World Factbook
United States Virgin Islands
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: white field 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 its right talon and three arrows in its left, with a shield of seven red and six white vertical stripes below a blue panel meaning: white is a symbol of purity, and the letters stand for the Virgin Islands
Capital
name
Charlotte Amalie
etymology
named in honor of Danish King CHRISTIAN V’s wife, Charlotte AMALIE of Hesse-Kassel, after the colony was established in 1672
time difference
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
18 21 N, 64 56 W
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
note: island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Citizenship
see United States
Constitution
history
22 July 1954 - the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands functions as a constitution for this US territory
Country name
former
Danish West Indies
etymology
in 1493, the islets, cays, and rocks around the major islands in the chain reminded explorer Christopher COLUMBUS of Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgin followers (Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Virgenes), which over time was shortened to the Virgins (las Virgenes)
abbreviation
VI
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Virgin Islands
Independence
none (territory of the US)
Legal system
US common law
Government type
unincorporated organized territory of the US with local self-government; republican form of territorial government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands (consists of the chief justice and 2 associate justices)
subordinate courts
Superior Court (Territorial Court renamed in 2004); US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (has appellate jurisdiction over the District Court of the Virgin Islands; it is a territorial court and is not associated with a US federal judicial district); District Court of the Virgin Islands
judge selection and term of office
justices appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Virgin Islands Senate; justices serve initial 10-year terms and upon reconfirmation, during the extent of good behavior; chief justice elected to position by peers for a 3-year term
Executive branch
cabinet
Territorial Cabinet appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate
chief of state
President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2025)
election results
2022: Albert BRYAN, Jr. reelected governor; percent of vote - Albert BRYAN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 56%, Kurt VIALET (independent) 38% 2018: Albert BRYAN, Jr. elected governor in the second round; percent of vote in first round - Albert BRYAN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 38.1%, Kenneth MAPP (independent) 33.5%, Adlah "Foncie" DONASTORG, Jr. (independent) 16.5%, other 11.9%; percent of vote in second round- Albert BRYAN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 54.5%, Kenneth MAPP (independent) 45.2%, other 0.3%
head of government
Governor Albert BRYAN, Jr. (since 7 January 2019)
most recent election date
8 November 2022
election/appointment process
president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by an Electoral College of electors chosen from each state; president and vice president serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); under the US Constitution, residents of the Virgin Islands do not vote in elections for US president and vice president, but they can vote in the Democratic and Republican party presidential primary elections; governor and lieutenant governor directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term)
expected date of next election
November 2026
National holiday
Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 31 March (1917)
Dependency status
unincorporated, organized territory of the US, with policy relations with the US federal government under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Political parties
Democratic Party Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM Republican Party
Legislative branch
note
note: the Virgin Islands delegate to the US House of Representatives can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote
National anthem(s)
title
"The Star-Spangled Banner"
history
official anthem, as a US territory
lyrics/music
Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITH
Administrative divisions
no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 3 islands are considered second-order: Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (territory of the US)
International organization participation
AOSIS (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WFTU (NGOs)