U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

Insular Area Summary for the U.S. Virgin Islands

History & Political Status

The Caribbean island chain known as the Virgin Islands was divided into two parts in the 17th century, one English and the other Danish.  The Danish part had been in economic decline for quite some time, owing to losses in sugarcane production after slavery was abolished in 1848.  In 1917, the United States purchased the Danish part for $25 million, mainly for strategic reasons to assure tranquility in the Caribbean Ocean.  U.S. citizenship was conferred on U.S. Virgin Islanders in 1927.  Federal authority over the new U.S. territory was placed in the Department of the Interior in 1931, where it resides.  The Organic Act of 1936 laid the foundation for self-government and a more elaborate governmental structure emerged from the revised Organic Act of 1954.  The first elections for constitutional officers were held in 1970.

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Elected Leaders

Governor: John deJongh
Lt. Governor: Gregory R. Francis
President of the Legislature: Usie R. Richards
Delegate to the House of Representatives: Donna M. Christensen

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Distances from places

New York City: 1,650 miles
Miami: 600 miles

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Population & Demography

Total population: 112,812
Black: 76.2% (2000 census)
White: 13.1%
Other: 6.1%
Mixed: 3.5%
Asian: 1.1%
Median age: 38.5 years
U.S. median age: 36.7 years

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Economy & Income Sources

Estimated GDP: $3.2 billion
Per capita GDP: $28,188
U.S. per capita GDP: $45,800
Tourism
Total visitors: 2.6 million a year
Cruise ship visitors: 2.1 million
Overnight visitors: 510,500
No. of cruise ships visiting annually: 752
Total visitor expenditures: $1.4 billion
Employment in tourism services: 8,773
Hotel room count: 4,757
Hotel room count, St. Thomas: 3,580
Hotel room count, St. Croix: 1,177
Oil Refining
Rum production
Rum taxes turned over to USVI: $75-80 million
Services
Wholesale and retail trade
Hotels and restaurants
Tourist and recreational services
Government services
Other services

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Labor Force & Employment

Non-agricultural wage & salary jobs: 46,061
Private sector jobs: 33,362
USVI government jobs: 11,752
Federal Government jobs: 946
Unemployment rate: 4.9%
Annual gross pay: $36,510

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Government Finances

Total gov’t. revenues: $996.4 million (FY 05)
Total gov’t. spending: $1,000.5 million (FY 05)
Total Federal grants: $170.9 million (FY 05)

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OIA Contacts

Basil Ottley
Desk Officer for the U.S. Virgin Islands
Office of Insular Affairs
Washington, DC  20240
(202) 208-6395
Basil_Ottley@ios.doi.gov

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Historical Overview

History Political Status

Photos by Shanna-Gloriana O'Reilly, Office of U.S. Congresswoman Donna Christian-Christen

Denmark chartered the Danish West Indian Company and began colonizing St. Thomas in 1671 and St. John in 1684. Denmark later purchased St. Croix from France in 1733. Except for a brief period of English occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, the Virgin Islands remained under Danish control until 1917. Denmark then sold all three islands to the United States for $25 million by Treaty. Water Island was transferred to the Virgin Islands by the Department of the Interior on December 12, 1996.

The islands were under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Navy until they were transferred to the Department of the Interior in 1931.

Photos by Shanna-Gloriana O'Reilly, Office of U.S. Congresswoman Donna Christian-Christen

The U.S. Virgin Islands, an unincorporated territory of the United States, was placed under the administration of the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to Executive Order 5566 in 1931. These islands are under the sovereignty of the United States.

The Organic Act of 1936 established local government under the control of the Secretary of Interior.  The Revised Organic Act of 1954 is the Virgin Islands analogue of a state constitution, replacing the makeshift Organic Act of 1936.

Photos by Shanna-Gloriana O'Reilly, Office of U.S. Congresswoman Donna Christian-Christen

Under the territory's 1954 Revised Organic Act, the Governor of the Virgin Islands was appointed by the President of the United States and reported to the Secretary of the Interior

Under legislation passed in 1968, the Virgin Islands has had a democratically elected form of government since 1970.

In 1980, the Virgin Islands Commission on Status and Federal Relations was created to educate the public on various political status options. A referendum was held in 1993 with only 10,710 or 31.4 percent of the 39,038 eligible voters participating which was below the 50 percent plus one needed. As a result, the Commission was disbanded on December 31, 1993.

Photos by Shanna-Gloriana O'Reilly, Office of U.S. Congresswoman Donna Christian-Christen

Government

The Government of the Virgin Islands is headed by a popularly elected governor and lieutenant governor for four-year terms. Current leaderships is Governor John de Jongh and Lieutenant Governor Gregory R. Francis. The lawmaking body of the Virgin Islands is a 15-member unicameral legislature. Its members are called Senator and are elected by popular vote. The judicial power of the Virgin Islands resides with the Territorial Court and the U.S. District Court. The U.S.District Court is headed by Chief Judge Thomas K. Moore and Judge Raymond Finch. The Territorial Court is headed by Judge Verne Hodge.

The Member of Congress from the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Honorable Donna Christian-Christensen, possesses the same powers and privileges as Representatives from the States, with the exception of voting on the House floor.

Population

The estimated 2004 population of the Virgin Islands is approximately 111,000, with the majority living on St. Croix and St. Thomas. A person born in the Virgin Islands is a U.S. citizen at birth. Major Indicators.

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