force

- Government
Long-form name: Virgin Islands of the United States

Type: organized, unincorporated territory of the US administered by
the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the
Interior

Capital: Charlotte Amalie

Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)

Independence: none (territory of the US)

Constitution: Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 serves as the
constitution

Legal system: based on US

National holiday: Transfer Day (from Denmark to US), 31 March (1917)

Executive branch: US president, governor, lieutenant governor

Legislative branch: unicameral Senate

Judicial branch: US District Court handles civil matters over $50,000,
felonies (persons 15 years of age and over), and federal