US Virgin Islands Travel Guide

US Virgin Islands — Country and Tourist Information

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Country Facts

Location: Caribbean, Leeward Islands.
Language: English is the official language. Spanish and Creole are also widely spoken.
Area: 347.1 sq km (134 sq miles).
Time Zone: GMT - 4.
Electricity: 120 volts AC, 60Hz.
Population: 108,708 (2005 estimate).
Population Density: 313.18 per sq km.
Capital City: Charlotte Amalie (St Thomas). Population: 18,914 (2005).
Government: US External Territory (Unincorporated). Gained a measure of self-government in 1954. Although US Virgin Islands residents are US citizens, they cannot vote in presidential elections – one elected delegate represents the islands in the US House of Representatives. The 1954 Organic Act created an elected 15-member Senate for the islands. Since 1970, executive authority has been vested in an elected governor who serves a four-year term.
Head of Government: Governor John de Jongh since 2006.
Head of State: President Barack Obama since 2009.
Religion: Christian, mainly Protestant.

Recent History

De Jongh unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2002 (receiving the second highest amount of votes out of eight candidates) as an independent candidate. He won the governorship in the 2006 general election after defeating Kenneth Mapp in a run-off election, with over 57% of the vote. De Jongh held the support of the business community, among others, and the expectations of the people for a competently-run public-private partnership in the years to come. De Jongh took the oath of office on 1 January 2007 to become the 7th elected Governor of the US Virgin Islands. Prior to this, he had never served in elective office.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +1 340. The USA (including most toll free numbers) can be dialed directly from the islands. Efficient overseas cable and telephone services are in operation.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone operators.

Internet

Internet cafés are available.

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.Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0900-1200.

Press

• Daily newspapers include St Croix Avis and Virgin Islands Daily News.

Radio

•WSTA AM 1340 has been on air since the 1950s.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
25 Dec Christmas Day

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
6 Jan Three Kings’ Day
19 Jan Martin Luther King Day
16 Feb Presidents’ Day
21 Apr Holy Thursday
22 Apr Good Friday
25 May Memorial Day
3 Jul Emancipation Day
4 Jul Independence Day
28 Jul Hurricane Supplication Day
5 Sep Labor Day
10 Oct Columbus Day
1 Nov D Hamilton Jackson Day/Liberty Day
11 Nov Veterans’ Day
24 Nov US Thanksgiving Day
24 Nov - 25 Nov Virgin Islands Thanksgiving Day
25 Dec Christmas Day

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
6 Jan Three Kings’ Day
16 Jan *Martin Luther King Day
15 Feb *Presidents’ Day
5 Apr Holy Thursday
6 Apr Good Friday
31 May *Memorial Day
3 Jul Emancipation Day
4 Jul Independence Day
22 Jul Hurricane Supplication Day
5 Sep *Labor Day
12 Oct *Columbus Day
1 Nov D Hamilton Jackson Day/Liberty Day
11 Nov Veterans’ Day
22 Nov US Thanksgiving Day
24 Nov *Virgin Islands Thanksgiving Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
* Date to be confirmed.