Branches:
People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) including:
Ground, Navy (including Naval Infantry), Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 18,281,483; fit for military service 11,602,318; reach
military age (17) annually 762,943 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GNP
@Virgin Islands
Header Affiliation: (territory of the US)
@Virgin Islands, Geography
Location:
Caribbean, in the eastern Caribbean Sea, about 110 km east and
southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total area:
352 sq km
land area:
349 sq km
comparative area:
slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
188 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
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:
arable land:
15%
permanent crops:
6%
meadows and pastures:
26%
forest and woodland:
6%
other:
47%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
lack of natural freshwater resources
natural hazards:
rarely affected by hurricanes; subject to frequent severe droughts,
floods, earthquakes
international agreements:
NA
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
@Virgin Islands, People
Population: 97,564 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: -0.52% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 19.41 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 5.2 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: -19.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 12.54 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.29 years male: 73.6 years female: 77.2 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.53 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Virgin Islander(s) adjective: Virgin Islander Ethnic divisions: 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%; black 80%, white 15%, other 5%; Hispanic origin 14% Religions: Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% Languages: English (official), Spanish, Creole Literacy: total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% Labor force: 45,500 (1988) by occupation: tourism 70%
@Virgin Islands, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Virgin Islands of the United States
conventional short form:
Virgin Islands
Digraph:
VQ
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)
National holiday:
Transfer Day, 31 March (1917) (from Denmark to US)
Constitution:
Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
Legal system:
based on US
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 William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice
President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993)
head of government:
Governor Alexander A. FARRELLY (since 5 January 1987); Lieutenant
Governor Derek M. HODGE (since 5 January 1987); election last held 6
November 1990 (next to be held November 1994); results - Governor
Alexander FARRELLY (Democratic Party) 56.5% defeated Juan LUIS
(independent) 38.5%
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Senate:
elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 2 November 1994);
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (15 total) number of
seats by party NA
US House of Representatives:
elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 2 November 1994);
results - Ron DE LUGO reelected as delegate; seats - (1 total); seat
by party NA; note - the Virgin Islands elect one representative to the
US House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
US District Court:
handles civil matters over $50,000, felonies (persons 15 years of age
and over), and federal cases
Territorial Court:
handles civil matters up to $50,000, small claims, juvenile, domestic,
misdemeanors, and traffic cases
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party, Marilyn STAPLETON; Independent Citizens' Movement
(ICM), Virdin C. BROWN; Republican Party, Charlotte-Poole DAVIS
Member of:
ECLAC (associate), IOC
Diplomatic representation in US:
none (territory of the US)
US diplomatic representation:
none (territory of the US)
Flag:
white with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large
blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows an 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