were granted permanent status under a United States Immigration Service Amnesty program. This new status often brought access to healthcare, education, housing, and the opportunity to eventually apply for citizenship.
On St. Croix possibly 45% of the population is Spanish speaking, traditionally of Puerto Rican descent and more recently, arrivals from the Dominican Republic.
St. Thomas has two French communities from St. Barths and Haiti. Settlers to the Virgin Islands have come from the British Virgin Islands, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Portugal, India, Philippines, the Lesser and Greater Antilles, the Caribbean in general, the Arab nations, and the Far East. The United States Virgin Islands is a mini-United Nations where the “melting pot” bubbles to quelbe, soca, reggae, country, zouk and mainstream top 40 beats.
Recent Economic Development
Economic growth in the territory is in some aspects tied to the people it attracts. In this regard, there are some promising signs. In 2014 visitor arrivals to the three main islands totaled 2,814,200. A majority, 2,083,900w ere cruise ship tourists, but the territory also welcomed 678,961 air arrivals. St. Thomas and St. John reported 1,979,900 cruise ship visitors while St. Croix, which has more shallow ports than St. Thomas and is striving to increase cruise ship calls, reported 138,100, a 9% increase over the previous year.
These statistics were extracted from data from the USVI Bureau of Economic Research. For further updates on visitor arrivals, visit the the VI Bureau of Economic Research at http://www.usviber.org.
St. Croix’s rum industry is also on the rise. In June 2008, the US Virgin Islands and Diageo, USVI began a public -private initiative for the construction and operation of a high capacity rum distillery on St. Croix. This 30 year commitment is providing a major economic stimulus for the entire territory of the US Virgin Islands. Today, all the rum used to make Captain Morgan branded products for the US Market comes from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Captain Morgan is a global leader amoung premium spirits and is the second leading rum in the world. Located in the St. Croix Renaissance park, the facility features a state-of-the-art, eco-friendly visitor’s center with a souvenir gift shop. Tours are available throughout each week and the Captain Morgan Visitor’s Center also is available for rent for private affairs.
Chapter 2
Getting Acquainted...
AROUND the UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS
Even though the three islands, St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas, have many similarities with their neighbors in the Caribbean, their differences are considerable. St. Croix’s terrain encouraged agricultural development and a general spreading of the population throughout the island. St. John’s size and natural beauty led to preservation of a national park on the island. And St. Thomas, with her steep inclines and a natural deep harbor, became a world-class port. So each island is different due to terrain, beneficial intervention and surrounding water, developing delightful and individual personalities and styles. As a result, the three sister islands of the United States Virgin Islands are beautiful examples of life in the Caribbean. They share qualities of the quintessential American paradise, but, like sisters in many families, they are strikingly unique, fiercely independent, usually squabbling, yet quite loyal to each other should outsiders interfere.
AROUND the ISLANDS - ST. CROIX
The island of St. Croix has two charming towns, Christiansted and Frederiksted, with other major shopping area such as Gallows Bay, Sunny Isle and Sunshine Mall, plus a rain forest, scenic drives, outstanding watersports activities, three golf courses, tennis courts all spread out across the island’s approximate 84 sq. miles.
Christiansted
Our round-the-island tour begins with the historic city of Christiansted. Several blocks of the wharf area have been designated a National Historic Site by the National Park Service. The town features narrow streets and sturdy architecture similar to the style of the 18th century neo-classical. The strict requirements of the Danish building code, established in 1747 for fire and hurricane, spared the town from the dangers that have destroyed many historic areas elsewhere.
Among the most striking of these Danish structures is Fort Christianvaern, which currently serves as headquarters for the National Park Service and is a perfect place to begin an architectural tour of the town. This bright yellow fort overlooks Christiansted Harbor, Protestant Cay (home to Hotel on the Cay and once a burial ground for Protestants barred from the island cemetery by the French Catholic administration), scores of yachts, St. Thomas, and St. John. A prime example of colonial military architecture, the fort contains posted descriptions of the town’s historic buildings. These include, the Danish Customs House, the Scalehouse, Government House, Danish West India & Guinea Company Warehouse, and the Steeple Building, which all date from the earliest period.
Fort Christiansvaern and the Steeple Building are open to the Public. The fort is open seven days a week except Thanksgiving and Christmasfrom The Steeple Building is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 773-1460 for more information.
Frederiksted
Our island tour continues with St. Croix’s other major town, Frederiksted, also known as “Freedom City.” If you should arrive by cruise ship, you will dock at the new pier in Frederiksted where much of the town has been named an historic area. This turn-of-the-century town charms visitors with wide tree-shaded streets, a lovely waterfront, and several blocks of arcaded sidewalks. As a National Historic District, the city features such structures as the Old Customs House, the Fleming Building constructed of bricks from destroyed sugar mill chimneys, St. Paul’s Anglican Church, dating from 1812, and the restored Fort Frederik located just to the left of the pier as you disembark. Built in the mid 1700s, the Fort has been in continuous use for military and other government purposes. The Fort is now a venue for cultural events as well as a Museum specializing in the history and architecture of Frederiksted, with rotating exhibits of local artists and craftspeople. Their open hours are: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Closed holidays. For further information call: 772-2021. Wherever you drive, you will find remnants of sugar mills in the landscape of the island. At the height of the plantation era, in the 1700s, St.Croix had 114 wind mills,14 ox-mills and was divided into 275 plantations, or estates. The island was once considered the premier sugar-producing area and the “bread basket” of the Caribbean. Most areas still carry the plantation or estate names that reflect the owner’s thinking. Check a map, or, on your drive through the island, look for names like: Good Hope, Judith’s Fancy, Lower and Upper Love, Barren Spot, Humbug, or William’s Delight.
While St. Croix offers many variations in topography, the East End with Point Udall, the easternmost point of land in the United States, offers breath-taking sea vistas, gentle hills dotted with cactus and an unobstructed view of Buck Island, just six miles away. To get to Point Udall, follow Route 82 past Cramer Park, past the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and east along a newly paved road to the very tip, where you will find a monument at this point. As you stare out on the vast ocean, remember that the next major piece of land is Africa!
The Buck Island Reef National Monument features snorkeling, swimming, beautiful waters, sandy beaches, good hiking, and is a frequent stop— not only for the day-charter boats, but also the locals on weekends. Note that signs on occasion may be posted closing some of the walking trails for nesting turtles and wild bird or endangered animal protection.
