Facts & Figures about the U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John, Water Island

FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

General 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

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

U.S. Virgin Islands Information Guide