| Country Name Info : |
conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form: Virgin Islands
former: Danish West Indies |
| Dependency Status : |
organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior |
| Capital : |
Charlotte Amalie |
| Administrative Divisions : |
none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas |
| National Holiday : |
Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917) |
| Constitution : |
Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 |
| Legal System : |
based on US laws |
| Suffrage : |
18 years of age; universal; note - island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections |
| Executive Branch : |
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999)
cabinet: NA
elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2006)
election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL reelected governor; percent of vote - Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (Democrat) 50.5%, John de JONGH 24.4% |
| Legislative Branch : |
unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 10, ICM 2, independent 3
note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) reelected |
| Judicial Branch : |
US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms) |
| Political Parties and Leaders : |
Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE] |
| International Organization Participation : |
Interpol (subbureau), IOC |
| Diplomatic Representation In The US : |
none (territory of the US) |
| Diplomatic Representation From The US : |
none (territory of the US) |
