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Background:
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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
land: 349 sq km
water: 3 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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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds,
relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature
variation; rainy season September 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: 11.76%
permanent crops: 2.94%
other: 85.3% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA |
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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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108,708
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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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.) |
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Median age:
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total:
36.52 years
male: 35.6 years
female: 37.33 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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-0.07%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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14.2
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.26
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-8.64
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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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.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 78.91 years
male: 75.08 years
female: 82.96 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.19
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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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
76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5%
(2000 census) |
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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
74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French
Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census) |
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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)
head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley
TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999)
cabinet: NA
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 November 2006)
election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL
reelected governor; percent of vote - Dr. Charles Wesley
TURNBULL (Democrat) 50.5%, John de JONGH 24.4% |
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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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International organization participation:
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Interpol
(subbureau), IOC, UPU |
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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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Flag description:
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white,
with a modified US coat of arms in the center between
the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows
a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and
three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of
vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel |
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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 (purchasing power parity):
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$2.5
billion (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2% (2002
est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $17,200 (2002 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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Labor force:
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48,900
(2003 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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9.3%
(2003 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.2%
(2003) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $560
expenditures: NA (2003) |
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Agriculture - products:
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fruit,
vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle |
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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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1.035
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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962.6
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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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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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Exports:
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NA |
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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 |
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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 |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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NA |
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Currency (code):
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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: modern system with total digital
switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio
relay
domestic: full range of services available
international: country code - 1-340; 2 submarine
cable connections (Taino Carib, Americas-1); satellite
earth stations - NA |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 6, FM
17, shortwave 0 (2004) |
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Radios:
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107,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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16 (2004)
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Televisions:
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68,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.vi |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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50 (2000)
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Internet users:
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30,000
(2002) |
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Highways:
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total:
1,257 km
paved: 1,192 km
unpaved: 65 km
note: the only US possession where driving on the
left side of the road is practiced (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Charlotte
Amalie, Limetree Bay |
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Airports:
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2 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 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 |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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