Virgin Islands

Virgin Islands, group of about 100 small islands, West Indies, E of Puerto Rico. The islands are divided politically between the United States and Great Britain. Although constituting the westernmost part of the Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands form a geological unit with Puerto Rico and the Greater Antilles; they are of volcanic origin overlaid with limestone. The islands are subject to sometimes severe hurricanes between August and October and suffer from light earthquakes. The water supply is almost completely dependent on rainfall and is preserved in cisterns; some water also comes from desalinization plants. The tropical climate, with its cooling northeast trade winds, and the picturesque quality of the islands, enhanced by their Old World architecture, have encouraged a large tourist trade, but the population, predominantly of African descent, remains poor. The islands were first visited by Europeans when Columbus landed on St. Croix in 1493.

The Virgin Islands of the United States

The Virgin Islands of the United States (2005 est. pop. 108,700), 133 sq mi (344 sq km), are a U.S. territory. They were purchased from Denmark in 1917 for $25 million because of their strategic position alongside the approach to the Panama Canal. Under a law passed in 1954, the islands are administered by the U.S. Dept. of the Interior; a governor and senate are locally elected. John deJongh was elected governor in 2006. Since 1927, residents have enjoyed U.S. citizenship, and since 1973 they have been represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by a nonvoting delegate. The capital is Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas; other cities are Christiansted and Frederiksted, both on St. Croix.

Although 68 islands comprise the group, only the three largest—St. Croix (80 sq mi/207 sq km), St. Thomas (32 sq mi/83 sq km), and St. John (20 sq mi/52 sq km)—are of importance. St. Thomas is mountainous and encloses many snug harbors and bays; Charlotte Amalie, the chief port, has one of the finest harbors in the Caribbean. Tourism, especially the cruise-ship trade, is the main source of income on St. Thomas. St. Croix, with less mountainous terrain, has an economy that depends in large part on tourism, but manufacturing and agriculture are also important. Food crops are raised; sugarcane is no longer grown, but rum is still distilled. Cattle are raised on all three islands. The Virgin Islands National Park covers much of St. John.

Settlement of St. Thomas was begun by the Danish West India Company in 1672; St. John was claimed by Denmark in 1683, and St. Croix was purchased from France in 1733. The islands became a Danish royal colony in 1754. In 1801, and again from 1807 to 1815, the islands were in British hands.

The British Virgin Islands

Immediately to the northeast of the U.S. Virgin Islands are the British Virgin Islands, a British dependency (2005 est. pop. 22,600), 59 sq mi (153 sq km). They are ruled by a governor (appointed by the crown) and an executive and a legislative council. There are more than 30 islands; 16 are inhabited. The principal ones are Tortola, Anegada, and Virgin Gorda. Road Town, the capital, is on Tortola. Tourism and offshore banking are the most important economic activities. Britain acquired the islands from the Dutch in 1666.

Bibliography

See H. W. Hannau, The Virgin Islands: St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John (1965); E. A. O'Neill, Rape of the American Virgins (1972); W. W. Boyer, America's Virgin Islands (1983); I. Dookhan, A History of the Virgin Islands of the United States (1974, repr. 1994).