The locations of the US and UK Virgin IslandsRigobert Bonne: Map of the Virgin Islands, 1780
Christopher Columbus named the islands after Saint Ursula and the 11,000 Virgins (Spanish: Santa Úrsula y las Once Mil Vírgenes), shortened to the Virgins (las Vírgenes). The official name of the British territory is the Virgin Islands, and the official name of the U.S. territory is the Virgin Islands of the United States. In practice, the two island groups are almost universally referred to as the British Virgin Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Virgin Islands were originally inhabited by the Arawak and Carib, many of whom are thought to have perished during the colonial period due to enslavement, foreign disease, and war brought about by European colonists.[2]
European colonists later settled here and established sugar plantations, at least one tobacco plantation, and kidnapped people from Africa to enslave them. The descendants of the enslaved people remain the bulk of the population, sharing a common African-Caribbean heritage with the rest of the English-speaking Caribbean.
Like mainland Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands that belonged to Spain were ceded to the United States in 1898. The United States took possession of the islands after the signing of the armistice that put an end to military operations in the Spanish–American War.
A 1916 treaty between the United States and Denmark (not ratified by the United States until 1917) resulted in Denmark selling the Danish Virgin Islands to the United States for $25 million in gold.
Historical affiliationsedit
The Virgin Islands have been under the sovereignty of several nations and groups throughout history. Below is a table which represents the affiliation of the various islands:
The total population of the Virgin Islands is 147,778: 104,901 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, 31,758 in the British, and 11,119 in the Spanish. Roughly three-quarters of islanders are black in the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, while the majority of inhabitants in Culebra and Vieques are Puerto Rican of European descent, with a significant Afro-Puerto Rican community. The main languages are English and Virgin Islands Creole in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and Spanish in the Puerto Rican territory. St. Thomas is the most populous island, with St. Croix close behind (51,634 and 50,601, respectively).
Motor vehicles are driven on the left-hand side of the road in both the British and the U.S. Virgin Islands, although the steering wheels on most cars are located on the left side (as is the norm for drive-on-the-right localities). In the Spanish Virgin Islands, vehicles are driven on the right-hand side of the road.
^Lazell, James (2005). Island: Fact and Theory in Nature. University of California Press. p. 382. ISBN9780520931596.
^Pereña, Luciano (1992). Genocidio en América. Madrid: Editorial MAPFRE. p. 351. ISBN84-7100-453-4.
General sourcesedit
Colin Thomas, J.; Allard, William Albert; Wolinsky, Cary (February 1981). "Paradise Comes of Age: The U.S. Virgin Islands". National Geographic. Vol. 159, no. 2. pp. 225–243.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Virgin Islands.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Virgin Islands.
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Virgin Islands
BVI.gov: British Virgin Islands government website
U.S. Office of Insular Affairs: United States Virgin Islands government website
Digital Library of the Caribbean: University of the Virgin Islands information
virgin, islands, this, article, about, group, islands, caribbean, other, uses, disambiguation, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenge. This article is about the group of islands in the Caribbean For other uses see Virgin Islands disambiguation This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Virgin Islands news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Virgin Islands Spanish Islas Virgenes are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles 1 the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St Croix being a displaced part of the same geologic structure Politically the British Virgin Islands have been governed as the western island group of the Leeward Islands which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles and form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean The archipelago is separated from the true Lesser Antilles by the Anegada Passage and from the main island of Puerto Rico by the Virgin Passage Virgin Islands Spanish Virgin Islands of Puerto Rico United States Virgin Islands British Virgin Islands Puerto RicoGeographyLocationCaribbean Sea Atlantic OceanCoordinates18 12 N 64 48 W 18 2 N 64 8 W 18 2 64 8ArchipelagoLeeward IslandsUnited StatesInsular areaUnited States Virgin IslandsInsular areaPuerto RicoUnited KingdomOverseas territoryBritish Virgin IslandsThe islands fall into three different political jurisdictions Virgin Islands informally referred to as British Virgin Islands a British overseas territory Virgin Islands of the United States an unincorporated territory of the United States Spanish Virgin Islands the easternmost islands of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico itself an unincorporated territory of the United States Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Historical affiliations 3 Demography 4 Traffic control 5 See also 6 Citations 7 General sources 8 External linksEtymology edit nbsp The locations of the US and UK Virgin Islands nbsp Rigobert Bonne Map of the Virgin Islands 1780Christopher Columbus named the islands after Saint Ursula and the 11 000 Virgins Spanish Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Virgenes shortened to the Virgins las Virgenes The official name of the British territory is the Virgin Islands and the official name of the U S territory is the Virgin Islands of the United States In practice the two island groups are almost universally referred to as the British Virgin Islands and the U S Virgin Islands History editMain articles Danish West Indies History of the United States Virgin Islands History of the British Virgin Islands and History of Puerto Rico The Virgin Islands were originally inhabited by the Arawak and Carib many of whom are thought to have perished during the colonial period due to enslavement foreign disease and war brought about by European colonists 2 European colonists later settled here and established sugar plantations at least one tobacco plantation and kidnapped people from Africa to enslave them The descendants of the enslaved people remain the bulk of the population sharing a common African Caribbean heritage with the rest of the English speaking Caribbean Like mainland Puerto Rico the Virgin Islands that belonged to Spain were ceded to the United States in 1898 The United States took possession of the islands after the signing of the armistice that put an end to military operations in the Spanish American War A 1916 treaty between the United States and Denmark not ratified by the United States until 1917 resulted in Denmark selling the Danish Virgin Islands to the United States for 25 million in gold Historical affiliations edit The Virgin Islands have been under the sovereignty of several nations and groups throughout history Below is a table which represents the affiliation of the various islands present day U S V I present day British V I present day Spanish V I P R St Thomas St John St Croix Tortola Virgin Gorda Anegada Jost Van Dyke Culebra ViequesNew Spain 1493 1625 New Spain 1493 1671 New Spain 1493 1625 New Spain 1493 1648 New Spain 1493 1628 New Spain 1493 1648 New Spain 1493 1750 New Spain 1493 1580 New Spain 1493 1580 Puerto Rico SP 1580 1898 Puerto Rico SP 1580 1689 Dutch Virgin Islands 1625 1651 Dutch Virgin Islands 1625 1650 Dutch Virgin Islands 1628 1680 British Leeward Islands 1625 1650 British Leeward Islands 1650 Dutch Virgin Islands 1648 1672 Dutch Virgin Islands 1648 1680 Puerto Rico SP 1650 Danish West Indies 1651 1801 Knights Hospitaller 1651 1664 French West Indies 1664 1733 Danish West Indies 1671 1684 British Leeward Islands 1672 1816 British Leeward Islands 1680 1816 British Leeward Islands 1680 1816 Brandenburg Prussia 1689 1693 Brandenburg Prussia 1685 1754 British Leeward Islands 1684 1718 Puerto Rico SP 1693 1698 Danish West Indies 1651 1801 Danish West Indies 1718 1801 Danish West Indies 1733 1801 British Leeward Islands 1750 1816 Scottish Darien Company 1698 Danish West Indies 1698 1811 British Leeward Islands 1801 1802 British Leeward Islands 1801 1802 British Leeward Islands 1801 1802 British Leeward Islands 1698 1811 Danish West Indies 1802 1807 Danish West Indies 1802 1807 Danish West Indies 1802 1807 French West Indies 1698 1811 British Leeward Islands 1807 1815 British Leeward Islands 1807 1815 British Leeward Islands 1807 1815 Puerto Rico SP 1698 1811 Danish West Indies 1815 1917 Danish West Indies 1815 1917 Danish West Indies 1815 1917 British Virgin Islands 1816 1833 British Virgin Islands 1816 1833 British Virgin Islands 1816 1833 British Virgin Islands 1816 1833 Puerto Rico SP 1811 1898 British Leeward Islands 1833 1958 British Leeward Islands 1833 1958 British Leeward Islands 1833 1958 British Leeward Islands 1833 1958 Puerto Rico US 1898 present Puerto Rico US 1898 present United States Virgin Islands 1917 present United States Virgin Islands 1917 present United States Virgin Islands 1917 present British Virgin Islands 1958 present British Virgin Islands 1958 present British Virgin Islands 1958 present British Virgin Islands 1958 present Largely under control of pirates Coexisting claim Leased shared territoryDemography editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed January 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message The total population of the Virgin Islands is 147 778 104 901 in the U S Virgin Islands 31 758 in the British and 11 119 in the Spanish Roughly three quarters of islanders are black in the British and U S Virgin Islands while the majority of inhabitants in Culebra and Vieques are Puerto Rican of European descent with a significant Afro Puerto Rican community The main languages are English and Virgin Islands Creole in the U S and British Virgin Islands and Spanish in the Puerto Rican territory St Thomas is the most populous island with St Croix close behind 51 634 and 50 601 respectively Name Sovereign State Subdivisions Area km2 Population 2005 est Population density per km2 CapitalBritish Virgin Islands United Kingdom Districts 153 0 31 758 207 6 Road TownSpanish Virgin Islands Puerto Rico United States Barrios 165 1 11 119 67 3 San Juan PRUnited States Virgin Islands United States Districts 346 4 104 901 302 8 Charlotte AmalieTotal 664 5 147 778 222 4Traffic control editMotor vehicles are driven on the left hand side of the road in both the British and the U S Virgin Islands although the steering wheels on most cars are located on the left side as is the norm for drive on the right localities In the Spanish Virgin Islands vehicles are driven on the right hand side of the road See also edit nbsp Caribbean portal nbsp Puerto Rico portal nbsp United States portal nbsp United Kingdom portalCulture of the Virgin Islands Danish Virgin Islands Dutch Virgin Islands Music of the Virgin Islands Virgin Islands Creole Virgin Islands patch reefsCitations edit Lazell James 2005 Island Fact and Theory in Nature University of California Press p 382 ISBN 9780520931596 Perena Luciano 1992 Genocidio en America Madrid Editorial MAPFRE p 351 ISBN 84 7100 453 4 General sources editColin Thomas J Allard William Albert Wolinsky Cary February 1981 Paradise Comes of Age The U S Virgin Islands National Geographic Vol 159 no 2 pp 225 243 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Virgin Islands nbsp Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Virgin Islands nbsp Wikisource has original text related to this article Virgin Islands BVI gov British Virgin Islands government website U S Office of Insular Affairs United States Virgin Islands government website Digital Library of the Caribbean University of the Virgin Islands information Virgin Islands Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol XXIV 9th ed 1888 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Virgin Islands amp oldid 1190670748, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
