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Introduction to the Virgin
Islands:
The Virgin Islands sit on the Puerto Rico Bank some 90 miles
east of Puerto Rico and southeast of the tip of Florida. They
are the most northerly islands in the Leeward Islands chain (in
the lee of the prevailing wind which blows from south to north).
They form part of the Lesser Antilles which is a long arc of
smaller islands on the eastern and southern margins of the
Caribbean Sea stretching as far south as Trinidad. Mostly
volcanic islands, the Lesser Antilles have been pushed up
between two oceanic plates below the earth's surface where the
Caribbean plate is rising up above the North American plate.
The Virgin Islands were named by Christopher Columbus during his
second voyage in 1493. The name given "Las Once Mil Virgenes"
means the islands of 11,000 virgins and is a reference to St
Ursula and her maidens who sacrificed their lives in Cologne.
The islands are split in to two groups, the United States Virgin
Islands (USVI) and the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and together
encompass over 65 islands and cays of various sizes.
United States Virgin Islands (USVI):
The
US Virgin Islands consist of three larger islands, St
Thomas, St Croix and St John as well as over 25 smaller islands
and cays. Of the three larger islands, all are volcanic except
for St Croix which is a flat coral island. St Thomas is the main
island with the largest population and Charlotte Amalie which is
the capital of the USVI. Charlotte Amalie (named after a Danish
Queen) is one of the main cruise ports in the Caribbean and the
largest town in the Virgin Islands.
The British Virgin Islands (BVI):
The
British Virgin Islands consist of four larger islands,
Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and
Jost
Van Dyke as well as over 40 smaller islands and cays. Of the
four larger islands, all are volcanic except for
Anegada
which is a flat coral island. Tortola is the main island with
the largest population with Road Town which is the capital of
the BVI. Within the BVI are three private island resorts
including the world famous Necker Island and the lesser known
Peter Island Resort and Guana Island.
Tortola
is the main cruise port and the BVI is also an established Mecca
for sailing with one of the largest fleets of bareboats and
crewed yachts in the world. The very beautiful island of
Virgin Gorda was named the "fat virgin" by Columbus due to
it's shape on the horizon and is today world famous for it's
lovely beaches including the The Baths which are not to be
missed if you are visiting the BVI.
About Us:
Virgin-Islands.info is a new site currently under development
and links above point to useful island information guides on our
sister site, Paradise-Islands.org. By the autumn 2013 we should
have the entire site up and running.
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