Economy

Overview: Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for
more than 70% of GDP and 70% of employment. The manufacturing sector
consists of textile, electronics, pharmaceutical, and watch assembly
plants. The agricultural sector is small, 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.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (1987
est.)

National product real growth rate: NA%

National product per capita: $11,000 (1987)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%

Unemployment rate: 3.7% (1992)

Budget:
revenues: $364.4 million
expenditures: $364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1990 est.)

Exports: $2.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities: refined petroleum products
partners: US, Puerto Rico

Imports: $3.3 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities: crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials

partners: US, Puerto Rico

External debt: $NA

Industrial production: growth rate 12% (year NA); accounts for NA% of
GDP

Electricity:
capacity: 320,000 kW
production: 970 million kWh
consumption per capita: 9,172 kWh (1993)

Industries: tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum
distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics

Agriculture: truck gardens, food crops (small scale), fruit, sorghum,
Senepol cattle

Economic aid:
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-89), $42 million

Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: US currency is used

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

@Virgin Islands:Transportation

Railroads: 0 km

Highways:
total: 856 km
paved: NA
unpaved: NA

Ports: Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix

Merchant marine: none

Airports:
total: 2
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
note: international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix

@Virgin Islands:Communications

Telephone system: 58,931 telephones; modern telephone system using
fiber-optic cable, submarine cable, microwave radio, and satellite
facilities
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: NA

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 8, shortwave 0 (1988)
radios: 98,000

Television:
broadcast stations: 4 (1988)
televisions: 63,000