nternational agreements: NA

Geographic 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
------

Population: 97,120 (July 1996 est.)
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%

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate: -0.06% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 17.57 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.2 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -12.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: NA male(s)/female
under 15 years: NA male(s)/female
15-64 years: NA male(s)/female
65 years and over: NA male(s)/female
all ages: NA male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate: 12.54 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.29 years
male: 73.6 years
female: 77.2 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.29 children born/woman (1996 est.)

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

Ethnic divisions: black 80%, white 15%, other 5%

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

Languages: English (official), Spanish, Creole

Literacy: NA

Government
----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: Virgin Islands of the United States
conventional short form: Virgin Islands
former: Danish West Indies

Data code: VQ

Type of government: 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)

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

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 (of the United States) William Jefferson
CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr.
(since 20 January 1993)
head of government: Governor Dr. Roy L. SCHNEIDER (since 5 January
1995) and Lieutenant Governor Ken