Within Denmark, it is besides known as A Previous Danish West Indian Islands(De tidligere Dansk Vestindiske Øer). |- | align=center colspan=Ii style=border-bottom:3px firm gray; | National motto: "United in Pride and Hope" |- | align=center colspan=Ii | |- | Official language | English |- | Capital | Charlotte Amalie |- | Chief of state | George W. Bush |- | Governor | Charles Wesley Turnbull |- | Area
 - Total
 - % water | Ranked N/A
352 km²
1% |- | Population
 - Total (2003)
 - Density | Ranked N/A
124,778 (July 2003 est.)
354/km² |- | Independence | none (territory of the USA), Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 |- | Currency | U.S. dollar (USD) |- | Time zone | UTC-4 (there is no DST) |- | National anthem | Virgin Islands March |- | Internet TLD | .vi |- | Calling Code | 1-340 |}

History

A Virgin Islands were originally settled by the Ciboney, Carib, and Arawaks. A islands were known as by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage around 1493 for Saint Ursula and her virgin followers. On top a next 3 hundred years, a islands were held by numbers of European powers, including Spain, England, Netherlands, France, the Knights of Malta, and Denmark.

A Danish West India Company settled on Saint Thomas in 1672, on Saint John in 1694, and purchased Saint Croix from the French within 1733. A islands became royal Danish colonies around 1754, their name around Danish translating when Jomfruøerne. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during a Eighteenth & early Nineteenth centuries, until the abolition of slavery by Governor Peter von Scholten on July 3, 1848.

When you took a submarine warfare phases of the First World War, the USA, fearing that the islands will exist as seized by Germany as a submarine base, approached Denmark to sell a islands to the United states. In January 17, 1917, a United States bought the Danish West Indies for $25 million and took possession of the islands on March 31. A Danish Crown may have felt pressure to assume a low, thinking that a USA would seize a islands, whenever Denmark was invaded by Germany. U.S. citizenship was later granted to the denizen of the islands around 1927.

Geography
Independent article: Geography of the U.S. Virgin Islands

A U.S. Virgin Islands come in the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, about L miles east of Puerto Rico. A territory consists of iv independent islands: Saint Thomas, Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island, as well as many xii little islands. A concerted acreage of a islands is about twice the size of Washington, D.C..

A U.S. Virgin Islands come known for their whiten sand beaches, including Magens Bay and Trunk Bay, and strategical harbors, including Charlotte Amalie and Christiansted. Virtually all of the islands, including Saint Thomas, come volcanic around origin & mountainous. A greatest point is Crown Mountain, Saint Thomas (474m). Saint Croix, a largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, lies south & has the flatter terrain. A National Park Service owns more than half of Saint John, 100% of Hassel Island, and many acres of coral reef. (Understand too Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, Buck Island Reef National Monument, Christiansted National Historic Site, and Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve.)

A Virgin Islands lie on the boundary of the North American plate and the Caribbean Plate. Natural hazards include earthquakes, tropical cyclones and tsunamis.

Politics
Independent article: Politics of the U.S. Virgin Islands

A U.S. Virgin Islands come an unionised, unincorporated territory of the United States. Although U.S. citizens, Virgin Islanders can't vote in U.S. Presidential elections, though they can vote in Presidential primaries.

A independent political parties in the U.S. Virgin Islands come a Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands, the Independent Citizens Movement (ICM), and a Republican Party of the Virgin Islands. Extra candidates start when independents.

At a national level, a U.S. Virgin Islands elects a delegate to Congress. Nevertheless, a elective delegate has there are no vote rights around Congress.

At a territorial level, fifteen senators—seven from the district of Saint Croix, seven from the district of Saint Thomas and Saint John, and one senator at-large who must be a resident of Saint John—are elected for two-years term to the unicameral Virgin Islands Legislature.

A U.S. Virgin Islands has elective a territorial governor every four years since 1970. Former governors were appointed per President of the United States.

A U.S. Virgin Islands has two the District Court & the Superior Court. Judges come appointed per President & a Governor severally.

A United States Congress has organized many local referenda to help in the islands' self-determination. When by owning Puerto Rico, a residents keep close at h& been given the guide of independence, status quo, or possibly even statehood; notwithstanding, these measures use at times failed to attract sufficient civic interest or elector turn-bent on make even a noteworthy plurality, tremendously less a majority, and so the islands might locate their todays territorial status for the forseeable new. These are theorized that first Puerto Rican statehood can help as a catalyst for political interest in the V.I personally., also when more territories.

By using very much disputation, these efforts per Federal Government to normalize a unincorporated territory's status come all discounted per United Nations Committee in Decolonization, & a U.S. Virgin Islands come presently in the listings of non-self-governing territories.

Economy
Independent article: Economy of the U.S. Virgin Islands

Tourism is the primary economic activity. A islands usually carrier Two milliin visitant a year, several of whom visit on cruise ships. A manufacturing sector consists of crude refinement, material, electronics, rum distilling, pharmaceutical, & keep an eye on assembly plants. A farming sector is little, by owning virtually all food existence imported. International business & fiscal services come the microscopic however growing component of the economy. Hovensa, one of the world's big petroleum refineries, is located in Saint Croix.

A islands come subject to tropical storms & hurricanes. Around recent history, real damage was from either Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and Hurricane Marilyn in 1995.

Miscellaneous

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the U.S.

Communications in the United States Virgin Islands Demographics of the U.S. Virgin Islands Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands List of U.S. Virgin Islands Governors Transportation in the United States Virgin Islands US Congress Representatives from US Virgin Islands

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