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Virgin Islands, a group of some 100 small islands lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean east of Puerto Rico. They are divided into the United States Virgin Islands (the former Danish West Indies) and the British Virgin Islands. Christopher Columbus, noting the great number of islands when he discovered them in 1493, named them after Saint Ursula and the 11,000 virgins who shared her legendary voyage. During the next century the Spaniards killed or drove out the native Arawak and Carib Indians. The first permanent European colonies were founded by the Danes and the English in the 17th century. At that time Africans were brought in to work on the European plantations, and today the overwhelming majority of Virgin Islanders are of African descent. The United States Virgin Islands The western Virgin Islands are an unincorporated territory of the United States. They were purchased from Denmark in 1917 for $25 million. The territory comprises 68 islands covering 132 square miles (342 sq km). Of the three main islands, St. Thomas is closest to Puerto Rico, which lies 40 miles (65 km) to the west. St. John is 3 miles (5 km) east of St. Thomas, and St. Croix is 40 miles to the south. The territory had a population of 108,612 in the 2000 census. This figure represented a gain of 6.7% over the 1990 census total. The capital is Charlotte Amalie (2000 population, 11,004), on St. Thomas. The only other major towns are Christiansted (2,637) and Frederiksted (732), both on St. Croix. Physical Features. The land consists of a dramatic procession of craggy mountaintops rising from an underwater shelf. On St. Thomas the mountains reach 1,556 feet (474 meters); on St. John, 1,277 feet (389 meters); and on St. Croix, 1,165 feet (355 meters). The climate is one of the islands' chief assets, with a temperature that averages about 78° F (26° C). Humidity and pollen count are low. Annual rainfall averages about 40 inches (1,000 mm), but it may vary considerably, and most of it runs off. The first half of the year is slightly drier than the last. The lack of rivers and streams and the mountainous terrain make extensive cultivation difficult, but some 1,220 plants have been cataloged on St. Thomas alone. Large wildlife is scarce, except for a few deer and wild boar. The mongoose was successfully introduced to kill off the snakes. Lizards, iguanas, and land crabs abound. There are more than 220 species of birds, including wild parakeets, doves, egrets, pelicans, tropical species, and boobies, whose eggs are a great delicacy. The surrounding seas contain some of the most beautiful underwater scenery in the world, with many varieties of coral, sponge, and brightly colored fish. Some 650 varieties of shells are found. Virgin Islands National Park, dedicated in 1956, encompasses about two-thirds of St. John and extensive offshore areas. The park conserves the island's natural beauty and wildlife, underwater marine gardens, and historical objects including stone writings of the aboriginal inhabitants and the ruins of old forts and sugar plantations. The island's facilities for tourists range from a luxury resort to guest houses and national park camping accommodations. St. John lies about 3 miles (5 km) east of St. Thomas and is nearest to the British Virgin Islands. St. Thomas, like St. John, is mountainous with a narrow coastline and steep, terraced hills leading up to the central ridge. The town of Charlotte Amalie has an excellent natural harbor and contains a number of tourist facilities. On the east side of the island, Magens Bay has one of the finest beaches in the Caribbean. St. Croix is the flattest of the islands, but has mountains in the east and north. The north shore is bordered by coral reefs and numerous bays. The island has a variety of tourist accommodations. Buck Island Reef National Monument, northeast of St. Croix, is noted for its reefs, tropical fish, and underwater trail for snorkeling. The People. Approximately 63% of the people are classified as rural and 37% as urban. Nearly fourth-fifths of the people are classified as black and less than one-fifth as white. Between 1960 and 2000 the population more than tripled, owing both to a high rate of natural increase and to immigration, especially from other Caribbean islands. The territory has one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean. Many immigrants are attracted to the islands by better job opportunities and living conditions than are available in their respective countries. The islanders speak English. The Roman Catholic and Jewish faiths and various Protestant denominations are represented among the territory's population. A system of private and public schools at all levels serves the territory. The University of the Virgin Islands, founded in 1962, has its main campus on St. Thomas and a branch campus on St. Croix. The Economy. The Virgin Islands possess few natural resources other than their attractive climate, scenery, and beaches. Opportunities for farming are limited, and the chief mineral resource is stone. Oil refining and tourism have become the territory's main industries. During World War II, airfields were built on St. Thomas and St. Croix. Later converted to civilian use, they opened the territory to large-scale tourist traffic. In addition, many cruise ships stop at Virgin Islands ports. In 1950 about 15,000 tourists visited the islands. Around the turn of the century, more than 1.7 million visitors were spending over $800 million in the territory annually. The development of hotels, stores, restaurants, and recreational facilities to meet this tourist demand created thousands of new jobs in trade, services, and the construction industry. The territorial government is also a major employer. Liberal tax exemptions have been granted to new industries in an effort to diversify the economy and enable the islanders to acquire higher skills. Saint Croix is the site of one of the world's largest oil refineries. Various light industries produce articles such as jewelry and lotions. Because of a scarcity of water, desalinization plants have been built to make seawater fresh. These installations also produce electric power for the islands. St. Croix is the center of the territory's agricultural activities, mainly vegetable growing and cattle raising. Sugar production, which was once the mainstay of the islands' economy, went into decline as early as the 19th century (when sugar beets were introduced in Europe and the United States) and ended altogether in the 1960s. Commercial fishing also has been limited in scope. Government. The unincorporated territory is governed under provisions of an act of the United States Congress passed in 1936, revised in 1954, and subsequently amended. The territory's unicameral legislature consists of 15 senators, who are elected by the people every two years. The governor, who serves a four-year term, is also popularly elected. The judiciary consists of a federal district court, with judges appointed by the president of the United States, and a territorial district court, with judges appointed by the governor. The territory is represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by a single delegate, who may vote only in committees. Although Virgin Islanders are citizens of the United States, they do not vote in U.S. presidential elections. Between 1954 and 1993 five attempts were made to alter the status of the islands, but each effort failed in a referendum. Government operations are financed jointly from revenues collected locally and from federal taxes on certain articles produced in the Virgin Islands and transported to the United States. Separate federal grants are made for emergency purposes and essential public projects. History. Columbus is believed to have landed at Salt River Bay, St. Croix, in 1493. During the 17th century the Dutch, English, French, and Spaniards established themselves in parts of the present territory, but without lasting success. The first permanent European settlement was made by the Danes in 1672, on St. Thomas. Slaves were first imported the following year, and eventually Africans of some 20 ethnic groups were working on the islands' highly profitable sugar plantations. In 1717 the Danes began to settle St. John. The new colony prospered, but its economy suffered a temporary setback in 1733 when the slaves rebelled and held the island for six months, driving out the planters. The revolt caused the Danes to purchase St. Croix that year from the French. Before Denmark prohibited the slave trade in 1803, the Danish West Indies were known as the largest slave market in the world. Emancipation came in 1848, a year that was marked by another serious rebellion. With the decline of the sugar industry, due largely to competition from other producing areas, the islands' economy stagnated. Between 1835 and 1930, the population fell steadily from 43,000 to 22,000. Although the United States expressed interest in acquiring the Danish West Indies as early as the 1860s, it did not buy the islands until the opening of the Panama Canal and the outbreak of World War I (both in 1914) had made their strategic value too evident to ignore. The development of a tourist and industrial economy after 1945 restored prosperity to the islands but coincidentally introduced social problems. The importation of foreign workers to meet a labor shortage created tensions between native residents and immigrants, who received lower wages. The concentration of economic power and its benefits in the hands of white residents and nonresidents produced racial antagonisms. A wave of violent crimes that took the lives of more than a dozen persons during a two-year period abated in 1974. The political aspirations of the black community were recognized in 1968 when the first native black governor was appointed and the governorship was made elective, starting in 1970. Since 1973 the Virgin Islands have been represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by an elected delegate who has a voice, though no vote, in congressional deliberations. British Virgin Islands The eastern Virgin Islands, settled by English planters in 1666, are a British colony of 36 islands with a total area of 59 square miles (153 sq km). At the nearest point they are less than 1 mile (1.6 km) from the United States Virgin Islands, to which they are closely related geographically and economically. To preserve its economic ties with the U.S. territory, the colony did not join the 1958–1962 West Indies federation of British islands. Under the constitution of 1967, which was amended in 1977, the British Virgin Islands are administered by an appointed governor, an executive council, and a partly elected legislative council. The governor consults with the executive council, a body that includes ministers who are chosen from the elected membership of the legislative council. Physical Features. The British Virgin Islands are the easternmost extension of the Greater Antilles chain. They are separated from the Lesser Antilles by the Anegada Passage, one of the chief entrances into the Caribbean Sea. In climate, terrain, and natural resources, they are similar to the United States Virgin Islands, except that the British group has a main island which is low-lying and flat. The largest islands are Tortola, with an area of 21 square miles (54 sq km); Anegada, 15 square miles (39 sq km); and Virgin Gorda, 8 square miles (21 sq km). Their names are Spanish. Tortola ("turtle dove") rises to 1,780 feet (540 meters) on Mt. Sage, the highest point in all the Virgin Islands. The xerophytic, or drought-adapted, vegetation on this island is of great scientific interest. Anegada (the "drowned" island) is nowhere more than a few feet above sea level. From the sea it sometimes appears to be covered by the surf that pounds its dangerous reefs. Virgin Gorda (the "fat virgin") reaches an elevation of 1,359 feet (414 meters). Its "baths," a series of beautiful caves washed by the sea and roofed with huge boulders, are a popular tourist attraction. The People and the Economy. The British Virgin Islands had an estimated population of 19,615 in 2000, more than 80% of which lived on Tortola. About 90% of the people are of African descent and nearly all speak English. Various Protestant faiths predominate. The capital of the British Virgin Islands, Road Town, is on Tortola. Education is free up to age 16 and compulsory up to age 11. Residents have access to higher education at the University of the Virgin Islands, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and at the University of the West Indies, which has campuses on Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad. Tourism and, especially since 1984, financial services are the leading sectors of the economy. There is limited agriculture, including the growing of sugar for rum. A small manufacturing sector produces construction materials and other items. A large part of the labor force is employed in the United States Virgin Islands. Most of the export trade is with the U.S. territory, and the currency in local use is the U.S. dollar.