al hurricanes in recent years; frequent and
severe droughts, floods, and earthquakes

Environment-current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources

Environment-international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography-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: 118,211 (July 1998 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: 29% (male 17,310; female 16,502)
15-64 years: 64% (male 34,434; female 40,645)
65 years and over: 7% (male 4,065; female 5,255) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.16% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 16.45 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.01 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.84 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 9.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.3 years
male: 74.68 years
female: 82.15 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.32 children born/woman (1998 est.)

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

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

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

Languages: English (official), Spanish, Creole

Literacy: NA

@Virgin Islands:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Virgin Islands of the United States
conventional short form: Virgin Islands
former: Danish West Indies

Data code: VQ

Dependency status: organized, unincorporated territory of the US;
administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the
Interior

Government type: NA

National 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: Presiden