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Former stomping ground of some of history's most famous seafarers, the Virgin Islands are now invaded by thousands of visitors who arrive daily by cruise ship and plane from Miami and Puerto Rico. The greatest number of visitors come between December and April; summer is slower and a bit hotter, but, to compensate, all hotels lower their prices.

These green, hilly islands, some governed by the United States and some by Great Britain, number about 100 in all. Most are tiny and virtually uninhabited, except for a few birds or an adventurous boating party stopping off for a little snorkeling or swimming. For an ultimate tropical getaway, it's even possible to rent an entire island for yourself.

The Virgins have the best temperatures (averaging around 78°F) in the West Indies, thanks to the ever-present trade winds that keep the air from getting unbearably hot. In addition, both the U.S. Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands report lower humidity levels than many of the other Caribbean isles, making them a quintessential vacation paradise in both summer and winter. On nearly any day of the year, you can count on sunshine for at least part of the day. Rain showers do come, but they're usually a welcome relief and pass quickly.

The islands are part of the larger archipelago known as the Lesser Antilles, located where the Atlantic Ocean meets the calmer Caribbean Sea. Coral reefs shield many of the island's northern beaches from the wicked surf of the Atlantic. The islands' southern coasts border the usually calmer waters of the Caribbean. St. Croix, south of St. Thomas and St. John, is entirely in the Caribbean Sea.

Today, most Virgin Islands natives are descendants of African slaves who worked the sugarcane plantations. In recent years, the local population has swelled with an influx of "down islanders"--people from other Caribbean islands. Many Puerto Ricans have also come here (it's only 30 minutes by air); they are joined by many mainland Americans. The old ways of the islands are all but gone in bustling St. Thomas and St. Croix, but may still be found in St. John and some pockets of the British Virgins, especially on laid-back Virgin Gorda.

The name "Virgin" came from Christopher Columbus, the great labeler of Caribbean islands. Impressed by their number, he called the islands Las Once Mil Virgenes in honor of St. Ursula's 11,000 martyred maidens.

Facts and Information

Population of territory: 101,809 (1990 census)

• St. Croix: 50,139
• St. Thomas: 48,166
• St. John: 3,504
• Water Island: ??? under 500
• Official language: English
• Currency: U.S. Dollar
• Citizenship: American
• Electricity: 110 volts
• Television: NTSC (U.S. standard)
• Mail service: U.S. Postal Service ~ same postal rates apply
• Automobile traffic: Drive on the LEFT side of the road
• Approximately 4,600 hotel rooms
• Largest freeport in the Caribbean with $1,200 duty-free allowance

Geography

• Located in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean (between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea)
• Comprised of approximately 50 islands and cays, the largest of which are St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas and Water Island
• St. Croix: 84 square-miles (Point Udall is the easternmost point of the United States)
• St. Thomas: 32 square-miles (Charlotte Amalie is the territory's capital)
• St. John: 19 square-miles (two-thirds U.S. National Park)

Temperature and time

• Average temperatures range from 77F in the winter and 82F in the summer
• Atlantic Standard Time zone, GMT+4, daylight savings time not observed

Ethnic Background

• The majority of present-day indigenous people are West Indians of African descent
• Taino and Carib Indians inhabited these islands for nearly 3000 years, but most were killed off during European occupation
• Today's native populations include people from all continents
• Estimated 45% of St. Croix's population is Spanish-speaking

Government

• American territory governed by U.S. laws
• Constitution of the Territory: the 1954 Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands, amended in 1968-1972
• Three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial
• Political parties: Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands, Independent Citizen's Movement, and the Progressive Republican Party of the Virgin Islands
• Gubernatorial elections held every four years and general elections held every two years for the 15 seats in the territory's Senate and for the Delegate to the U.S. Congress. Although U.S. citizens, not able to vote in U.S. Presidential election.
• Officials: Governor Charles W. Turnbull; Lieutenant Governor Luz James; Delegate to U.S. Congress Donna Christian-Christensen

History

• Christopher Columbus discovered the islands on his second voyage to the New World, landing on St. Croix in 1493, which he named Santa Cruz
• Denmark purchased the islands in 1733, bringing St. John and St. Thomas under Danish rule
• Six flags have flown over these islands before being purchased by the United States: Spanish, Dutch, British, French, Knights of Malta, Danish
• The United States purchased St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas, formerly part of the Danish West Indies in 1917, under the administration of the U.S. Navy, for $25 million in gold.
• The U.S. Department of the Interior later took over the administration of the islands
• Fifty acres of Water Island, located a quarter mile off St. Thomas' south shore, were transferred from the U.S. Department of the Interior to the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands in December 1996