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Background | Geography | People
::Virgin Islands 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.
::Geography Location: | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | Geographic coordinates: | 18 20 N, 64 50 W | Map references: | Central America and the Caribbean | Area: | total: 1,910 sq km
land: 346 sq km
water: 1,564 sq km | Area - comparative: | twice the size of Washington, DC | Land boundaries: | 0 km | Coastline: | 188 km | Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | Climate: | subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November | Terrain: | mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land | Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 475 m | Natural resources: | sun, sand, sea, surf | Land use: | arable land: 5.71%
permanent crops: 2.86%
other: 91.43% (2005) | Irrigated land: | NA | Natural hazards: | several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes | Environment - current issues: | lack of natural freshwater resources | 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 |
::People Population: | 108,605 (July 2006 est.) | Age structure: | 0-14 years: 22.4% (male 12,261/female 12,056)
15-64 years: 66.4% (male 34,174/female 37,949)
65 years and over: 11.2% (male 5,385/female 6,780) (2006 est.) | Median age: | total: 37.1 years
male: 36.2 years
female: 38 years (2006 est.) | Population growth rate: | -0.12% (2006 est.) | Birth rate: | 13.96 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | Death rate: | 6.43 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | Net migration rate: | -8.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | Sex ratio: | 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 (2006 est.) | Infant mortality rate: | total: 7.86 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.93 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) | Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 79.05 years
male: 75.24 years
female: 83.09 years (2006 est.) | Total fertility rate: | 2.17 children born/woman (2006 est.) | HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA | HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA | HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA | Nationality: | noun: Virgin Islander(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Virgin Islander | Ethnic groups: | black 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5% (2000 census) | Religions: | Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% | Languages: | English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census) | Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90-95% est.
male: NA%
female: NA% (2005 est.) |
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