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Description Virgin Islands by rbd.me
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During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
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Location
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Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
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Area - comparative
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twice the size of Washington, DC
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Natural resources Virgin Islands
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mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
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Population Virgin Islands
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109,775 (July 2010 est.)
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Religions Virgin Islands
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Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
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Languages
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English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census)
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Education Virgin Islands expenditures
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NA
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Government Virgin Islands type
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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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Independence
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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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Virgin Islands Economy - overview
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none (territory of the US)
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Investment Virgin Islands
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6.2% (2004)
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Industries Virgin Islands
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0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Airports Virgin Islands
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