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General Information
Area: 347.1 sq km (134 sq miles).
Population: 101,809 (1990).
Population Density: 293 per sq km.
Capital: Charlotte Amalie (St Thomas). Population: 12,331 (1990).
GEOGRAPHY: The islands are situated 64km (40 miles) east of Puerto Rico and comprise some 50 islands covered with lush tropical vegetation. St Thomas is long and narrow, rising abruptly to a ridge with an excellent deep-water harbour. St John is covered partly in bay forests. St Croix consists of 215 sq km (83 sq miles) of rolling ex-plantation land.
Government: US External Territory (Unincorporated). Gained a measure of self-government in 1954. Head of State: President George W Bush since 2001. Head of Government: Governor Charles Wesley Turnbull since 1999.
Language: English is the official language. Spanish and Creole are also widely spoken.
Religion: Christian, mainly Protestant.
Time: GMT - 4.
Electricity: 120 volts AC, 60Hz.
Communications:
Telephone
IDD is available. Country code: 1 340. There are no area codes. Outgoing international code: 001. The USA (including most toll-free numbers) can be dialled directly from the islands. Efficient overseas cable and telephone services are in operation.
Mobile telephone
GSM 1900 network. Operators include BlueSky Communications (website: www.bluskypcs.com).
Fax
Services are available.
Internet
ISPs include VIAccess (website: www.viaccess.net). Internet cafes exist on St Thomas.
Post
Airmail to Europe takes up to one week. The postage is the same as in the USA. First-class post to the USA automatically travels by air through the US postal service. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0900-1200.
Press
The daily newspapers are Virgin Islands Daily News and St Croix Avis.
BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change.
BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice):
Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov):
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
Terms and Conditions apply.
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