If you have been thinking about jetting off to somewhere warm and tropical, you may want to consider the US Virgin Islands. Blue clear waters, long beautiful beaches and temperatures that rarely get below 75 degrees Fahrenheit, make the US Virgin Islands an ideal getaway destination. As an added bonus, if you are American, you don’t need a passport to visit these beautiful islands as they are US territory and the citizens are US citizens.
The US Virgin Islands consists of four islands, St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Water Island. St. Croix is the largest of the US Virgin Islands, followed by St. Thomas, then St. John with little Water Island being the smallest of the Islands.
The Virgin Islands were named by Christopher Columbus. He sighted St. Croix on his second voyage to the New World in 1493. He soon found that St .Croix was in fact part of a chain of beautiful islands that he decided to call the islands The Virgins.
So how did the US come to own Four of these magnificent Islands? It was actually a strategic move by the US military. During World War I, the military was worried about enemy activity in the area. In 1917, they paid the Dutch government $25 million dollars for St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John. In 1944, the US strengthened their position in the Islands by buying Water Island from a private corporation called the East Asiatic Company. The purchase price was $10,000 dollars.
During both of the World Wars, the US Virgin Islands were used for US military operations. After the Wars, the US Virgin Islands were refitted to become a tourist destination. The Islands were managed by the US Military and the Department of Interior until 1936, when St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John were given autonomy by the Organic Act.
Water Island remained under US Military control until 1950 when it was turned over to the Interior Department.Water Island did not officially become part of the US Virgin Islands until 1996.
Today thousands of tourists flock to the US Virgin Islands looking for fun, sun and sand, and that is exactly what they get. The Islands are filled with plenty of luxury resorts, pristine beaches and protected parkland, which makes them ideal for a wide variety of visitors. So, if you have been looking to head off to a vacation destination, the US Virgin Islands may be for you.
To learn more about the US Virgin Islands, visit the Official US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism website.