Virgin or Virgin Islands. US Virgin Islands: history, geography, science and culture. Visas to the US Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands (USA) are located near the Caribbean Sea. The largest islands are St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas. Citizens live on the islands national currency is the American dollar. The city of Charlotte Amalie is the capital and is located on the island of St. Thomas.

Climate of the Virgin Islands (USA)

The islands have a tropical climate influenced by trade winds, temperatures around 25 degrees all year round, and a rainy season from November to December. The most best time For a holiday in the Virgin Islands from December to May, we advise divers to go here in the summer.

Nature Virgin Islands

American Virgin Islands or officially Virgin Islands of the United States Virgin Islands of the United States, United States Virgin Islands American Virgin Islands are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea with the status of an unincorporated organized territory of the United States. In former times, the US Virgin Islands were the Danish West Indies, a territory of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway, but were sold to the United States in 1916.

The US Virgin Islands are three large islands: St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas and several small ones, total area US possessions here are 346.4 square kilometers, the capital city - the port of Charlotte Amalie is located on the island of St. Thomas.

History of the United States Virgin Islands

Before Europeans arrived here, the islands were inhabited by tribes of Carib, Arawak and Kibone Indians. The islands were discovered, as expected by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage in 1493. A little later, colonists from Spain, Great Britain, the Netherlands, France and Denmark-Norway appeared here. The Danish West India and Guinea Company was founded in 1625 and engaged in trade with the West Indies, based on the islands of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix in the Caribbean, supplying slaves from Africa and receiving molasses and rum from the West Indies. The company settled on the island of St. Thomas in 1672, the main sources of income were sugar cane, the implantation of which was worked by African slaves until the abolition of slavery on July 3, 1848. The Danes gained complete control over the islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix and St. John. St. John's Island provided ideal conditions for sugar production due to its ideal climate and fertile soil. The island of St. John was distinguished by one of the first large-scale slave uprisings in the Caribbean in 1733, however, the Danes, thanks to French troops, suppressed the uprising, but the quantitative superiority of slaves over whites in a ratio of 5 to 1 led to the eventual defeat of the colonialists.

Denmark still exercised control over the islands, but no longer received material benefits from this ownership; as a result, in 1867 the islands were sold to the United States, but the United States was unable to boost the economy of the islands. After the outbreak of World War I, the islands were left isolated and in economic ruin. The islands were finally transferred to the United States after the outbreak of the First World War due to the danger that this place could be used by Germany as a naval base. The sale price of the islands was 25 million US dollars in gold, today this amount can be estimated at 544 million dollars. In 1616, a referendum on the sale was held in Denmark and the deal was concluded in 1917, it was in this year that the territory of the islands was renamed the US Virgin Islands, American citizenship was granted to local residents in 1927.

In 1989, Hurricane Hugo almost completely destroyed the US Virgin Islands, however, the same thing happened to other islands of the Caribbean region; in 1995, Hurricane Marilyn led to loss of life; in addition, the islands suffered from a series of hurricanes in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2008 year, they were named Bertha, Georges, Lennie and Omar, respectively.

Geography of the United States Virgin Islands

The US Virgin Islands are located in Atlantic Ocean, 60 kilometers east of Puerto Rico and west of the British Virgin Islands. As mentioned above, the United States Virgin Islands consist of the islands of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix, as well as several dozen smaller islands. It is interesting that the main three islands received individual nicknames from local residents: Santa Cruz received the nickname “Twin City”, St. Thomas - “Rock City”, St. John Island - “Love City”. By the way, St. John often sounds like St. John's Island (January) in English.

The US Virgin Islands are famous for the stunningly beautiful beaches of Magens Bay and Trunk Bay, and the harbors of Charlotte Amalie and Christiansted are important. All the islands are of volcanic origin with hilly terrain, with the highest elevation found on St. Thomas in the form of Mount Corona, which has a height of 474 meters. Most big Island Santa Cruz has a flatter topography, almost the entire territory of St. John's Island is National parks, the same can be said about Hassel Island and the coral reefs around it.

Natural Hazards in the United States Virgin Islands

As you already understood, hurricanes and tropical cyclones, earthquakes and tsunamis are also not uncommon.

Currency of the Virgin Islands (US)

US dollars are accepted in the Virgin Islands.

Banking and currency exchange

As you understand, many tourists do not need to use currency exchange upon arrival on the islands, since the local currency is nothing more than the most popular currency, especially in the Western Hemisphere, where the American dollar is accepted in stores in almost all countries. However, banks operate as usual, with days off on Saturdays and Sundays. You can also exchange currency at exchange kiosks. You can pay with a credit card everywhere in the Virgin Islands. There are ATM ATMs at every step. It is recommended to take travel checks only in American dollars.

VAT and tax-free are not practiced, this is an offshore zone.

Standard of living and prices in the Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands are very expensive place, which can be compared with Saint Barthelemy, Hawaii, Maldives and Bahamas. Food products are expensive due to the fact that they are all imported from abroad; cheap local vegetables and fruits can only be bought in markets. Hotels charge astronomical prices, starting from $100 per Standart room for two a day, the likelihood of finding an economical place to live decreases every year, the islands are turning into an elite place that is available only to Americans or Japanese, there are few tourists from Europe and in general Russians or Ukrainians are very exotic here.

Tips and taxes

Tipping is similar to other Caribbean countries; the Virgin Islands impose a mandatory 10% service tax and 8% tourist tax on hotel stays. The Virgin Islands are part of the US territory, and in this country tipping is a matter of honor; you cannot do without tips; often they are already included in bills; if not, they will amount to 15% of the bill amount. Hotels may also charge for electricity, the cost of which is an order of magnitude higher than in the USA.

Visas to the US Virgin Islands

Religion of the US Virgin Islands

The main religion of the local population is Christianity; there are many Protestants here, a little less Catholics. It is interesting that the US Virgin Islands have a high percentage of Rastafarians, which may make the islands very different from neighboring representatives of the Caribbean region. The island of St. Thomas has a large Jewish community, the oldest in the Western Hemisphere, and the oldest synagogue in the New World.

Public holidays of the US Virgin Islands

January (third Monday): Martin Luther King Day

February (third Monday): President's Day

April: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Monday Nigeria, Senegal, Congo, Gambia and Ghana brought their African traditions to the islands.

Cuisine of the US Virgin Islands

Distinctive feature local cuisine is its richness and spiciness. Local products from farmers can only be bought in markets; these are meat, milk, fruits and vegetables; stores sell exclusively imported products. The high culinary traditions of the islands offer a symbiosis of international cuisine with local traditions and exotica. Exotics include mango, local spices and fish, mainly salmon.

Sports and entertainment

The islands are dominated by the sports that are popular in the United States: baseball, American football and basketball.

The US Virgin Islands boasts a rich and long tradition of musical and dance art, but unfortunately the majority foreign tourists on the islands they don’t even know about this

Economy of the US Virgin Islands

Agriculture is found only on the island of Santa Cruz. The production sector is associated with a rum distillery.

Tourism in the US Virgin Islands

The main source of income for the Virgin Islands is tourism. More than 2 million foreign tourists visit the US Virgin Islands annually, of course, the majority of foreigners mean tourists from the United States, and most of them enter the islands via cruise ships.

Until 2012, the HOVENSA oil refinery on the island of Santa Cruz was the largest in the world and brought the islands 20% of GDP, but for environmental reasons it was closed and today is used as nothing more than an oil storage facility, killing the entire former economy of the US Virgin Islands.

Today there is a slight growth in the financial sector, and investments in local real estate are high. There are already difficulties with electricity, which is 5 times more expensive than on the US mainland. Energy is generated from imported oil and solar panels. To stimulate and develop the country's economy, several higher technical institutions and scientific research institutes have opened in the US Virgin Islands.

The US Virgin Islands are an independent US customs territory, unlike, for example, Puerto Rico. Customs inspection takes place at the port, even tourists from the United States are subject to the same procedure, but customs inspection occurs only at the moment of leaving the islands; upon entry, no customs formalities are provided.

Transport in the Virgin Islands

The island of Santa Cruz has international Airport named Henry E. Rohlsen, and Cyril E. King International Airport serves the islands of St. Thomas and St. John.

The U.S. Virgin Islands is the only U.S. territory to drive on the left, which was due to the island's left-hand traffic rules until it was ceded to the United States in 1917 to limit livestock loss. However, most cars are imported from the US and are "normal" left-hand drive.

Sights of the Virgin Islands (USA)

The Virgin Islands (USA) are an offshore zone, and tourism is also developed here. Main Island St. Thomas is covered with hills and rainforest, mango forest and swamps. The island's bay can accommodate the largest ocean cruise ships, which increases the efficiency of the resort. The island has dozens of luxury hotels with beaches and excellent diving. The capital is Charlotte Amalie with a small port, which, as mentioned above, can accommodate deep-sea vessels. The main architectural attraction is the Fort Christian fortress with the Virgin Islands Museum. Nearby on Government Hill is Blackbird Castle, built in the 18th century.

Details Category: North American Dependent Territories Published 07/31/2014 17:31 Views: 2046

Part of the Virgin Islands is a British overseas territory, and the other part is an unincorporated organized territory of the United States.

Official symbols of the territory

Flag– consists of a simplified image on a white panel of the Great Seal of the United States between the letters V and I (denoting the Virgin Islands). The proportions of the sides of the flag are not determined. The eagle holds a laurel branch in one paw and three arrows in the other, representing the three main islands: St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. The colors of the flag symbolize different natural features Virgin Islands: yellow (flowers), green (hills), white (clouds) and blue (water). The flag was created by artist Percival Sparks at the request of the American governor of the islands, Eli Kitel. The flag was adopted on May 17, 1921.

Coat of arms– seal of the US Virgin Islands. It is an emblem with three main islands. On the sides is the inscription "Government of the United States Virgin Islands."

Political structure of the territory

Form of government- US possession.
Head of the territory- President of the United States, represented by a governor elected for a 4-year term. Residents of the territory do not have the right to participate in US presidential elections, but can participate in the primary elections of presidential candidates from the US Democratic and Republican parties.
Capital and The largest city – Charlotte Amalie.
Official language - English. Spanish, French, etc. are used.
Territory– 346.36 km².
Administrative division– 3 districts, which are divided into 20 districts.
Population– 106,405 people. Blacks make up 76.2% of the population, whites 13.1%, mulattoes 3.5%.
Religion– Baptists 42%, Catholics 34%, etc.
Currency- U.S. dollar.
Economy– based mainly on tourism. The islands are visited annually by more than 2 million tourists. Industry: oil refining (one of the world's largest oil refineries is located on the island of Santa Cruz), production of rum, textiles, pharmaceuticals, assembly of electronic devices and watches. Agriculture is poorly developed; most food products are imported. Sugar cane, citrus fruits, and vegetables are grown.

Nature

The US Virgin Islands are a group of islands located 60 km east of Puerto Rico. The largest islands are St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. The rest of the territory is made up of many small islands.
The islands have a hilly topography and are composed mainly of limestone.
The climate is tropical, trade wind, hot and humid with two dry seasons. Hurricanes and earthquakes are frequent. Although the area experiences high rainfall, water supply was a problem before the installation of desalination plants. Rainwater was collected in tanks. There are no rivers or lakes.

Vegetation cover and animal world The islands have been largely destroyed by people. Remnants of evergreens tropical forests preserved mainly on the island of St. John, two-thirds of whose territory is occupied national park. On the island of St. Thomas there are open forests and bushes on the site of former plantations. The sea waters off the islands are rich in fish, crustaceans and mollusks.

Sights of the US Virgin Islands

St. Thomas Island

Magens Bay beach on the island
The territory's capital, the port of Charlotte Amalie, is located on the island. About 52 thousand people live on the island, which is 48.5% of the total population of the US Virgin Islands.

The attractions of the island are Fort Christian, built in 1672 to protect Charlotte Amalie from pirates and European armies. It houses the Museum of the Virgin Islands; cable car And Observation deck Paradise Point with views of the island and its surroundings; the Coral World marine observatory with aquariums and an underwater observation tower; "Blackbeard's Castle"

Coral World Marine Observatory

Feeding the turtles
The marine park is designed according to the system open water– through each of the exhibits and back into the ocean. 21 small tanks display ocean life in the Caribbean: sharks, rays, turtles, starfish etc. The underwater observatory provides an opportunity to see marine life in its natural form. Coral World was discovered in 1970.

"Blackbeard's Castle"

Built in 1679 by the Danes as watch tower to protect the harbor, like Fort Christian. The tower served as an observation post to detect enemy ships, while Fort Christian was at sea level and was an ideal place to repel an attack. It is not known in what year the tower began to be called that, but Edward Teach, famous pirate nicknamed "Blackbeard", used the tower as an observation post for his pirate purposes.

City of Charlotte Amalie

The capital and largest city of the US Virgin Islands. Population 19 thousand people. Tourist centre, where cruise ships often stop, resort.

Saint John Island

The smallest but richest of the territory's islands. Its area is 50.79 km²; population 4170 people The largest settlement on the island is Cruz Bay, home to 2,706 people. The island can only be reached by sea.
The island has historical Museum and library, Annaberg plantation ruins, Arawak petroglyphs, archaeological excavations.

City of Cruz Bay

Virgin Islands National Park

Located in the central part of the island of Saint John. Created in 1956. Area 59 km². The park is famous good places for diving and tropical forest.

One of the most famous attractions in the park isTrunk Bay Beachwith whites sandy beaches and an underwater path.

Santa Cruz Island

The largest of the US Virgin Islands. Its area is 214.66 km², its population is more than 50 thousand people. The largest settlement on the island is Christiansted, home to 2,626 people.

Christiansted- an example of colonial urban planning in the US Virgin Islands. The city was built in the 18th-19th centuries.

Buck Island Reef

Natural monument (protected part of the reef). Created in 1961. Located northwest of Santa Cruz Island. By diving you can explore a clearly visible underwater trail at the eastern end of the reef. This is one of three underwater trails in the United States. There are signs along the trail giving information about the marine life that is native to the area. Two-thirds of the island is surrounded by a reef of six-rayed corals; this is a unique ecosystem where there are more than 250 species of fish and other inhabitants of the water area.

Story

The first inhabitants of the Virgin Islands were the Siboneans, Caribs and Arawaks. In 1493, the islands were discovered by Christopher Columbus.
In 1625, English and French colonists settled on the islands and started agriculture. Then the islands were successively owned by England, Spain, France and the Order of Malta. In 1666, Denmark took possession of the island of St. Thomas, then it captured the island of St. John, and in 1733 it bought the island of St. Croix from France. The Danes hoped to establish a plantation economy on St. Thomas, but this venture was not successful due to the low fertility of the land, and the island became one of the centers of trade in rum and slaves. The port of St. Thomas became a base for pirates. St. Croix had more fertile land, and after the transition to Denmark, about 200 sugar cane plantations were established there.
By the beginning of the 20th century. Sugar production on St. Croix fell into decline, and the islands of the Danish West Indies were sold to the United States in 1917.

Virgin Islands. They are divided by three territories: the British Virgin Islands, the American Virgin Islands and the Spanish Virgin Islands. Few people know Spanish in general, since they belong to Puerto Rico. The Virgin Islands have become famous throughout the world for their offshore companies. This is the merit of the British part; it is often called the offshore capital of the world, because up to 40% of offshore companies are registered here. The American part of the islands is the most populated; they sell diamonds and engage in oil refining.

I’m sailing to (BVI, abbreviated locally as BVI, after the first letters of the territory’s English name). Russian citizens need a separate visa to visit the BVI, which is issued by the British consulate.



The islands all have steep terrain on which houses stand. There are 25,000 people living in the BVI. Such a big village.

The Virgin Islands are familiar to us. This the world's largest offshore company. There is no corporate income tax or income tax in the British Virgin Islands individuals, there is also no VAT or sales tax.

40% of all offshore companies in the world are registered in the BVI. Why here? Here you can open a company in 1 day, no one picks on the documents, and the most important thing is confidentiality: in the British Virgin Islands there is no single register of beneficiaries. However, more recently, the authorities of this British overseas jurisdiction began discussing the possibility of creating a single open register of owners. So they might close the shop soon.

Let's see what the offshore capital of the world looks like. So, Road Town is the capital of the British Virgin Islands.

The directory says that 10,000 people live here. I don't know where they live here. The whole city can be walked around in 10 minutes. We would be embarrassed to call it a city. A large village, probably: 4 streets, 2 shops.

This is the island administration:

In order to somehow brighten up the impressions of visiting tourists, all the houses in the center were painted in acid colors. The brighter the better:

However, not a single one local You don’t paint your house like that.

There is nothing at all in the city. I'm not exaggerating this. Several streets with colorful sheds housing cafes and souvenir shops.

Several junk shops:

The main supermarket in the country. Public transport absent: only taxis and rental cars:

I don’t really understand why tourists come here.

Local:

After 10 minutes the city ends, the forest begins:

The city is one of the main yacht charter centers in the Caribbean.

On the outskirts there are old houses:

On the right is the oldest building in the city. This is the former royal prison on Main Street, built in the 1840s:

Now I understand why it only takes 1 day to register a company in the BVI. No one can stand to be here anymore.

A great place to come for an hour on business and get back faster.

Business center of the offshore capital:

The remaining islands of the BVI are sparsely populated.

We are sailing to a neighboring state - (AVO, or simply the Virgin Islands). In English, Virgin Islands of the United States, but when Americans say “Virgin Islands,” they mean the American ones. We often say “Virgin Islands”, meaning the British ones, where there are offshore companies. On American islands There are no offshore companies. So it is more correct to say “British Virgin Islands” about an offshore paradise, and simply “Virgin Islands” about a tourist paradise.

Unlike british isles, with the Americans everything is much more interesting. Firstly, there are old English double-decker buses. Secondly, 4 times more people live here - 100,000. Everyone here lives off tourists. Like Puerto Rico or Guam, it is an “unincorporated organized territory of the United States.” That is, the locals have American citizenship, but their own laws.

Streets of the capital, Charlotte Amalie. By the way, the Americans bought the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917:

These are local taxis, buses, minibuses. It's hard to imagine an uglier car. Taxi fares are fixed and are listed on a special sign.

Tourist centre:

Baby dolls are being transported:

Tourists are doing well in the Virgin Islands.

Beaches, yachts, sunshine.

But the main thing is shopping. The entire main street is lined with jewelry stores. All famous brands are represented here. Americans go to the Virgin Islands for diamonds.

The shops don’t know how to attract tourists; they even offer free Wi-Fi. Why do you need free internet in a jewelry store?

In the evening, all the jewelry stores close and you can even take a walk around the city.

It’s actually strange, why do all the stores close at 6 o’clock? Restaurants are open until 9. Locks at the jewelry store:

The main street:

US Virgin Islands- a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, 60 km east of Puerto Rico; autonomous territory USA. The largest islands are St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. There are also many small islands. Area - 344 km².

The US Virgin Islands are a territory purchased by the United States from Denmark on January 17, 1917 (all formalities were completed on March 31 of the same year). Administered by the US Department of the Interior. Residents are considered citizens of the United States.

Geographically, the US Virgin Islands are part of the Virgin Islands (which also includes the British Virgin Islands).

The islands are hilly ( highest point- 475 m), composed mainly of limestone, there are outcrops of ancient crystalline or volcanic rocks.

The absence of rivers and lakes, as well as the deep occurrence of groundwater, for a long time greatly complicated the problem of water supply, despite the fairly large amount of precipitation. Rainwater was collected in special tanks. After the construction of desalination plants, this problem was largely solved.

The flora and fauna of the islands have been largely destroyed by people. Remnants of evergreen rainforest remain mainly on the island of St. John, two-thirds of which is a national park. On the island of St. Thomas there are open forests and bushes on the site of former plantations. The sea waters off the islands are rich in fish, crustaceans and mollusks.

Climate of the US Virgin Islands

Climate in the US Virgin Islands- tropical, trade wind, hot and humid with two dry seasons. The average monthly temperature throughout the year fluctuates slightly - from +22-24 °C in winter to +28-29 °C in summer. Daily temperature changes are also poorly traced.

Precipitation falls up to 1300 mm per year, and there are two dry (winter and summer) and two rainy (spring and autumn) seasons. The maximum amount of rain falls between September and November-December, although even then no more than five to six days a month are rainy. In the period from July to October, there is a high probability of tropical hurricanes passing over the territory of the islands, although they are recorded much less frequently here than over the nearby Windward Islands.

The most favorable time to travel to the islands is from mid-December to the end of April, but peak tourist season, so prices are significantly higher than, for example, from May to August, when weather also excellent for sea ​​holiday.

Last changes: 05/15/2013

Population

Population of the US Virgin Islands- 109.8 thousand people (2010).

Average life expectancy is 76 years for men, 82 years for women.

Ethno-racial composition: blacks 76.2%, whites 13.1%, mulattoes 3.5%, Asians 1.1%, other 6.1% (according to the 2000 census).

Religions: Baptists 42%, Catholics 34%, Episcopalians 17%, other 7%.

The official language is English. Also popular are Spanish or Spanish-Creole 16.8%, French or Franco-Creole 6.6%, other 1.9%.

Last changes: 05/15/2013

About money

Currency unit US Virgin Islands: US dollar ($ or USD), there are 100 cents in 1 dollar. In circulation there are bills in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars, coins - penny (1 cent), nickel (5 cents), dime (10 cents), quarter (25 cents), half dollar (50 cents) and 1 dollar.

Banks are usually open from Monday to Thursday, from 09.00 to 14.30, on Fridays - 09.00 to 14.00 and from 15.30 to 17.00.

Foreign currency can be exchanged at banks and specialized exchange bureaus. There are branches of almost all major international banking systems on the islands.

Credit cards are widely used in large islands, but their use on small islands can be difficult. Travel checks can be cashed at almost any bank office. To avoid additional costs associated with exchange rate fluctuations, it is recommended to bring checks in US dollars.

Last changes: 05/15/2013

Communications

Telephone code: 1 - 340

Internet domain: .vi

Telephone codes cities

No area codes are used.

How to call

To call from Russia to the US Virgin Islands, you need to dial: 8 - dial tone - 10 - 1 - 340 - subscriber number.

To call from the US Virgin Islands to Russia, you need to dial: 011 - 7 - area code - subscriber number.

Landline communications

All payphones on the islands are included in the general telephone system of the United States and operate on calling cards, which are sold at post offices, newsstands and tobacco kiosks. Almost all payphones have direct access to international automatic telephone communication and some of them accept ATT cards and credit cards for international calls.

cellular

The cellular communications system in the US Virgin Islands is excellent and is integrated into a single network with US operators.

Internet

The Internet on the islands is developing at a rapid pace - almost all telephone and cellular companies provide their customers with Internet access. Internet cafes are concentrated in large populated areas and in resort areas.

Last changes: 05/15/2013

Shopping

Shops are usually open from Monday to Saturday, from 09.00 to 17.00, but on Thursday many of them close quite early - usually around 15.00-16.00. Many large retail outlets are usually open on Sundays, from 10.00 to 17.00; shops in the port also often open their doors on Sunday, but only during the parking period cruise ships. It is not customary to bargain in local retail establishments, but in markets it is possible and necessary.

Popular souvenirs: rum, Jewelry, paintings (there are many art galleries on St. Croix Island).

Last changes: 05/15/2013

Where to stay

Cost of living in local hotels quite high compared to many countries in the Caribbean region.

Last changes: 08/19/2010

Sea and beaches

The islands attract many lovers beach holiday their clean beaches with white fine sand.

Almost all beaches are open to the public, only the territories of private property and some large resort complexes have limited entry (permit required).

Some local beaches are natural breeding grounds for endangered sea ​​turtles, therefore most of them are guarded and access to such areas is prohibited at certain times.

Last changes: 05/15/2013

Story

The Virgin Islands were discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493.

In 1625, English and French colonists settled on the islands and took up farming. Then the islands were successively owned by England, Spain, France and the Order of Malta.

In 1666, Denmark took possession of the island of St. Thomas, which soon captured the island of St. John, and in 1733 Denmark bought the island of St. Croix from France. The Danes tried to establish a plantation economy on St. Thomas, but it was not successful due to the low fertility of the land, and the island became one of the centers of trade in rum and slaves. The port of St. Thomas became a base for pirates. St. Croix had more fertile land, and after the transition to Denmark, about 200 sugar cane plantations were established there.

However, by the beginning of the 20th century, sugar production on St. Croix fell into decline and the islands of the Danish West Indies were sold to the United States in 1917 for $25 million.

Last changes: 05/15/2013

Helpful information

The most favorable time to travel to the islands is from mid-December to mid-May, however, the same period is the peak of the tourist season, so prices are much higher than, for example, from May to August, when weather conditions are also excellent for seaside holidays. An additional argument in favor of visiting the islands in summer period is significantly greater transparency of sea water at this time, which provides Better conditions for diving.

Local tap water is chlorinated and safe to drink, but bottled water is still recommended.

Fishing of any marine organisms (including lifting to the surface and even collecting beached shells and corals) in the waters of the US Virgin Islands is prohibited, as is the use of harpoon weapons for spearfishing (a license is required). Sport fishing is possible only with the permission of regional authorities (usually included in the package of licenses provided by the fishing tour organizer). Moor ships and boats in protected areas under management National Trust natural parks, prohibited. Raising to the surface of any objects and things from sunken ships located in the territorial waters of the islands is permitted only with special permission from the government of the country.

Last changes: 05/15/2013

How to get there

There are no direct flights from Russia to the US Virgin Islands. The easiest way to get here from Russia is with one transfer to the USA. From American cities (New York, Miami, Boston, Atlanta, Washington and others) there are direct flights to the islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix.

It is quite convenient to fly with Aeroflot + American Airlines: Moscow - New York - St. Thomas. The flight duration from Moscow to New York is about 10 hours, from New York to St. Thomas - 4 hours 10 minutes.

The US Virgin Islands can also be reached via Puerto Rico (64 km away). And from there you can travel by water (ferries or boats) or by air (small planes) to the US Virgin Islands.

Last changes: 05/15/2013

 

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