Environment - current issues	lack of natural freshwater resources
Environment - international agreements	several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes

Virgin Islands: Land use / Resources

Land use (%)	arable land: 11.76% permanent crops: 2.94% other: 85.3% (2001)
Natural resources	sun, sand, sea, surf

Virgin Islands: Economy

Economy - overview:	Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP and employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The islands are subject to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, to support construction projects in the private sector, to expand tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.
GDP - per capita	$17,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate (%)	2% (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products	fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle
GDP - composition by sector (%)	agriculture: 1%, industry: 19%, services: 80% (2003 est.)
Industries	tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Economic aid - recipient	NA
Debt - external	NA
Population below poverty line (%)	NA
Labor force - by occupation (%)	agriculture 1%, industry 19%, services 80% (2003 est.)

Virgin Islands: Population / Demographics

Population (July 2005)	108,708
Population growth rate (%) (2005)	-0.07%
Population density (people/sq km) (2005)	311.5
Median age (years)	total: 36.52 years
Total fertility rate (children born/woman)	2.19 (2005 est.)
Ethnic groups (%)	black 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5% (2000 census)

[an error occurred while processing this directive]--> Virgin Islands: Infrastructure

Telephones - main lines in use	69,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	41,000 (2002)
Roadways (km)	total: 1,257 km paved: 1,192 km unpaved: 65 km note: the only US possession where driving on the left side of the road is practiced (2003)

Virgin Islands: Health

Life expectancy at birth (years)	total population: 78.91 years male: 75.08 years female: 82.96 years (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate	8.03 deaths/1,000 live births
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%)	NA

Virgin Islands : References & Data Sources

Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005

Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005 & 2010) and the State of the World's Forests (2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001)

Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.

Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.

RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.

World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site

The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund

With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com

Tropical rainforest information

World Rainforests

Rainforest Structure

Rainforest Biodiversity

Rainforest Conservation

Country Reports update soon

References

Deforestation Tables

The Amazon Rainforest update soon

The Congo Rainforest update soon

Deforestation in Brazil

Rainforest Images

Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2006

"Rainforest" is used interchangeably with "rain forest" on this site.
Same for "rainforests" and "rain forests". "Jungle" is generally not used.