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Virgin Islands Government
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| Country name: |
conventional long form:
United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form:
Virgin Islands
former:
Danish West Indies
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| 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
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| Capital: |
Charlotte Amalie
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| 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
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| National holiday: |
Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917)
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| Constitution: |
Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
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| Legal system: |
based on US laws
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| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
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| Executive branch: |
chief of state:
President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (Since 20 January 2001)
head of government:
Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999) and Lieutenant Governor Gererd LUZ James II (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 3 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2002)
election results:
Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL elected governor; percent of vote - Dr. Charles W. TURNBULL (Democrat) 58.9%, former Governor Roy L. SCHNEIDER (ICM) 41.1%
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| Legislative branch: |
unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections:
last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 6, ICM 2, independents 7
note:
the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) elected
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| Judicial branch: |
US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms)
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| Political parties and leaders: |
Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHON]; Republican Party [Gary SCROUVE]
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| Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA
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| International organization participation: |
ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC
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| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none (territory of the US)
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| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
none (territory of the US)
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| Flag description: |
white, 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 one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel
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