United States Virgin Islands
The United States Virgin Islands,[note 2] officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory of the United States.[7] The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.[8]
Not to be confused with British Virgin Islands or Spanish Virgin Islands.
Virgin Islands of the United States
March 31, 1917
- 71.4% Black
- 16.6% White
- 3.0% other
- 7.5% multiracial
- 1.0% Asian
- 81.6% non-Hispanic or Latino
- 18.4% Hispanic or Latino
- 86.7% Christianity
- 8.4% no religion
- 4.9% other
Virgin Islander; U.S. Virgin Islander
346.4 km2 (133.7 sq mi) (168th)
negligible
474 m (1,555 ft)
87,146[3]
653.6/sq mi (252.4/km2)
2019 estimate
$38,136[4]
2019 estimate
US$4.068 billion[5]
United States dollar (US$) (USD)
mm/dd/yyyy
left
The U.S. Virgin Islands consist of the main islands of Saint Croix, Saint John, and Saint Thomas and 50 other surrounding minor islands and cays.[9] The total land area of the territory is 133.73 square miles (346.36 km2).[7] The territory's capital is Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas.
Previously known as the Danish West Indies of the Kingdom of Denmark–Norway (from 1754 to 1814) and the independent Kingdom of Denmark (from 1814 to 1917), they were sold to the United States by Denmark for $25,000,000 in the 1917 Treaty of the Danish West Indies[7] ($595 million in 2023) and have since been an organized, unincorporated United States territory. The U.S. Virgin Islands are organized under the 1954 Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands and have since held five constitutional conventions. As with other territories in the United States, the Virgin Islands elects a delegate who can participate in debates in the House of Representatives but cannot vote.[10]
Tourism and related categories are the primary economic activities.[7]
Etymology[edit]
The islands were named Santa Úrsula y las Once Mil Vírgenes by Christopher Columbus in 1493 after the legend of Saint Ursula and the 11,000 virgins.[7] The name was later shortened to the Virgin Islands.[7]
Sports[edit]
Basketball is one of the popular sports in the Virgin Islands. There is currently one player in the NBA from the Virgin Islands, 2019 NBA draft pick Nicolas Claxton, who plays for the Brooklyn Nets. NBA Hall-of-Famer and five-time champion Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs is also a native of the Virgin Islands. Consensus 2022 NCAA women's player of the year and USA national team member Aliyah Boston (University of South Carolina) was born and raised in St. Thomas.[143]
In cricket, Virgin Islanders are eligible to compete internationally as part of the West Indies. The most recent Virgin Islander to be named to the West Indies squad is Hayden Walsh Jr., who was born in St. Croix. In regional Caribbean competitions, Virgin Islanders compete in List A and first-class cricket as part of the Leeward Islands cricket team. Currently, the Virgin Islands are not represented in Caribbean Twenty20 leagues.
There are also a men's and women's national soccer teams.
