U.S. Virgin Islands: Government

Country name:

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

Government type:

NA

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 - indigenous inhabitants 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); 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%

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

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 RICHON]; Republican Party [Gary SCROUVE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (territory of the US)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (territory of the US)

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

Source: CIA World Factbook 2001
(In general, information available as of 1 January 2001 was used in the preparation of this edition.)

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