History of the U.S. Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands were originally settled by the Ciboney, Carib, and Arawaks. The islands were named by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1493. Over the next three hundred years, the islands were held by many European powers, including Spain, England, Holland, France, the Knights of Malta, and Denmark.
The Danish West India Company settled on Saint Thomas in 1672, on Saint John in 1694, and purchased Saint Croix from the French in 1733. The islands became royal Danish colonies in 1754. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands’ economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries, until the abolition of slavery by Governor Peter von Scholten on July 3, 1848.
Related Travel Information
Politics of the U.S. Virgin Islands
The U.S. Virgin Islands are an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States. Although U.S. citizens, Virgin Islanders cannot vote in U.S. Presidential elections.
The main political parties in the U.S. Virgin Islands are the Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands, the Independent Citizen's Movement (ICM), and the Republican Party of the Virgin Islands. Additional candidates run as independents.
At the national level, the U.S. Virgin Islands elects a delegate to Congress.
At the territorial level, fifteen senators -- seven from the district of Saint Croix, seven from the district of Saint Thomas and Saint John, and one
Economy of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Tourism is the primary economic activity. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year, many of whom visit on cruise ships. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textile, electronics, rum distilling, pharmaceutical, and watch assembly plants. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. Hovensa, one of the world's largest petroleum refineries, is located on Saint Croix.
The islands are subject to tropical storms and hurricanes. In recent history, substantial damage was caused by Hurricane Hugo in 1989
Virgin Islands
America purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917. Columbus who discovered them in 1493, in honour of the 10,000 virgins of. St.Ursula who died at the hands of the Huns, somewhere in 7-th century Europe . They consist of three islands. St. Thomas is the capital and is well known with cruisers. It has alluring beaches, good dining and a few historic sights. St. John is a short distance from St. Thomas and is almost completely unspoilt. The transaction hasn't proved quite as lucky as the purchase of Alaska , the Virgin Islands have seen many a tourist
Geography of the U.S. Virgin Islands
The U.S. Virgin Islands are located in the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, about 50 miles east of Puerto Rico. The territory consists of four main islands: Saint Thomas, Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island, as well as several dozen smaller islands. The combined land area of the islands is roughly twice the size of Washington, D.C..
The U.S. Virgin Islands are known for their white sand beaches, including Magens Bay and Trunk Bay, and strategic harbors, including Charlotte Amalie and Christiansted. Most of the islands, including Saint Thomas, are volcanic in origin and
Demographics of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Population: 120,917 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.8% (male 17,258; female 16,359)
15-64 years: 63.72% (male 35,026; female 42,021)
65 years and over: 8.48% (male 4,435; female 5,818) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.07% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 15.96 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 5.36 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.83 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 9.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.11 years
male: 74.2 years
female: 82.25 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility
