Part 807

Terrain: mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m

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; frequent and severe droughts, floods, and earthquakes international 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)