U.S. Virgin Islands - 美属维尔京群岛

United States Virgin IslandsYesAmericaAn unincorporated territorial archipelago in the Caribbean Sea borderingPuerto RicoEast, atLesser AntillesLeeward IslandsThe northernmost point. The archipelago was originally namedDenmarkIt belongs to the West Indies and was bought by the United States in 1916 and changed its current name. In terms of geography, the U.S. Virgin Islands are part of the Virgin Islands. Since the sovereignty of another part of the Virgin Islands is nowU.KTherefore, the British territorial part of the archipelago is usually referred to as the "British Virgin Islands", while the American territorial part is called the "U.S. Virgin Islands." The U.S. Virgin Islands is composed of more than 50 large and small islands and coral reefs, covering an area of ​​344 square kilometers. The largest of the islands isSt. Croix、St. John's IslandwithSt. ThomasAnd the area is relatively small, but has a special historical significanceMizushima. Has a tropical climate. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the U.S. Virgin Islands has 108,612 residents, mainly blacks and mixed races, most of whom are of African-Caribbean descent. General English. Many believe in Christianity, Protestantism and Catholicism. Tourism, construction, food, fishing, and fruit cultivation are the main industries. CapitalCharlotte Amalie. The U.S. Virgin Islands is the only area in the United States where road traffic runs on the left. The main economic branch of the U.S. Virgin Islands is tourism, and there are also important production sectors.

learn

history

The first people living in the Virgin Islands were the Cibones, Caribs and Arawaks. The name of the islands was named by Christopher Columbus during his second expedition in 1493 after Saint Ursula and his virgin followers. In the next two hundred years, European powers such as Spain, Britain, the Netherlands, France, and Denmark-Norway occupied it one after another.

In 1672, the Danish West India Company established a foothold on St. Thomas Island, and in 1694 it established a foothold on St. John’s Island. The island of St. Croix was purchased from France in 1733. In 1754, the archipelago became the royal colony of Denmark and was named the Danish West Indies. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, sugarcane was the main driving force of the archipelago economy through slave labor. On July 3, 1848, the Danish Governor abolished slavery.

Since then the archipelago was unable to support itself economically, and Denmark had to transfer a large amount of money to the island government. In 1867, Denmark and the United States reached an agreement to sell St. Thomas and St. John’s Island, but the transaction was not executed. The island government tried to revive the island’s economy through a series of reforms, but did not achieve much. In 1902, the two countries agreed to resell again, but the Danish Parliament rejected the deal with a small majority.

The outbreak of the First World War led to the suspension of reforms, and the islands were once again isolated and helpless. The United States was afraid that Germany would occupy the Virgin Islands as its submarine warfare base, so it once again made a purchase proposal to the Danish government. After months of negotiation, the two sides reached an agreement. At the same time, the Danish government is facing a heavy and continuous depression, so the parliament has also presented a consensus on agreeing to sell.

The two parties signed the treaty in August 1916, and Denmark approved the decision in a referendum in December 1916. The United States and Denmark exchanged their respective signed treaties on January 17, 1917, and the treaty came into effect. On March 31, 1917, the United States began to control the U.S. Virgin Islands. In 1927, residents of the islands were granted U.S. citizenship.

Mizushima is a small island south of St. Thomas. It was originally under the management of the US federal government. Until 1996, it was not included in the US territory like other islands in the US Virgin Islands. Approximately 20 hectares of land on the water island was transferred to the archipelago government in 1996. The remaining 82 hectares were sold to the archipelago government for $10 from the U.S. Department of the Interior in May 2005. This resale officially marked the sovereignty change of the remaining part of the island.

geography

The U.S. Virgin Islands are located in the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, about 64 kilometers east of Puerto Rico and directly west of the British Virgin Islands. It consists of four main islands: St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Water Island, in addition to dozens of small islands. The locals gave the main island a variety of nicknames: "Twin Cities Island" on St. Croix Island, "Rock City Island" on St. Thomas Island, and "Love City Island" on St. John's Island. The total area of ​​all these islands is about twice that of Washington, DC.

The U.S. Virgin Islands is known for its white beaches and strategic seaports Charlotte Amalie and Christiansted. Most islands, including St. Thomas, are volcanic and mountainous. The highest point is on the island of St. Thomas, 474 meters above sea level. St. Croix is ​​the largest island in area. It is located in the southern part of the archipelago and has a relatively flat terrain. The National Park Service owns most of St. John’s Island, almost the entire area of ​​Hassell Island, and many coral reefs.

The U.S. Virgin Islands are located on the joint between the North American and Caribbean plates. Local natural disasters include earthquakes and tropical cyclones.

climate

The U.S. Virgin Islands has a tropical maritime climate, and is often controlled by easterly trade winds brought by subtropical high pressure all year round, with little change in temperature. In summer and autumn, it is occasionally hit by hurricanes that form west of Africa and over the Atlantic Ocean.

arrival

aviation

St. Croix and St. Thomas each have an international airport.

Travel around

communication

postal

The United States Postal Service is responsible for postal services in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The abbreviation of the islands is VI, and the postal code is 008xx.

telephone

The U.S. Virgin Islands is part of the North American telephone area code, which is 340. Visitors and residents can call toll-free numbers in the United States.

area

city

Other destinations

learn

Language

arrival

transportation

go sightseeing

Activity

Dining

Nightlife

Safety

Next stop