18 Vibrant Facts about US Virgin Islands
1. There are tons of islands in the group.
The US Virgin Islands is a group of 50 tropical islands, islets and cays in the Caribbean Sea.
2. What are some of the neighboring countries?
It is bordered by British Virgin Islands to the north east, Anguilla and St. Kitts and Nevis to the east, Venezuela to the south and Puerto Rico to the west.
3. Here’s the phone prefix for the US Virgin Islands.
Want to call your family or friends in the US Virgin Islands? You’ll need to use the international dialling code +1340.
Flag of US Virgin Islands
4. Take a boat!
The coordinates for USVI are 18.3500° N, 64.9333°
5. It’s fantastic for hikers out here.
The striking terrain here is mostly mountainous with rugged hills.
6. It’s a tiny territory on the whole.
The total land area of US Virgin Islands is 133.7 square miles (346.4 square kilometers). US Virgin Islands’ population was 106,290 in 2020.
7. What are the main islands called?
The USVI is made up of 4 larger islands – St John, St Thomas, St Croix and Water Island.
St John is the smallest of the larger islands and is home to the Virgin Islands National Park and covers half the island. In 1956, the American businessman Laurance Rockefeller donated his extensive lands on the island to the US’ National Park Service, under the condition that the lands had to be protected from future development.
8. The US bought the islands from the Danish.
Water Island was bought from Denmark by the USA in 1917.
9. Here’s a no-brainer…
You might find this hard to believe, but residents here are known as ‘Virgin Islanders’!
St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
10. What’s the capital of the US Virgin Islands?
The capital is Charlotte Amalie, located on St Thomas and covers an area of 1.2 square miles (3.14 square kilometers) and has a population of 10,354 (2010).
11. You’ll likely live here up to your 80s.
The average life span here is 79.67 sun-kissed years (2019).
12. Check the road laws!
Despite being governed by the USA, cars in the US Virgin Islands drive on the left side of the road – nice and easy if you’re coming from the UK!
St. Thomas, USVI
13. Start dancing!
National music of US Virgin Islands is called ‘Quelbe’; it is a type of folk music and the instruments include washboards and gourds.
14. The mongoose hordes are real!
Mongoose thrive upon US. Virgin Islands’ They were originally brought in to kill rats on the islands, however, instead of a rat problem, residents now have a mongoose problem!
15. The weather’s great here.
The residents of US Virgin Islands enjoy a subtropical climate with relatively low humidity and little temperature variation.
Mongoose
16. It’s a multilingual territory.
The official language of US Virgin Islands is, as you may expect, English! Virgin Islands Creole, French and Spanish are also spoken, however.
17. Yes – you can spend your dollars here.
The US Dollar is the official currency, so make sure you stock up to buy your measures of rum!
18. What are the main industries and exports here?
US Virgin Islands grows vegetables, fruits and sorghum and rear Senepol cattle.
Its industry consists of tourism, rum distilling, watch assembly, electronics, pharmaceuticals and construction.
The islands also export its delicious rum.
St. Croix, USVI
FAQs about the US Virgin Islands
Can a US citizen move to the Virgin Islands?
Technically, yes! However, it’s worth speaking to your local embassy first.
Who actually owns the US Virgin Islands?
Well - the US! However, they used to all belong to Denmark.
Why did the US decide to buy the Virgin Islands?
It’s to do with military strategy. The US decided that paying $25 million to Denmark for the islands would help them get a useful foothold on the world map.
Do you know any fun facts about the USVI? Share them in the comments section below!
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This page was last modified on July 29, 2023. Suggest an edit
