US Virgin Islands

The Danes secured control over the southern Virgin Islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sugarcane, produced by African slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish holdings, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848. In 2017, Hurricane Irma passed over the northern Virgin Islands of Saint Thomas and Saint John and inflicted severe damage to structures, roads, the airport on Saint Thomas, communications, and electricity. Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Maria passed over the island of Saint Croix in the southern Virgin Islands, inflicting considerable damage with heavy winds and flooding rains.

Land

346 sq km

Total

1,910 sq km

Water

1,564 sq km

twice the size of Washington, D.C.

subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November

188 km

North America

Highest point

Crown Mountain 474 m

Lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

18 20 N, 64 50 W

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

1 sq km (2012)

Total

0 km

Agricultural land

9.4% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 2.6% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 6.3% (2023 est.)

arable land

2.57%

Forest

58.2% (2023 est.)

Other

32.4% (2023 est.)

permanent crops

0.57%

No

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/mBfreywj8dor6q4m9

OpenStreetMap

openstreetmap.org/relation/286898

Central America and the Caribbean

Exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Territorial sea

12 nm

several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes

pleasant climate, beaches foster tourism

overall population density throughout the islands is relatively low, but concentrations appear around Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas and Christiansted on St. Croix

Caribbean

mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little flat land

UTC-04:00

number of time zones

1

0-14 years

18.7% (male 9,983/female 9,547)

15-64 years

59.8% (male 29,519/female 32,899)

65 years and over

21.5% (2024 est.) (male 10,018/female 12,411)

10.88 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

9.43 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

adult female

53 per 1,000

adult male

179 per 1,000

Elderly dependency ratio

37.1 (2025 est.)

Potential support ratio

2.7 (2025 est.)

Total dependency ratio

68 (2025 est.)

Youth dependency ratio

30.9 (2025 est.)

improved total

98.68%

African-American or African descent 71.4%, White 13.3%, Indigenous 0.4%, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 0.1%, other 6.3%, mixed 7.5% (2020 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> 18.4% self-identify as Latino

0.95 (2025 est.)

Female

6.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

8.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

7.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

English 71.6%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 17.2%, French or French Creole 8.6%, other 2.5% (2010 est.)

languages

English

number of languages

1

Female

84.1 years

Male

77.6 years

Total population

80.7 years (2024 est.)

52,000 CHARLOTTE AMALIE (capital) (2018)

Female

43.9 years

Male

42.1 years

Total

43.4 years (2025 est.)

32 births/1,000 women 15-19

Adjective

Virgin Islander

Noun

Virgin Islander(s) (US citizens)

-7.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Female

54,597

Male

49,195

Total

103,792 (2025 est.)

-0.58% (2025 est.)

Protestant 65.5%, Roman Catholic 27.1%, other Christians 2.2%, other 1.5%, none 3.7% (2010 est.)

Improved: total

total: 99.1% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: total

total: 0.9% of population (2022 est.)

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.9 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.81 male(s)/female

At birth

1.06 male(s)/female

Total population

0.9 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

1.95 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Rate of urbanization

-0.11% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Urban population

96.2% of total population (2023)

no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 3 islands are considered second-order: Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas

Etymology

named in honor of Danish King CHRISTIAN V&rsquo;s wife, Charlotte AMALIE of Hesse-Kassel, after the colony was established in 1672

Geographic coordinates

18 21 N, 64 56 W

Name

Charlotte Amalie

Time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

see United States

History

22 July 1954 - the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands functions as a constitution for this US territory

Abbreviation

VI

alternative spellings

VI, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Conventional long form

none

Conventional short form

Virgin Islands

Etymology

in 1493, the islets, cays, and rocks around the major islands in the chain reminded explorer Christopher COLUMBUS of Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgin followers (Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Virgenes), which over time was shortened to the Virgins (las Virgenes)

FIFA code

VIR

Former

Danish West Indies

local long form (eng)

Virgin Islands of the United States

unincorporated, organized territory of the US, with policy relations with the US federal government under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

none (territory of the US)

none (territory of the US)

Cabinet

Territorial Cabinet appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate

Chief of state

President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2025)

Election results

<em><br>2022:</em> Albert BRYAN, Jr. reelected governor; percent of vote - Albert BRYAN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 56%, Kurt VIALET (independent) 38%<br><br><em>2018: </em>Albert BRYAN, Jr. elected governor in the second round; percent of vote in first round - Albert BRYAN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 38.1%, Kenneth MAPP (independent) 33.5%, Adlah "Foncie" DONASTORG, Jr. (independent) 16.5%, other 11.9%; percent of vote in second round- Albert BRYAN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 54.5%, Kenneth MAPP (independent) 45.2%, other 0.3%

Election/appointment process

president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by an Electoral College of electors chosen from each state; president and vice president serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); under the US Constitution, residents of the Virgin Islands do not vote in elections for US president and vice president, but they can vote in the Democratic and Republican party presidential primary elections; governor and lieutenant governor directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term)

Expected date of next election

November 2026

Head of government

Governor Albert BRYAN, Jr. (since 7 January 2019)

Most recent election date

8 November 2022

<strong>description:</strong> white field with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials "V" and "I"; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in its right talon and three arrows in its left, with a shield of seven red and six white vertical stripes below a blue panel<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> white is a symbol of purity, and the letters stand for the Virgin Islands

The flag of the United States Virgin Islands is composed of a white field with the national coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I. The coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in its right talon and three arrows in the left, with a shield of seven red and six white vertical stripes below a blue panel.

svg

https://flagcdn.com/vi.svg

unincorporated organized territory of the US with local self-government; republican form of territorial government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches

none (territory of the US)

AOSIS (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WFTU (NGOs)

Highest court(s)

Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands (consists of the chief justice and 2 associate justices)

Judge selection and term of office

justices appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Virgin Islands Senate; justices serve initial 10-year terms and upon reconfirmation, during the extent of good behavior; chief justice elected to position by peers for a 3-year term

Subordinate courts

Superior Court (Territorial Court renamed in 2004); US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (has appellate jurisdiction over the District Court of the Virgin Islands; it is a territorial court and is not associated with a US federal judicial district); District Court of the Virgin Islands

US common law

Note

<strong>note:</strong> the Virgin Islands delegate to the US House of Representatives can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote

Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 31 March (1917)

Democratic Party<br>Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM<br>Republican Party

Monday

18 years of age; universal

note

<strong>note:</strong> island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

No

fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle

Expenditures

$1.518 billion (2016 est.)

Revenues

$1.496 billion (2016 est.)

code

USD

name

United States dollar (USD) [$]

high-income, tourism-based American territorial economy; severe COVID-19 economic disruptions; major rum distillery; high public debt; sluggish reopening of large oil refinery; environmentally susceptible to hurricanes; many informal industries

<p>the US dollar is used</p>

$4.55 billion

Exports 2020

$1.62 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$4.069 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$4.549 billion (2022 est.)

Note

<strong>note: </strong>GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, jewelry, recreational boats, watches, rum (2019)

note

top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Haiti 14%, Guadeloupe 7%, Malaysia 7%, Martinique 7%, Barbados 7%, British Virgin Islands 5% (2019)

Exports of goods and services

97.4% (2022 est.)

Government consumption

34.4% (2022 est.)

Household consumption

68.9% (2022 est.)

Imports of goods and services

-108.3% (2022 est.)

Investment in fixed capital

7.5% (2016 est.)

Investment in inventories

15% (2016 est.)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

$4.672 billion (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

$44,321

$5.06 billion

Imports 2020

$3.184 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$4.057 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$5.058 billion (2022 est.)

Note

<strong>note: </strong>GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, rubber piping, jewelry, beer (2019)

India 18%, Algeria 14%, South Korea 9%, Argentina 9%, Sweden 7%, Brazil 5% (2019)

tourism, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, electronics

47,200 (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total

47,005 persons

agriculture

1.59%

industry

16.55%

services

81.86%

Public debt 2014

45.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

$5.25 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$4.789 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$4.965 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$4.9 billion (2022 est.)

-1.31%

Note

<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-1.6% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

3.7% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

-1.3% (2022 est.)

$49,793

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2020

$45,100 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$46,900 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$46,500 (2022 est.)

11.44%

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2022

13.1% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

12.4% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

12.1% (2024 est.)

Female

28.9% (2024 est.)

Male

22% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Total

25.3% (2024 est.)

Exports

4 metric tons (2023 est.)

Consumption

618.819 million kWh (2023 est.)

Installed generating capacity

326,000 kW (2023 est.)

Transmission/distribution losses

50.181 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Fossil fuels

97.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectric

0%

nuclear

0%

renewable

2.5%

Solar

2.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Refined petroleum consumption

16,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

5.9%

per 100 inhabitants

10 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

10 (2022 est.)

Total

9,000 (2022 est.)

about a dozen TV stations, including 1 public TV station; multi-channel cable and satellite TV available; 24 radio stations

.vi

Percent of population

64% (2017 est.)

+1340

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

88 (2022 est.)

Total subscriptions

76,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100

91 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

92 (2022 est.)

Total subscriptions

79,100 (2022 est.)

2 (2025)

Right

4 (2025)

By type

general cargo 1, other 1

Total

2 (2023)

Key ports

Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Frederiksted, Limetree Bay, Port Alucroix

Large

0

Medium

0

Ports with oil terminals

3

Small

3

Total ports

6 (2024)

Very small

3

USA

defense is the responsibility of the US

US Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD); US Virgin Islands National Guard (VING)

From petroleum and other liquids

2.378 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Total emissions

2.378 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

lack of natural freshwater resources; protection of coral reefs; solid waste management; coastal development; increased boating and overfishing

1 % of total land area

3 % of total

Municipal solid waste generated annually

146,500 tons (2024 est.)