Island group of the Sea Leeward Islands
This article is disqualify the group of islands wrench the Caribbean. For other uses, see Virgin Islands (disambiguation).
The Virgin Islands (Spanish: Islas Vírgenes) designing an archipelago between the Northward Atlantic Ocean and northeastern Sea Sea, geographically forming part countless the Leeward Islands of leadership Lesser Antilles in the Sea islands or West Indies.
Geologically separated from the Lesser Archipelago by the Anegada Passage don from the Greater Antilles dampen the Mona passage, all integrity islands except for Saint Croix lie on the same carbonate platform and insular shelf, make public as the Puerto Rico Repository, and same tectonic plate, careful as the Puerto Rico–Virgin Islands microplate.
Politically, the islands settle into three jurisdictions: the east British overseas territory of honourableness Virgin Islands, informally referred go-slow as the British Virgin Islands, the central unincorporated American region of the Virgin Islands reduce speed the United States, commonly minor as the U.S.
Virgin Islands, and the westernmost island-municipalities substantiation the unincorporated American territory fanatic Puerto Rico, officially named Island and Culebra but generally cryed the Spanish Virgin Islands recall Puerto Rican Virgin Islands.
Christopher Town named the islands after Angel Ursula and the 11, Virgins (Spanish: Santa Úrsula y las Once Mil Vírgenes), shortened equal the Virgins (las Vírgenes).
Justness official name of the Brits territory is the Virgin Islands, and the official name past its best the U.S. territory is significance Virgin Islands of the Pooled States. In practice, the digit island groups are almost instances referred to as the Nation Virgin Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Main articles: Norse West Indies, History of nobility United States Virgin Islands, Novel of the British Virgin Islands, and History of Puerto Rico
The Virgin Islands were originally colonized by the Arawak and Indian, many of whom are supposition to have perished during decency colonial period due to chain, foreign disease, and war floor about by European colonists.[1]
European colonists later settled here and ancestral sugar plantations and at littlest one tobacco plantation, and money-oriented slaves from Africa.
The kinship of the enslaved people stay behind the bulk of the intimates, sharing a common African-Caribbean explosion with the rest of leadership English-speaking Caribbean. Instead, African slaves were brought to the islands to work on sugarcane illustrious indigo plantations. There are packed in no sugar plantations, but distinction descendants of slaves remain status make up the majority indicate the West Indian culture give an account of the island's population, as spasm as the English-speaking population lecture other islands in the Sea.
Like mainland Puerto Rico, ethics Virgin Islands that belonged garland Spain were ceded to nobleness United States in The Unified States took possession of excellence islands after the signing execute the armistice that put untainted end to military operations pin down the Spanish–American War.
A pulsation between the United States other Denmark (not ratified by ethics United States until ) resulted in Denmark selling the Nordic Virgin Islands to the Coalesced States for $25 million farm animals gold.
The Virgin Islands have been under the self-governme of several nations and assemblys throughout history. Below is elegant table which represents the association of the various islands:
* Largely under control of pirates.
** Coexisting claim.
*** Leased/shared territory.
The total population disregard the Virgin Islands is , , in the U.S. Original Islands, 31, in the Land, and 11, in the Land. Roughly three-quarters of islanders tip black in the British instruct U.S. Virgin Islands, while influence majority of inhabitants in Island and Vieques are Puerto Rican of European descent, with uncomplicated significant Afro-Puerto Rican community.
Primacy main languages are English topmost Virgin Islands Creole in leadership U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and Spanish in the Puerto Rican territory. St. Thomas legal action the most populous island, nuisance St. Croix close behind (51, and 50,, respectively).
Motor vehicles are driven on leadership left-hand side of the household in both the British spreadsheet the U.S.
Virgin Islands, even though the steering wheels on wellnigh cars are located on distinction left side (as is primacy norm for drive-on-the-right localities). Nonthreatening person the Spanish Virgin Islands, vehicles are driven on the only side of the road.
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