Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Encyclopedia
Saint Croix is an island
in the Caribbean Sea
, and a county
and constituent district
of the United States Virgin Islands
(USVI), an unincorporated territory of the United States
. Formerly the Danish West Indies
, they were sold to the United States by Denmark in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies of 1916, in exchange for a sum of US$25,000,000 in gold.
St. Croix is the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, being 28 by 7 miles (45 by 11 km). However, the territory's capital, Charlotte Amalie
, is located on Saint Thomas
.
St. Croix lies at 17°45′N 64°45′W: the easternmost point in the United States is considered to be Point Udall
. The island has an area of 214.66 km² (82.88 sq mi). The terrain is rugged, though not extremely so. The highest point on the island, Mount Eagle
, is 1,165 feet (355 m) high. Most of the east end is quite hilly and steep, as is the north side from Christiansted west. From the north side hills a fairly even plain slopes down to the south coast: this was the prime sugar land on the island.
plant, however most residential homes and businesses have a built-in cistern
used to collect rainwater.
St. Croix is divided into the following subdistrict
s (with population as per the 2010 U.S. Census):
s icon.
There is much debate as to what constitutes a "real" Crucian. Because of heavy migration from other islands in the Lesser Antilles
and Puerto Rico, most native born Crucians can trace their ancestry to other Caribbean islands. Most people feel that as long as they were bahn ya ("born here" in Crucian dialect) on St. Croix, they could claim to be Crucian. Others feel that while those born on St. Croix are in fact Crucian, the "charter members" of Crucian society are the descendants of the slaves brought by the Danes during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Puerto Rican migration was prevalent in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, as many Puerto Ricans relocated to St. Croix to cut sugar cane after the collapse of the sugar industry in Puerto Rico. In addition, the U.S. Navy purchase of two-thirds of the nearby Puerto Rican island of Vieques during World War II
resulted in the eviction of thousands of agricultural workers, many of whom relocated to St. Croix because of its similar size and geography as Vieques. There is a local holiday, Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands Friendship Day, that has been celebrated since the 1960s on the same date as Columbus Day
. Puerto Ricans in St. Croix today, most of whom removed from Puerto Rico by at least a generation, have kept their culture alive while integrating into the mainstream Crucian culture as well. For example, many Puerto Ricans in St. Croix today speak a unique Spanglish
-like combination of Puerto Rican Spanish
and the local Crucian dialect
in informal situations.
Migration from "down-island", a Virgin Islander colloquial term for Caribbean islands east and south of the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, occurred mainly throughout the 1960s and 70s, when agriculture died out as a main industry on St. Croix to be replaced by tourism, alumina production and oil refining. Jobs were plentiful in these industries and down-islanders came to St. Croix by the thousands to fill these jobs. Many down-islanders made St. Croix their permanent home, while others eventually returned to their native islands. Most down-islanders came from St. Kitts, Nevis
, Antigua
, St. Lucia and Dominica
, although people from every Anglophone Caribbean
island can easily be found on St. Croix.
Continental Americans, although small in number in comparison to Caribbean immigrants, have also been part of the St. Croix community. Most reside on the East End of St. Croix, although continental Americans can be found in many other areas of the island.
Arab Palestinians have been an influential part of the local economy since the 1960s, when they first started to migrate to St. Croix to set up shops. Like many other Caribbean islands, today, most gas stations and supermarkets on St. Croix are owned by members of the local Arab population.
Recent waves of migration to St. Croix include people from places such as the Dominican Republic
, Haiti
, Jamaica
, the Philippines
, and various South America
n nations.
St. Croix's history of migration has sometimes caused tensions among immigrants and those Crucians whose ancestry on the island dates back for generations. While these tensions have subsided to some extent in recent years mainly due to intermarriage among Crucians and other Caribbean peoples, in the late 1990s an attempt was made to legislate the definition of a "native U.S. Virgin Islander" as anyone who could trace their ancestry to 1927, the year in which U.S. Virgin Islanders were granted American citizenship. This effort, by a select group of nationalist senators, eventually failed after much public outcry, considering the fact that most born U.S. Virgin Islanders would not qualify as "native" under the proposed legislation (but, ironically, thousands of Danish citizens would). In 2009, the proposed U.S. Virgin Islands Constitution voted by the Fifth Constitutional Convention established three definitions of U.S. Virgin Islanders: "Ancestral Native Virgin Islander" - those with ancestral ties (and their descendants); "Native Virgin Islander" - those born on the island (and their descendants); and "Virgin Islander" - any United States citizen who has resided in the territory for five years.
is spoken by the large Puerto Rican
and smaller Dominican
(Dominican Republic) populations, and French Creole
is spoken by the large St. Lucian and Dominica
n (Dominica) populations. A native English-based dialect known on the island as Crucian, but formally known as Virgin Islands Creole
, is also spoken by the majority of the population in informal situations.
is the dominant religion on St. Croix. Protestant denominations are the most prevalent, but there is also a significant Roman Catholic presence due to St. Croix's large Hispanic
population as well as from Irish
influence during the Danish colonial period. Anglican, Jehovah's Witness, Methodist, Moravian, Presbyterian, Pentecostal and Seventh-day Adventists
are among a few other denominations prevalent on the island. As in most of the Caribbean, various forms of Rastafari are practiced on the island. Islam
is prevalent among the small local Arab
population, and there is a small Jewish presence as well.
as one of its main sources of revenue. However, there are a number of other industries on the island to help support the economy. St. Croix was once an agricultural powerhouse in the Caribbean, but ended with the rapid industrialization of the island's economy in the 1960s.
St. Croix is home to HOVENSA
, one of the world's largest oil refineries
. HOVENSA is a limited liability company
owned and operated by Hess Oil Virgin Islands Corp. (HOVIC), a division of U.S.-based Hess Corporation
, and Petroleos de Venezuela, SA (PDVSA), the national oil company of Venezuela
. Despite this, gas prices are slightly higher than average gas prices on the continental United States and the other Virgin Islands.
St. Croix is also home to the Cruzan Rum
Distillery, makers of Cruzan Rum and other liquors such as Southern Comfort
. The Cruzan Rum Distillery was founded in 1760, and for many years used locally grown sugar cane to produce a single "dark" style rum
. The distillery now imports sugar cane molasses from other Caribbean islands, primarily from the Dominican Republic
. In recent years Cruzan Rum, along with Bacardi
from Puerto Rico
and Gosling's from Bermuda
, has also contributed to the resurgence of "single barrel" super-premium rum. The quality and smoothness of the Cruzan Estate Rums has won more than 30 Spirit Awards. Examples of this are Cruzan Estate Diamond Rum (aged 5 years in American oak barrels) and Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum (aged 12 years in American oak barrels).
Diageo
has almost completed construction of a new distillery on an industrial site next to the Hovensa Refinery. The new distillery will produce Captain Morgan
Rum after 2012. Diageo's entrance into the U.S. Virgin Islands rum industry is not without controversy, however, as the cash-strapped U.S. Virgin Islands government secured $250 million in bonds for the plant, about which Puerto Rico has bitterly complained.
There is a public bus service called Virgin Islands Transit VITRAN, operated by Department of Public Works.
In addition to taxis and buses, St. Croix has shared taxis, locally known as "taxi buses" (these are also found on the other U.S. Virgin Islands). Taxi buses are full-sized vans which follow a predefined route from Frederiksted to Christiansted. These taxi buses are privately owned and operated; they do not follow a regular schedule, and there are no pre-specified stops. Instead, people simply wait by the side of the road until a taxi bus approaches, then flag the driver down by waving. Passengers can be dropped off anywhere along the taxi route. Taxi buses charge a flat rate for the trip, regardless of where a rider gets on and off. Taxis to specific locations are much more expensive and are mostly used by tourists. They are not metered and are required by law to charge a flat fare that varies by destination.
The Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport
services St. Croix with regular flights from the U.S. mainland, Puerto Rico, and the Eastern Caribbean. Seaplanes, operated by Seaborne Airlines
, also service the island, taking off and landing in Christiansted Harbor. Ferry service to St. Thomas operates from Gallows Bay. Although St. Croix is a U.S. territory, travelers to the continental United States and Puerto Rico need to pre-clear U.S. customs and present a passport or proof of U.S. citizenship or nationality, because the USVI is maintained as a "free port" in a separate customs zone. The immigration status of non-U.S. citizens may be checked during this process as well.
Several times a year, there is a nighttime festival in Christiansted called "Jump-Up" and a monthly event called "Sunset Jazz" in Frederiksted, where local jazz musicians play on Frederiksted Beach. Every year on the Saturday before Mardi Gras, there is a local Mardi Croix parade and a dog parade through the North Shore.
The St. Croix Half Ironman Triathlon is held in the first week of May. The Triathlon includes a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run. Because the bicycle route includes a ride up an extremely steep hill known as "The Beast", this triathlon is often nicknamed "Beauty and the Beast".
as the Christiansted National Historic Site
.
Buck Island Reef National Monument
preserves a 176 acre (71 ha) island just north of Saint Croix and the surrounding reefs. This is a popular destination for snorkelers. Buck Island maintains a U.S. Coast Guard weather station and is also home to a student monitored lemon shark breeding ground. Green Cay is a small island located southwest of Buck Island and also hosts a nearby reef popular among scuba divers and snorkelists, Tamarind Reef. A small dive shack on Tamarind Beach, near a resort and bar named the "Deep End" provides snorkels and fins to prospective divers. As well, the reef is often marked with floating buoys in order to help guide inexperienced divers along the underwater terrain.
There are several scuba diving companies operating from Christiansted. Off the north coast of the island, there are many good destinations for diving, featuring scenic coral reefs, clear water, and abundant tropical fish and migrant sea turtles. Prominent among these are Cane and Divi bays along with Long reef which encompasses a large portion of the northern side of the island. Cane Bay is a popular destination for scuba enthusiasts due to the fact that just a few hundred meters off shore the topography makes a sudden drop into a deep underwater trench. The reef also serves as a natural barrier against sharks and jellyfish. However around other portions of the island, notably Frederiksted, hammerhead and tiger sharks can be seen. Shark attacks on the island are very rare.
Map
News and media
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
, and a county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
and constituent district
Districts and sub-districts of the United States Virgin Islands
The United States Virgin Islands are administratively divided into 3 districts, which are subdivided into 20 subdistricts.The districts are:# Saint Croix# Saint Thomas# Saint John...
of the United States Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
(USVI), an unincorporated territory of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Formerly the Danish West Indies
Danish West Indies
The Danish West Indies or "Danish Antilles", were a colony of Denmark-Norway and later Denmark in the Caribbean. They were sold to the United States in 1916 in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies and became the United States Virgin Islands in 1917...
, they were sold to the United States by Denmark in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies of 1916, in exchange for a sum of US$25,000,000 in gold.
St. Croix is the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, being 28 by 7 miles (45 by 11 km). However, the territory's capital, Charlotte Amalie
Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands
-Education:St. Thomas-St. John School District serves the community. and Charlotte Amalie High School serve the area.-Gallery:-See also:* Anna's Retreat* Cruz Bay* Saint Thomas* Water Island-External links:* *...
, is located on Saint Thomas
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
.
Geography
Point Udall
Point Udall may refer to:*Point Udall , named after Mo Udall and regarded as the westernmost point of the United States*Point Udall , named after Stewart Udall and regarded as the easternmost point of the United States,...
. The island has an area of 214.66 km² (82.88 sq mi). The terrain is rugged, though not extremely so. The highest point on the island, Mount Eagle
Mount Eagle (U.S. Virgin Islands)
Mount Eagle is located on the island of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands and is the highest point on the island....
, is 1,165 feet (355 m) high. Most of the east end is quite hilly and steep, as is the north side from Christiansted west. From the north side hills a fairly even plain slopes down to the south coast: this was the prime sugar land on the island.
Climate
The trade wind blows more or less along the length of the island. The hills of the western part of the island receive a good deal more rain than the east end; annual rainfall is on the whole extremely variable, averaging perhaps forty inches (1,000 mm) a year. The east end of the island is a dry desert range with mostly rocky formations and cactus while the west end has is very tropical with lush vegetation and palm trees, giving the island a unique flair for multiple ecosystems in a small area. Fairly severe and extended drought has always been a problem, particularly considering the lack of fresh ground water and lack of freshwater streams, rivers, or bays on the island. The island does have a desalinationDesalination
Desalination, desalinization, or desalinisation refers to any of several processes that remove some amount of salt and other minerals from saline water...
plant, however most residential homes and businesses have a built-in cistern
Cistern
A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
used to collect rainwater.
Population
There are two towns on the island; Christiansted with a population of 2,433 and Frederiksted with a population of 859. The total population of the island as per the 2010 U.S. Census is 50,601.St. Croix is divided into the following subdistrict
Subdistrict
Subdistrict is a low level administrative division of a country. In Thailand it may refer to the King Amphoe or to the Tambon. In England and Wales it was part of a Registration district....
s (with population as per the 2010 U.S. Census):
- Anna's Hope Village (pop. 4,041)
- Christiansted (pop. 2,626)
- East End (pop. 2,453)
- Frederiksted (pop. 3,091)
- Northcentral (pop. 4,977)
- Northwest (pop. 4,863)
- Sion Farm (pop. 13,003)
- Southcentral (pop. 8,049)
- Southwest (pop. 7,498)
Demographics
Inhabitants are called CrucianCrucian
The term Crucian may mean:* A person from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The term is also spelled Cruzan in the Virgin Islands. As in "Cruzan Rum" etc....
s icon.
There is much debate as to what constitutes a "real" Crucian. Because of heavy migration from other islands in the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
and Puerto Rico, most native born Crucians can trace their ancestry to other Caribbean islands. Most people feel that as long as they were bahn ya ("born here" in Crucian dialect) on St. Croix, they could claim to be Crucian. Others feel that while those born on St. Croix are in fact Crucian, the "charter members" of Crucian society are the descendants of the slaves brought by the Danes during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Puerto Rican migration was prevalent in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, as many Puerto Ricans relocated to St. Croix to cut sugar cane after the collapse of the sugar industry in Puerto Rico. In addition, the U.S. Navy purchase of two-thirds of the nearby Puerto Rican island of Vieques during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
resulted in the eviction of thousands of agricultural workers, many of whom relocated to St. Croix because of its similar size and geography as Vieques. There is a local holiday, Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands Friendship Day, that has been celebrated since the 1960s on the same date as Columbus Day
Columbus Day
Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492, as an official holiday...
. Puerto Ricans in St. Croix today, most of whom removed from Puerto Rico by at least a generation, have kept their culture alive while integrating into the mainstream Crucian culture as well. For example, many Puerto Ricans in St. Croix today speak a unique Spanglish
Spanglish
.Spanglish refers to the blend of Spanish and English, in the speech of people who speak parts of two languages, or whose normal language is different from that of the country where they live. The Hispanic population of the United States and the British population in Argentina use varieties of...
-like combination of Puerto Rican Spanish
Puerto Rican Spanish
Puerto Rican Spanish is the Spanish language as characteristically spoken in Puerto Rico and by millions of people of Puerto Rican descent living in the United States and elsewhere...
and the local Crucian dialect
Virgin Islands Creole
Virgin Islands Creole, or Virgin Islands Creole English, is an English-based creole spoken in the Virgin Islands and the nearby SSS islands of Saba, Sint Eustatius and Saint Martin, where it has been known as Netherlands Antilles Creole English....
in informal situations.
Migration from "down-island", a Virgin Islander colloquial term for Caribbean islands east and south of the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, occurred mainly throughout the 1960s and 70s, when agriculture died out as a main industry on St. Croix to be replaced by tourism, alumina production and oil refining. Jobs were plentiful in these industries and down-islanders came to St. Croix by the thousands to fill these jobs. Many down-islanders made St. Croix their permanent home, while others eventually returned to their native islands. Most down-islanders came from St. Kitts, Nevis
Nevis
Nevis is an island in the Caribbean Sea, located near the northern end of the Lesser Antilles archipelago, about 350 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico and 80 km west of Antigua. The 93 km² island is part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies...
, Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
, St. Lucia and Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
, although people from every Anglophone Caribbean
Anglophone Caribbean
The term Commonwealth Caribbean is used to refer to the independent English-speaking countries of the Caribbean region. Upon a country's full independence from the United Kingdom, Anglophone Caribbean or Commonwealth Caribbean traditionally becomes the preferred sub-regional term as a replacement...
island can easily be found on St. Croix.
Continental Americans, although small in number in comparison to Caribbean immigrants, have also been part of the St. Croix community. Most reside on the East End of St. Croix, although continental Americans can be found in many other areas of the island.
Arab Palestinians have been an influential part of the local economy since the 1960s, when they first started to migrate to St. Croix to set up shops. Like many other Caribbean islands, today, most gas stations and supermarkets on St. Croix are owned by members of the local Arab population.
Recent waves of migration to St. Croix include people from places such as the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, and various South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n nations.
St. Croix's history of migration has sometimes caused tensions among immigrants and those Crucians whose ancestry on the island dates back for generations. While these tensions have subsided to some extent in recent years mainly due to intermarriage among Crucians and other Caribbean peoples, in the late 1990s an attempt was made to legislate the definition of a "native U.S. Virgin Islander" as anyone who could trace their ancestry to 1927, the year in which U.S. Virgin Islanders were granted American citizenship. This effort, by a select group of nationalist senators, eventually failed after much public outcry, considering the fact that most born U.S. Virgin Islanders would not qualify as "native" under the proposed legislation (but, ironically, thousands of Danish citizens would). In 2009, the proposed U.S. Virgin Islands Constitution voted by the Fifth Constitutional Convention established three definitions of U.S. Virgin Islanders: "Ancestral Native Virgin Islander" - those with ancestral ties (and their descendants); "Native Virgin Islander" - those born on the island (and their descendants); and "Virgin Islander" - any United States citizen who has resided in the territory for five years.
Language
English is the most common language. SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
is spoken by the large Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and smaller Dominican
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
(Dominican Republic) populations, and French Creole
Antillean Creole
Antillean Creole is a creole language with a vocabulary based on French. It is spoken primarily in the Lesser Antilles. Its grammar and vocabulary also include elements of Carib and African languages. Antillean Creole is related to Haitian Creole, but has a number of distinctive features; they are...
is spoken by the large St. Lucian and Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
n (Dominica) populations. A native English-based dialect known on the island as Crucian, but formally known as Virgin Islands Creole
Virgin Islands Creole
Virgin Islands Creole, or Virgin Islands Creole English, is an English-based creole spoken in the Virgin Islands and the nearby SSS islands of Saba, Sint Eustatius and Saint Martin, where it has been known as Netherlands Antilles Creole English....
, is also spoken by the majority of the population in informal situations.
Religion
ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
is the dominant religion on St. Croix. Protestant denominations are the most prevalent, but there is also a significant Roman Catholic presence due to St. Croix's large Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
population as well as from Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
influence during the Danish colonial period. Anglican, Jehovah's Witness, Methodist, Moravian, Presbyterian, Pentecostal and Seventh-day Adventists
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
are among a few other denominations prevalent on the island. As in most of the Caribbean, various forms of Rastafari are practiced on the island. Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
is prevalent among the small local Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
population, and there is a small Jewish presence as well.
Economy
St. Croix, like many other Caribbean islands, has tourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
as one of its main sources of revenue. However, there are a number of other industries on the island to help support the economy. St. Croix was once an agricultural powerhouse in the Caribbean, but ended with the rapid industrialization of the island's economy in the 1960s.
St. Croix is home to HOVENSA
Hovensa
Hovensa is a petroleum refinery located on the island of St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. The refinery is a joint venture between Hess Corporation and Petroleos de Venezuela that mostly supplies heating oil and gasoline to the U.S Gulf Coast and the eastern seaboard with the crude...
, one of the world's largest oil refineries
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
. HOVENSA is a limited liability company
Limited liability company
A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
owned and operated by Hess Oil Virgin Islands Corp. (HOVIC), a division of U.S.-based Hess Corporation
Hess Corporation
The Hess Corporation is an integrated oil company based in New York City. The company explores, produces, transports, and refines crude oil and natural gas. Vertically completing the logistical chain, about 1,360 Hess branded filling stations market gasoline to consumers in 16 states along the...
, and Petroleos de Venezuela, SA (PDVSA), the national oil company of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. Despite this, gas prices are slightly higher than average gas prices on the continental United States and the other Virgin Islands.
St. Croix is also home to the Cruzan Rum
Cruzan Rum
Cruzan Rum is a rum producer located in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. It is owned by Beam Inc.. Their distillery was founded in 1760 and claims the distinction of "the most honored rum distillery in the world." Weekday tours of the distillery in Frederiksted are given...
Distillery, makers of Cruzan Rum and other liquors such as Southern Comfort
Southern Comfort
Southern Comfort is an American liqueur made from neutral spirits with fruit, spice and whiskey flavourings. The brand was originally created by bartender Martin Wilkes Heron in New Orleans in 1874, and is now owned by the Brown-Forman Corporation...
. The Cruzan Rum Distillery was founded in 1760, and for many years used locally grown sugar cane to produce a single "dark" style rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
. The distillery now imports sugar cane molasses from other Caribbean islands, primarily from the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. In recent years Cruzan Rum, along with Bacardi
Bacardi
Bacardi is a family-controlled spirits company, best known as a producer of rums, including Bacardi Superior and Bacardi 151. The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year in nearly 100 countries...
from Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and Gosling's from Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, has also contributed to the resurgence of "single barrel" super-premium rum. The quality and smoothness of the Cruzan Estate Rums has won more than 30 Spirit Awards. Examples of this are Cruzan Estate Diamond Rum (aged 5 years in American oak barrels) and Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum (aged 12 years in American oak barrels).
Diageo
Diageo
Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine....
has almost completed construction of a new distillery on an industrial site next to the Hovensa Refinery. The new distillery will produce Captain Morgan
Captain Morgan
Captain Morgan is a brand of rum produced by alcohol conglomerate Diageo. It is named after the 17th-century, Welsh privateer of the Caribbean, Sir Henry Morgan...
Rum after 2012. Diageo's entrance into the U.S. Virgin Islands rum industry is not without controversy, however, as the cash-strapped U.S. Virgin Islands government secured $250 million in bonds for the plant, about which Puerto Rico has bitterly complained.
Transportation
Island roads tend to be poorly surfaced due to the terrain, and may take sharp turns. Cars drive on the left hand side of the road, but nearly all the automobiles on the island have left side steering columns. This has proven difficult for new residents and visitors from right-hand traffic locales such as the mainland United States and Puerto Rico.There is a public bus service called Virgin Islands Transit VITRAN, operated by Department of Public Works.
In addition to taxis and buses, St. Croix has shared taxis, locally known as "taxi buses" (these are also found on the other U.S. Virgin Islands). Taxi buses are full-sized vans which follow a predefined route from Frederiksted to Christiansted. These taxi buses are privately owned and operated; they do not follow a regular schedule, and there are no pre-specified stops. Instead, people simply wait by the side of the road until a taxi bus approaches, then flag the driver down by waving. Passengers can be dropped off anywhere along the taxi route. Taxi buses charge a flat rate for the trip, regardless of where a rider gets on and off. Taxis to specific locations are much more expensive and are mostly used by tourists. They are not metered and are required by law to charge a flat fare that varies by destination.
The Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport
Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport
Henry E. Rohlsen Airport is a public airport located six miles southwest of Christiansted on the island of St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. The airport is named after Henry E. Rohlsen, a St. Croix native who was one of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.It is a small...
services St. Croix with regular flights from the U.S. mainland, Puerto Rico, and the Eastern Caribbean. Seaplanes, operated by Seaborne Airlines
Seaborne Airlines
Seaborne Airlines is an FAR Part 121 airline based in Christiansted, St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands. It was established in 1992 and operates domestic services within the U.S. Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico and international services within the British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. In...
, also service the island, taking off and landing in Christiansted Harbor. Ferry service to St. Thomas operates from Gallows Bay. Although St. Croix is a U.S. territory, travelers to the continental United States and Puerto Rico need to pre-clear U.S. customs and present a passport or proof of U.S. citizenship or nationality, because the USVI is maintained as a "free port" in a separate customs zone. The immigration status of non-U.S. citizens may be checked during this process as well.
Famous Crucians and St. Croix residents
- Joe AskaJoe AskaJoe Aska is a former American football running back who played for the Oakland Raiders and the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League, as well as the New York/New Jersey Hitmen of the XFL....
, former professional American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running backRunning backA running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... - Raja BellRaja BellRaja Bell is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Utah Jazz of the NBA. Bell is known for his three-point shooting and intense defense.- Biography :Bell was born in Saint Croix, in the U.S...
, professional basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, Utah JazzUtah JazzThe Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... - Bennie BenjaminBennie BenjaminClaude A. Benjamin was a songwriter, often teaming with George David Weiss. He was born on November 4, 1907 in Christiansted on the island of St. Croix . At the age of twenty, he moved to New York City. There, he studied the banjo and guitar with Hy Smith...
, musician, songwriterSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer... - Edmund Bourke (1761-1821), Danish diplomat
- Livingstone BrambleLivingstone BrambleRas-I Alujah Bramble is a boxer. However, Bramble was raised on Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. He became the first world champion from Saint Kitts and Nevis. As of 2005, Bramble is still active in professional boxing...
, boxer (raised on St. Croix) from Montserrat - Horace ClarkeHorace ClarkeHorace Meredith Clarke was a Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres from 1965 to 1974....
, professional baseball player, New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and San Diego PadresSan Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times... - Frank Rudolph Crosswaite – union leader
- DezarieDezarieDezarie is a female roots reggae singer born in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.She received Atlanta's "Best New Female Reggae Artist" award in 2001 before returning to St. Croix.She works closely with Midnite. She currently has four albums available...
, reggae singer - Tim DuncanTim DuncanTimothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
, professional NBA basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, San Antonio SpursSan Antonio SpursThe San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association .... - Walt FrazierWalt FrazierWalter "Clyde" Frazier is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He was blessed with a unique combination of court vision, quickness, and size for a guard...
, former professional basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association... - Jack GantosJack GantosJohn Bryan Gantos, Jr., better known as Jack Gantos is an American author of children's books renowned for his portrayal of fictional Joey Pigza, a boy with ADHD. Gantos has won a number of awards, including the Newbery Honor, the Printz Honor, and the Sibert Honor from the American Library...
, author (mentioned in Hole In My Life) - Shai Gomez, media personality
- Alexander HamiltonAlexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
, American statesman, first United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Secretary of the Treasury (born on NevisNevisNevis is an island in the Caribbean Sea, located near the northern end of the Lesser Antilles archipelago, about 350 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico and 80 km west of Antigua. The 93 km² island is part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies...
) - Jimmy HamiltonJimmy HamiltonJimmy Hamilton was an American jazz clarinetist, tenor saxophonist, arranger, composer, and music educator, best known for his twenty-five years with Duke Ellington....
, jazz musician - Hubert HarrisonHubert HarrisonHubert Henry Harrison was a West Indian-American writer, orator, educator, critic, and radical socialist political activist based in Harlem, New York. He was described by activist A. Philip Randolph as “the father of Harlem radicalism” and by the historian Joel Augustus Rogers as “the foremost...
, HarlemHarlemHarlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
activist and intellectualIntellectualAn intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
"The Father of Harlem Radicalism" - Elizabeth HawesElizabeth HawesElizabeth Hawes was an American clothing designer, outspoken critic of the fashion industry, and champion of ready to wear and people's right to have the clothes they desired, rather than the clothes dictated to be fashionable...
, clothing designer, author and social critic, who wrote a book about her life in St. Croix titled But Say It Politely - Casper HolsteinCasper HolsteinCasper Holstein was a prominent New York mobster involved in the Harlem "numbers rackets" during the Harlem Renaissance. He, along with his occasional rival Stephanie St. Clair, was responsible for bringing back illegal gambling to the neighborhood after an eight-year absence following the...
, Harlem RenaissanceHarlem RenaissanceThe Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement", named after the 1925 anthology by Alain Locke...
philanthropistPhilanthropistA philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes... - Roy InnisRoy InnisRoy Emile Alfredo Innis is an African American civil rights activist. He has been National Chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality since his election to the position in 1968....
, civil rights advocate, chairman, Congress of Racial EqualityCongress of Racial EqualityThe Congress of Racial Equality or CORE was a U.S. civil rights organization that originally played a pivotal role for African-Americans in the Civil Rights Movement...
(CORE) - Rea IrvinRea IrvinRea Irvin was an American graphic artist. Although never formally credited as such, he served de facto as the first art editor of The New Yorker. He created the Eustace Tilley cover portrait and the New Yorker typeface. He first drew Tilley for the cover of the magazine's first issue on...
, illustrator and first art director on The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
magazine - Peter JacksonPeter Jackson (boxer)Peter "Black Prince" Jackson was a heavyweight boxer from Australia who had a significant international career.-Biography:...
, 19th Century Australian boxing champion - William Alexander Leidesdorff – entrepreneur
- Audre LordeAudre LordeAudre Lorde was a Caribbean-American writer, poet and activist.-Life:...
, poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, feminist - MidniteMidniteMidnite is a roots reggae band hailing from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, which has been playing since 1989.The band's music follows in tradition with the roots reggae bands of 1970s Jamaica. The lyrical portions of Midnite's compositions are characterized as the "chant and call" style which...
, roots reggae band - Abraham MarkoeAbraham MarkoeAbraham Markoe , was an American patriot who founded the Philadelphia Light Horse, now known as the First City Troop.-Early life:...
- American revolutionary figure - Darren Boyer, Moxie, Inventor
- Hanik MilliganHanik MilliganHanik Milligan is an American football safety for the National Football League who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, professional American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, San Diego ChargersSan Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Maureen O'HaraMaureen O'HaraMaureen O'Hara is an Irish film actress and singer. The famously red-headed O'Hara has been noted for playing fiercely passionate heroines with a highly sensible attitude. She often worked with director John Ford and longtime friend John Wayne...
, actress - Jim SimpsonJim Simpson (sportscaster)Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters...
, Hall of Fame sportscasterSportscasterIn sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator... - Sir Allen Stanford, financier charged with fraud
- Annie de ChabertAnnie de ChabertAnsetta de Chabert , was a St. Croix, Virgin Islands business woman and civic activist...
, political figure, Entrepreneur - Sugar Ray SealesSugar Ray Seales"Sugar" Ray Seales, was the only American boxer to win a gold medal in the 1972 Summer Olympics.-Personal:...
, Olympic gold medalist, boxer
Festivals
The island's largest festival, termed "Crucian Christmas Festival", is celebrated on St. Croix throughout late December and early January. Another significant festival is the Agricultural and Food Fair held in mid-February.Several times a year, there is a nighttime festival in Christiansted called "Jump-Up" and a monthly event called "Sunset Jazz" in Frederiksted, where local jazz musicians play on Frederiksted Beach. Every year on the Saturday before Mardi Gras, there is a local Mardi Croix parade and a dog parade through the North Shore.
The St. Croix Half Ironman Triathlon is held in the first week of May. The Triathlon includes a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run. Because the bicycle route includes a ride up an extremely steep hill known as "The Beast", this triathlon is often nicknamed "Beauty and the Beast".
Points of interest
Fort Christiansvaern built in 1749 and other buildings are maintained by the National Park ServiceNational Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
as the Christiansted National Historic Site
Christiansted National Historic Site
Christiansted National Historic Site commemorates urban colonial development of the Virgin Islands. It features 18th and 19th century structures in the heart of Christiansted, the capital of the former Danish West Indies on St...
.
Buck Island Reef National Monument
Buck Island Reef National Monument
Buck Island Reef National Monument, or just Chicken Island is a small, pink, 5 foot island about 1.5 miles north of the northeast coast of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. It was first established as a protected area by the U.S. Government in 1948, with the intention of preserving “one of the...
preserves a 176 acre (71 ha) island just north of Saint Croix and the surrounding reefs. This is a popular destination for snorkelers. Buck Island maintains a U.S. Coast Guard weather station and is also home to a student monitored lemon shark breeding ground. Green Cay is a small island located southwest of Buck Island and also hosts a nearby reef popular among scuba divers and snorkelists, Tamarind Reef. A small dive shack on Tamarind Beach, near a resort and bar named the "Deep End" provides snorkels and fins to prospective divers. As well, the reef is often marked with floating buoys in order to help guide inexperienced divers along the underwater terrain.
There are several scuba diving companies operating from Christiansted. Off the north coast of the island, there are many good destinations for diving, featuring scenic coral reefs, clear water, and abundant tropical fish and migrant sea turtles. Prominent among these are Cane and Divi bays along with Long reef which encompasses a large portion of the northern side of the island. Cane Bay is a popular destination for scuba enthusiasts due to the fact that just a few hundred meters off shore the topography makes a sudden drop into a deep underwater trench. The reef also serves as a natural barrier against sharks and jellyfish. However around other portions of the island, notably Frederiksted, hammerhead and tiger sharks can be seen. Shark attacks on the island are very rare.
National protected areas
- Buck Island Reef National MonumentBuck Island Reef National MonumentBuck Island Reef National Monument, or just Chicken Island is a small, pink, 5 foot island about 1.5 miles north of the northeast coast of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. It was first established as a protected area by the U.S. Government in 1948, with the intention of preserving “one of the...
- Christiansted National Historic SiteChristiansted National Historic SiteChristiansted National Historic Site commemorates urban colonial development of the Virgin Islands. It features 18th and 19th century structures in the heart of Christiansted, the capital of the former Danish West Indies on St...
- Green Cay National Wildlife RefugeGreen Cay National Wildlife RefugeGreen Cay National Wildlife Refuge, just north of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, preserves habitat for the largest remaining population of endangered Saint Croix ground lizard . Much smaller populations of ground lizard live on nearby Protestant Cay and on Ruth Island. Its extirpation from the...
- Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological PreserveSalt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological PreserveSalt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve on the Virgin Island of St. Croix, contains the only known site where members of a Columbus expedition set foot on what is now United States territory. It also preserves upland watersheds, mangrove forests, and estuarine and marine...
- Sandy Point National Wildlife RefugeSandy Point National Wildlife RefugeSandy Point National Wildlife Refuge preserves habitat for threatened and endangered species, with particular emphasis on the Leatherback Sea Turtle . Its two miles of sandy beaches on the southwest corner of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands is an ideal nesting place for leatherbacks...
- Point UdallPoint UdallPoint Udall may refer to:*Point Udall , named after Mo Udall and regarded as the westernmost point of the United States*Point Udall , named after Stewart Udall and regarded as the easternmost point of the United States,...
See also
- Culture of the Virgin IslandsCulture of the Virgin IslandsVirgin Islander culture represents the various peoples that have inhabited the present-day U.S. Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands throughout history...
- Music of the Virgin IslandsMusic of the Virgin IslandsThe music of the Virgin Islands reflects long-standing West Indian cultural ties to the island nations to the south, the islands' African heritage and European colonial history, as well as recent North American influences. Though the United States Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands are...
- Danish West IndiesDanish West IndiesThe Danish West Indies or "Danish Antilles", were a colony of Denmark-Norway and later Denmark in the Caribbean. They were sold to the United States in 1916 in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies and became the United States Virgin Islands in 1917...
- Fireburn
- Virgin Islands CreoleVirgin Islands CreoleVirgin Islands Creole, or Virgin Islands Creole English, is an English-based creole spoken in the Virgin Islands and the nearby SSS islands of Saba, Sint Eustatius and Saint Martin, where it has been known as Netherlands Antilles Creole English....
- Buck Island Reef National MonumentBuck Island Reef National MonumentBuck Island Reef National Monument, or just Chicken Island is a small, pink, 5 foot island about 1.5 miles north of the northeast coast of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. It was first established as a protected area by the U.S. Government in 1948, with the intention of preserving “one of the...
- Christiansted National Historic SiteChristiansted National Historic SiteChristiansted National Historic Site commemorates urban colonial development of the Virgin Islands. It features 18th and 19th century structures in the heart of Christiansted, the capital of the former Danish West Indies on St...
- St. George Village Botanical GardenSt. George Village Botanical GardenThe St. George Village Botanical Garden is a botanical garden with arboretum located at 127 Estate St. George, Frederiksted, Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. It is open daily except Christmas; an admission fee is charged....
- Cruzan RumCruzan RumCruzan Rum is a rum producer located in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. It is owned by Beam Inc.. Their distillery was founded in 1760 and claims the distinction of "the most honored rum distillery in the world." Weekday tours of the distillery in Frederiksted are given...
- Point UdallPoint UdallPoint Udall may refer to:*Point Udall , named after Mo Udall and regarded as the westernmost point of the United States*Point Udall , named after Stewart Udall and regarded as the easternmost point of the United States,...
(most eastern point of the United States)
External links
Official sites- St. Croix - United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism
- St. Croix Central High School - St. Croix Central High School (Official Site)
- St. Croix Educational Complex - St. Croix Educational Complex High School (Official Site)
- Office of the Lieutenant Governor - Office of the Lieutenant Governor Gregory R. Francis
Map
- St. Croix USVI Google Map - Satellite Map of St. Croix, USVI
- St. Croix Map - US Virgin Islands Map / St. Croix Maps and Driving Directions
News and media
- WTJX-TV St. Croix - Virgin Island Public Television
- Official Website of St. Croix This Week Magazine - Tourist Information for St. Croix