Go on a cruise, sailing, diving or visiting its National Park are some of the activities that you can practice in the US Virgin Islands (map)

Over the blue Caribbean Sea rises the green color of these volcanic islands. No one knows exactly how many islands there are, but in his second trip in 1493, Christopher Columbus thought there were too many islands to be counted and decided to baptize them with the name of 11,000 martyr virgins according to Santa Ursula’s legends. Though it is clear is an overestimated number, the true is that sixty eight of these islands are US possession, with a territory reaching a total of 352 square km., while 50 of them are British.

Located in the upper end of the chain forming the Little Antilles archipelago, only three of these Virgin Islands are inhabited, being St. Thomas (51,000 pop.), one of the most developed, with a port where up to eight cruisers arrive daily. St. John (3,500 pop.) is the tiniest and less developed of them, and the so-called Virgin Islands National Park occupies most of its territory. Then comes St. Croix (49,000 pop.), 64 km. south east of the aforementioned.

When in the 1960’s the sugar cane production declined, and their economy was in jeopardy; the US decided to develop their tourist potential for US citizens. Today more than 2 million tourists enjoy heavenly vacations here.

St. Thomas, especially Charlotte Amalie its capital, receives most of them. There are few places not built yet, which makes finding a place to enjoy solitude a very hard task.

In September 1995, a strong hurricane (Marilyn), devastated many resorts and it took more than a year to resume normal service.

A Flourishing Danish Colony
When Columbus tried to explore into these islands he had a hostile reception. The ferocity showed by the native Caribbean Indians, prevented the colonization by Europeans until well into the XVII century. The Danes were the first to settle down in
St. Thomas and St. John.

Around 1625 the first communities of Dutch and English colonists began to establish in St. Croix. Years later in 1650, the island was conquered by Spaniards, who were expelled by the Malta Order Knights, under French sovereignty. Finally in 1733, St. Croix was sold to Denmark and the Danish West Indies became a colony in 1754, prospering thanks to the sugar cane plantations, and the boom in the trade of slaves that took place in St. Thomas, an important port in the Atlantic route. But, due to the abolition of slavery, the fall in the sugar price and the technical advances in navigation reduced St. Thomas importance, causing stagnation and decline of its economy.

Meanwhile, during the War World I, the US had these islands in mind, willing to have a strategic Caribbean territory to protect the recently inaugurated Panama Channel (1914) from the Germans. In 1917 Denmark sold these islands to the US for 25 million dollars. Ruled by the US Navy until 1931, when the first civil government was established, a year later American citizenship was granted to their inhabitants.

After World War II the islands were abandoned for sometime, but the conflict between the US and Cuba meant the arrival of new American tourists willing to enjoy the new white sand beaches, coral reefs and blue seas. During those years, the building industry boom brought lots of workers, most of them from the others Caribbean islands. At the same time in St. Croix, new industrial centers were opened and the economy of the US Virgin Islands flourished; in fact, they have the higher life standard of the West Indies. Lately, rows have arisen between the native workers, having the worst jobs, and those coming from the US.