American virgin. American Virgin Islands: History, Geography, Science and Culture

LJ-user NAZ-SAPAROVA writes in his blog: the great discoverer Christopher Columbus was very long in the sea on his ship "Maria Galant" in search of new lands for the Spanish crown and new discoveries for humanity. He sick, tired and really needed care and caress. He was experiencing women everywhere. So in November 1493, furrowing spaces of the Caribbean Sea, he saw a lazily restraint lush woman on the horizon. "Virgin Gorda!" - Reliced \u200b\u200bColumbus, putting on his parade uniform. Going closer, Christophorushka discovered only a beautiful island, with his huge round granite boulders, hardened on the shore, resembling a female silhouette. Not Solono Bread, Columbus swam further, and the island got the name Virgin Gorda - a fat virgin.

1. Archipelago in the Caribbean Sea of \u200b\u200b60 amazing islands with snow-white beaches, secret caves, turquoise water and emerald forests today is called Virgin Islands - virgin islands.

2. But in Russian they are called virgin, which is not entirely reliably, the whole meaning of the name of these paradise islands is lost. They are really virgin - and the idyll of the pristine nature has been preserved to the present day.

3.Virgin Islands are divided by belonging: British and American. Today I invite you to plunge into the fabulous atmosphere of the British Virgin Islands. This is the overseas Dependent Territory of Great Britain: Local residents are citizens of the UK, but the local currency is the American dollar. We will visit Tortola and the very thick virgin - Virgin Gorda.

4. Tortola is not much different from the ordinary Caribbean Island - the same colored houses, multi-kilometer snow-white beaches, palm trees, unhurried life. Normal paradise. Relaxing under a gentle breeze, on gentle white sands with a raid turquoise wave, in the society of friendly islanders and the yurchy Iguan, it is difficult to imagine that it was smugglers who were hidden and the terrible pirates were hidden and raised on the rich vessels of merchants. Dangerous islands turned into a place of comfortable and safe rest. The crime rate is the lowest in Western hemisphere, and crimes associated with violence are a practically unconscious phenomenon.

9. Reuters published a list of the best Caribbean islands that were not affected by the influx of travelers. The second place was taken by the beautiful green island of Virgin Gorda, to get on which is possible only by water. Ready? Then - all on board!

13.Frequent in Virgin Gorda!

14. The island stretched the sushi strip between two manifestations of one element: the raging Atlantic Ocean on the one hand and the smoothing of the Caribbean - on the other. And the island itself is inseparable. Its northeast is born by a submarine volcano, the rocky slopes of which formed numerous protrusions, reefs, capes, protruding far into the sea by the peninsulas.

15. We walk with you National Park The Baths, the name that he received due to numerous pools covered in the caves. This is a very unique natural structure. Huge boulders are sticky on each other on the snow-white sand in the frame of splashing palm trees and form whole labyrinths from secluded caves, grotts, tunnels. A high tide from the Caribbean seals pits and ravines - all these mysterious pools with sea water are formed. Hundreds of giant boulders and cliffs are accumulated by water and rain, so show and smooth. In such labyrinths you can wander your clock, swim, climb and open all new and new hidden places.

28. The caves can be wandering for hours, in some places it becomes completely dark, zyabko and scary.

31. But here the stones are broken and seen the bright skyline of the sea and clouds.

39. Life on the islands is calm and serene, so you can go here for hours to wander around countless beaches, admiring the picturesque landscapes.

But not only splashing in water and sunbathing in the sun can be on these Paradise Islands - the British Virgin Islands are number one among all the well-known offshore and tax harbors in the world. The number of registered companies on the islands exceeded 700 thousand, while the population of the islands is only about 30 thousand people. It turns out that each resident accounts for 23 companies.

This offshore jurisdiction is currently one of the most commonly used by Russian entrepreneurs. Companies registered on the British Virgin Islands are not subject to taxation, in addition, the companies do not require the delivery of annual reporting. Information about shareholders and beneficiaries of the company is protected by law, a closed register of shareholders and directors is conducted. In this case, this information may be disclosed only by court decision.
That is why among Russian companies that do not hide that they conduct their business through offshores on the British Virgin Islands Real Giants of the Russian Business: Alpha Groups Mikhail Friedman and Peter Avena (Alpha Bank, Alpha Insurance, TNK-BP, MegaFon ", VimpelCom, the Pyaterochka trading network) is registered with Gibraltar, Luxembourg, British Virgin Islands and the Netherlands. The "Basic Element" of Oleg Deripaska (RUSAL, GAZ Group, Ingosstrakh) is recorded on the company from Jersey Island, which, in turn, belongs to the company from the British Virgin Islands, Mirax Groups of Sergey Polonsky - is listed for the Nythela and Virgin offshores. Offshore jurisdictions are able to provide support for the shadow economy, being part of the money laundering process. Here is such a successful combination of business and recreation - islands attract attention to their reliability and stability, high level of financial and environmental safety.

But we will not more about the economy, we go to the British Virgin Islands not to miss money, but to get acquainted with new places. Next time we will visit the American Virgin Islands.

The earliest human settlements on the territory of the Virgin Islands are approximately 1500 g BC. E, although there are evidence of the presence of people here at least one thousand years earlier. Chiboni Indians, Aravaka and Cariba consistently replaced each other for almost three thousand years. In 1493, Columbus ships approached the eastern part of the archipelago, known in our days as the British Virgin Islands, and the wave of European immigrants, the British, French, Danes, the Spaniards and Maltese Knights were hung on the island for almost two centuries. . Only in 1672, the Danish West Indian company approved its presence on Cent-Thomas, and in 1694 - on Cent-John. In 1733, the company acquires Santa Cruz Island from the French, combining all three islands under the jurisdiction of Denmark. The sugar industry developed here was completely dependent on slavery, so African slaves are brought to the island, and the largest auctions of slaves in the world are held in Charlotte-Amalia (it suffices to say that in 1797, for example, from the thirty thousandths of the islands, slaves were 25.5 thousand !). After the abolition of slavery in 1848, drastically treated the labor of liberated slaves, drought, hurricanes and the fall in sugar prices led to a sharp deterioration in the economic situation of the Danish West Indies, and these conveniently located islands and their deep-sea harbors paid their attention to fast-growing United States. Only the beginning of the Civil War did not allow the Senate to allocate $ 7.5 million for the purchase of CENT-Tomas and Cent John in Denmark. After the start of the First World War, when the real threat of the occupation of the islands of the German troops arose and establishing the control over the eastern entrance to the Panaman Canal, Denmark sold its own possessions on the territory of Virgin for $ 25 million gold - the highest price for US ever paid for Caribbean Earth.

Nowadays, this small bit of sushi is a recognized center of duty-free trade and tourism. Despite the fact that the Government of American Virgin has never sought to give tourism to the dominant position in the economy, it employs more than a third of the entire working-age population of the islands, and the development of the rest infrastructure continues with a rapid pace. The landscape of the Virgin Islands is very colorful and includes the dense subtropical forests of St. John hills, fruitless and arid areas of succulent vegetation on coastal hills, extensive mangrove swamps and wonderful shores - according to this parameter, Virgin Islands are among the best beach areas in the Basin of the Caribbean. Elegant resorts, Armada Cruise Ships, regularly visiting the islands, excellent conditions for diving, windsurfing and mass yachting regularly attract more than one and a half million tourists a year.

Saint-Thomas

St. Thomas Island is a strategically important location in the Strait of the anegada - the key sea route of the Panama Canal. Having one of the best deepwater harbors in the Caribbean, Cent-Thomas with his picturesque capital and the developed duty-free trade zone is perfectly developed as a resort area and literally oversaturated with shops, hotels and restaurants. The island itself is amazingly beautiful - the rocks of the scenic hills have cropped the lines of painting hills form numerous capes separating the beautiful bays and bay filled with turquoise-blue water. More than forty beautiful beaches here, and excellent seats for dives are found almost every step.

Charlotte-amalia

The capital of possession - Charlotte-Amalia was founded by Danes in 1672, and received its modern name named Danish Queen, the wife of King Christian V, in 1691 today it is a living and noisy city, with extremely polite local residents (this property is considered a national peculiarity. Islanders), forever overflowing by tourists and very restless. The city center, as it is not difficult to guess, is his port, some incomprehensible manner maintained the Danish style and constantly filled with giant cruise ships. Framed by a whole series of duty-free shops, neat old warehouses stained in pastel tones, green parks and buildings of various services, he is crowned with a modest building of Fort Christian - the main historical landmark of the city. The fortress was built in 1672 as a joint post of protection of the port from pirate armat raids, a government house, a church and the city community's consulting hall at the same time. When the threat of the invasion of the pirates disappeared, the Fort became a prison, and since 1987 places the Museum of Virgin Islands on its territory with an extensive collection of natural heritage of the region and art (open from Monday to Friday, from 8.00 to 16.30, on Saturdays - from 10.00 to 15.00) . Now the complex of Fort is considered the oldest European structure at Saint Thomas.

At the nearby Hill, Gover Hill hills the medieval Abris Skightsborg, the more famous today as Blackberd Castle. One of the many fortresses lined up by the Danes in the XVII to the protection of the island, Skikesborg is the only strengthening of this kind and age in the Basin of the Caribbean. A special flavor of this construction gives local legends, according to which it was here that the famous pirate of the XIX century, served as a prototype of a well-known literary character - a dreaming of blue beard (therefore, often called Blue-Castle).

Several south, on the veterans-drive, the green building of the Legislative Assembly towers (open daily, from 8.00 to 17.00), where today is the office of the Government of the Islands. And norther, at Norre-Heid, the Gregorian Church of Frederick Lateran Cherch towers (built in 1850 on the site of the first Danish church of the Virgin Islands, which was destroyed by fire and hurricanes). To the northeast of the Church, on Cyungens-Head, the impressive white mansion of the Gaverment-House (1866 g, is open from Monday to Friday, from 8.00 to 17.00, the entrance is free), in which the Danish Colonial Council was originally located. Now the office of the administration of the American Virgin Islands and the Art Museum with the works of famous local artists. The Ninti-Nayne-Step ladder begins a slightly west of Palm (as if in the peak of his name, it has not 99, but 103 steps), leading to the north, to the top of Gauter Hill, from where the beautiful panorama of the harbor and adjacent urban quarters opens.

A little west, on Crystal-Head, a unique synagogue of Beracha-Veshymila-Hasidim (Beracha V "Shalom V" Gimilaath Chasidim), which was built by Jews who were condensed from Spain. The first building of the synagogue was erected at this place in 1796 and after a fire destroyed it until the foundation of the fire was rebuilt rebuilt in 1833 - thus, it is the oldest synagogue in the United States and the second in the age of Western Hemisphere (open from Monday to Friday, from 9.00 to 16.00). In the neighborhood there is a Waable Museum (open from Monday to Friday, from 9.00 to 16.00) - An interesting exhibition of the three-year history of the Jewish community on the islands, as well as the gallery of Camille Pissarro, located in the very building, where this artist was born in 1830, one of the founders French school impressionism. Some Eastern, Ny-Heid, there is a modest church of St. Thomas-reformed-Cherch (XIX C), and south, on Maine Street, a majestic three-storey Crawon House (XVIII B) is towers - Peter Scholaten House, Governor General Danish West Indies.

Also, at the foot of Gover Hill, you can find the Museum of Seven-Arches, or the Danish Museum, "Venus Post" on Magnolia Hill, Green Emancipheysh Park (1848 g), Lavalt-House mansion and a semicircular green quarter from his Western Wall (locals They call him simple - the park), the beautiful Square of Vendon Plaza and Draits Sit - a place where the famous captain Francis Drake landed on the Earth of the island at the end of the XVI century (the beach itself is located outside the capital). A huge number of duty-free trade stores is concentrated in the port area between Raewiss-Heid, Maine Street and post-office Ellie - here you can buy almost all imagues from all over the world, and at very liberal prices.

In the eastern part of the bay, the Havesight-Ellie district stretches, where there are several picturesque alleys, dock for cruise ships and the famous submarine "Atlantis", which makes immersion to a depth of 30 meters away with tourists on board, as well as the end station Skyride Paradis-Tramwei raising tourists to the top of Slag Hill (210 m). Double Danish-English street signs here as it were to emphasize the rich historical past of this area, and shady allys create a unique romantic atmosphere.

Around the city

The entrance to the harlotte-amalie harbor closes two enough large islands - Hassel Island (0.22 sq. M. km) and Water Island (0.49 square meters km). Uninhabited Hassel Island is part of the National Parks System of the Virgin Islands and places the eponymous reserve on its territory. From the historical structures here you can find only the ruins of the old British military garrison (XIX c) and the construction of some hotel has already abandoned many years - the rest of the island is given to the power of plants.

Water Island is famous for its beautiful beaches and is a favorite seat of the Sunday recreation of residents of the capital. Here you can see the underground Fort of Segarr, built to protect the shipping zone during the Second World War (tunnels and underground foundations of the fort are excursions), the viewing platform (formerly adjusting item of the same fort), botanical gardens in the very center of the island, the ruins of old plantations (They are considered unique, since the island and plantations belonged to free (!) Receives from Africa), first of all the well-preserved Caroline-Point-Plenteashn. The most popular beach of the island is the Kanimun Beach with soft white sand in the protected bay of Drift Bay.

At 3.5 km west of the city, on the slopes "Mountains" Saint-Peter Greithaus, botanical gardens spread out (open daily, from 9.00 to 16.00). In addition to the beautiful set of spaces, numbering about 200 samples from the entire region, here you can find an old distiller and a shop that sells objects of local artistic classes. At the same distance, the east of the city feature, in the town of Tata, the green zone of Tylet-Gardez spread - the real "city of masters", where you can see all kinds of local crafts and artisans themselves at work, and also to purchase their works in a small shop (nearby the most popular Mexican restaurant "Polis"). And the north of the capital, in the very center of the island, the mountain Draits-Sit (413 m) rises with a memorable sign on its vertex, from which local legends say, Sir Francis Drake himself watched the surrounding waters and passing strait courts. And the view from here opens and really amazing. The northern foot of the Drakes-Site stretches Majazhen Bay Beach Beach, advertised by the National Journal of National Geographic Magazine as one of the most beautiful shores on the planet. The huge shopping complex of the Mountain-Top, offering unprecedented discounts and a huge selection of goods (by the way, is "homeland" and the world famous cocktail "Banana Daikiri", which is mixed exclusively with local Cruzan, is located.

Red Hook

The small town of Red Hook, lying on the eastern of the island, is often called the "small capital of St. Thomas." And indeed, there are all the "conveniences" of Charlotte-Amalia, though on a smaller scale. Ferries come here from Cent-John, Tortoles and numerous resort islands of the Eastern Coast, there is a popular yacht parking and many shops, several shady alley and a huge number of good restaurants. But the main attraction of the city is the famous Sea Coral Marine Park in Coki Point (open daily, from 9.00 to 17.30; entrance - US $ 18 for adults and $ 9 for children). This 4.5-acre park contains an underwater observatory on its territory, a sea path (underwater tunnel with transparent walls, leading to a flooded tanker turned into an artificial reef; Entrance fee is $ 68), a special aquarium contained marine turtles and Iguana, as well as the Koki Beach itself in Smith Bay Bay - Probably the Best Beach for Snorkeling on the island. The waters of the nearby bays of St. John-Bay, Red Bay, Coki Bay, Great Bay, Compt Bay and Nazareth Bay protects a large natural reef, which allows you to find many places for a seafood.

Shores

The rich coastal trait of St. Thomas offers a huge variety of bays, bays, capes and peninsulas, where you can find beach areas, each with its natural conditions. On the northern coast, the best place to relax the sea is considered to be protected by two capes Bay of Madzhenz-Bay with its almost two-kilometer beach strip, as well as the Hall Bay area. In the West is very popular, especially in windsurfingists, Hall Bay Beach Beach with its reefs inner Bras and Outer Brass. Sapphire Beach deserve attention to the east (especially at windsurfers and divers) and all the coast of Vessep-Bay Bay near Red Hook.

The shores on the south side of the island are not so good - here there are more stony areas and mangrove swamps, but not far from the capital you can find good (and deserted!) Beaches Bay Bay Bay 5 km west of the city, beautifully equipped Morningstar Beach Beach in Franchmans "6 (1.5 km south of Heavensight), a quiet beach of a limeter, as well as an excellent beach of Bologon Beach and the resort area of \u200b\u200bthe same place around it, which can be reached by ferry" Rifer "($ 3 to each side). Blue-Edged Beach is excellent condition for windsurfing, and Coki Beach on the northeast coast is popular with diving lovers. On the islands there is only one good surfing place - the bay of Hill-Bay to the west of Madzhenz Bay.

Saint John

Saint John Island is the smallest of the main islands of the group and the most ancient of them. The top of an ancient submarine volcano, towering out of the water 364 meters in the form of Mount Kamelberg-Peak, forms its slopes a complex system of heavily outstanding in the sea of \u200b\u200bseats and bays, which are real paradise for nature lovers. The once known as the prosperous agricultural community, based at the beginning of the XVIII century, Danish immigrants, today, this rocky and wild island with excellent white shores are considered the best place for outdoor activities. The main attraction is the National Park of the Virgin Islands, a tightly overgrown by the violent rainforest. The history of his occurrence is somewhat unusual - in the middle of the 20th century, American financier Laurens Rockefeller visited St. John and, inspired by his beauties, simply bought part of the island and built a private resort here and a small (then a tent) camp on a plot of old sugar plantation. The remaining unavailable 2000 hectares Rockefeller sacrificed the government of the country, and today this territory occupies almost two thirds of the island, turned into a protected area of \u200b\u200bthe National Park.

One of the best excursions in the island - Bordeaux Mountain-Trail, which leads to the top of the mountain of the same name, as well as to the peaks of Kemlberg and Maami, offering enough tense excursions and magnificent landscapes, while a walk to the old Annaberg plantation allows you to get acquainted with partially restored Ruins of plantation and sugar factory XVIII century. The National Park also covers a large water area of \u200b\u200badjacent reef areas, so here you can find excellent diving places with a lively marine life. Especially popular is the very beautiful bay of the trunk, as well as the bays of Reef Bay and Salt Pond Bay.

Cruz Bay

The main city on the island - Cruz Bay is founded at the beginning of the XIX century by Danish soldiers from Cent-Thomas, equipped on the southwest coast of the supervisory point and stamping. Now there is half of the island from almost 4 thousand inhabitants of the island, and the best shops, restaurants and objects of St. John's nightlife are concentrated. Unlike other capitals of the islands, there are no special samples of architecture or history, but this is a very suitable place for a quiet and cozy pastime. The city center is, of course, the port in an unusual M-shaped bay, the municipal park and his pavilion, where they love to gather behind the beer, all guests of the island, as well as the trade alley of Mongus-Janeschn in the northeast corner of the approach. Warfside-Williage Beach is the only beach within the city, although it is not recommended to swim here, because traffic in the city harbor is quite lively. But here, right on the shore, there is an extensive trading area, not inferior in its diversity by the district of Mongus-Dzhankshn.

Five minutes walk from the city center, the Elaine-ion-sprave mansion (XVIII B) rises, in which the library is now located and a fairly extensive collection of materials and things on the history and culture of the Caribbean countries. 7 km north-east of the city, above the Bay of Lenster Bay, you can find a well-preserved plantation of Annaberg (1733 g, input - $ 4). And in almost the very center of the island, you can visit the ruins of the old plantation and the Katerinaberg sugar plant, which served as headquarters for the leaders of the rising slaves in the 1730s. On the opposite, southern shore of the island, in Reef Bay Bay, there are some more interesting ruins of old plantations (they all lie within the National Park of the Virgin Islands).

In addition to the capital, the only serious city on the island is Coral Bay - The location of the first Danish colony on Cent-John, which today is a rather actively growing commercial area with a large number of restaurants and shops (however, they are most popular, just at the locals). Here is the oldest church on the island - Emmaus-Moravian Cherch (up to 1733).

The west of the Bay of Reef Bay, in a small cascade of the same names of the waterfalls, was found a whole group of petroglyphs, which, presumably left by Indians Taino approximately thousands of years before the appearance of Europeans in these parts. In the Bay of Sinamon-Bay, the excavation opened the Ceremonial Center Taino, in whose territory numerous samples of clay dishes with symbols, identical petroglyph reef-bay were discovered. On the eastern side of the island, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Rams-Head outstanding in the sea, there is a favorite species platform of all guests of the island, which offers a majestic panorama of the adjacent islands and straits, as well as a beautiful view of the nearby thickets of cacti, blooming sometimes whole groups.

Shores

Rocky at first view of St. John's shores provide excellent living conditions by the sea to all categories of tourists. Folded by snow-white sand Beach in the Bay of Lenster Bay, the famous beach of Maho, Francis Bay and Water Mermelone-Kay are excellently suitable for a civilized beach holiday. Water Mermeloun-Kay, Greit Lemsho Bay and Little Leimesho Bay are excellent for diving and snorkeling, and constantly crowded coasts of the Trank bays, Canil Bay, Hox sub and Synamon-Bay serve as the center of local secular life.

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Island (Local residents speak Santa Curra or Saint-Cra) developed in the tourist plan noticeably less than St. Thomas, but this is an excellent place to "disconnect" from the benefits of civilization and a relaxing holiday on the isolated shores of the tropical coast. The largest, most flattest and southernmost among the American Virgin Islands, Santa Cruz is surrounded by magnificent coral reefs, and about a hundred of his old sugar plantations and stone towers of numerous windmills will noticeably divert enough calm local landscape. The scenery of the island is a mixture of low rocky hills ("Sierras") of the North, an extensive fertile coastal plain of the south, a rainforest and, of course, the picturesque shores. Almost all of the territory of the island since 1948 is under the control of the national parks service and retained its natural and historical charm.

ChristianCeated

The former capital of the American Virgin Islands and the Old Danish Colony, ChristianCed, has repeatedly conquered the honorary title of "the most pretty city in the Caribbean". The city was founded by Danish immigrants in 1735 and was named after Christian VI, King Denmark. Located in an extensive bay on the north shore of the island, ChristianCed is planned so simple and reasonable that it is simply impossible to get lost on its territory. Strict lines of old Danish warehouses, customs, government buildings and churches are grouped around a beautiful harbor, and some of the oldest houses of the city are built of bricks, which were brought to the islands as ballast on ships 500 years ago.

Almost all historical sights of Christianweda, intermitted with small restaurants and picturesque courtyards, are concentrated around the old fort, at the junction of ChristianCed Harbor and Gallowz Bay. Fort ChristianSwern (ChristianCed) was built in 1749-1774. And defended the city from pirates and naughty slaves until 1878, when he was transformed into a police station. From the toothed walls of the fort there is a beautiful panorama of the harbor and fortress shafts, abundantly made old weapons. Nowadays, the Fort complex is surrounded by a green zone of Hamilton Jackson-Park, around which all the old buildings of the city are concentrated. Here you can see the Stipple-Building building - the first church built by the Danes after the colonization of the island (now there is a historical museum with an extensive collection of exhibits from reach of the colonial era), an impressive government house (1747 g), the building of the old customs (now used as artistic Gallery), Skale House, post office building, Alexander Hamilton House and the impeccable Botanical Garden of Cent George Village, which contains more than 1,500 varieties of plants planted around the old buildings of plantations, workshops and distilts.

In total, the impressive building of the Lutheran Church Lord-from-Sabat, the complex of Florence Williams, the tourist office of the city and the shopping area, and a little north, along the shore of the bay, stretches the picturesque seaside promenade of the bay, the south-west of the Lord-Sabat. Even further to the southwest, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe former urban outskirts, you can see the Gothic Anglican Church of St. John with an extensive cemetery at its walls, the Catholic Catholic Catholic Cherch Catholic Cholik and Moravian-Church (XVIII century, both churches are considered the most Old from the temples of these denominations on the US land). Among the impressive churches, another historical monument of the city was almost lost - said Pharmacy, founded by the young Danish pharmacist in 1828 (the pharmacy itself was closed in 1970, and its equipment was transferred to the Vim Esteit Museum, but in the late 1990s everything was returned to the previous The place where the historic hall was opened). The new Senate Building is still back.

On the other side of the Galluses Bay bay, Marina Kristianweda and a small beach of the Kay hotel, and even further northwest, in the Kane Bay Bay, there is a large beach complex with a restaurant and a dive center. The old Aquarium of Santa Cruz, located almost in the city center, is currently closed, and its inhabitants are preparing for moving to a new place. Approximately 5 km west of Christianweda stretches the freshwater canal of Salt River, along which the yachts go to the port area. The area is included in the complex of the National Eco-Historic Park, since it was here for the first time sailors from Karavel Columbus for the study of the island, and it was here that many interesting archaeological finds of the Precucumbian Epoch were found. Another West-Eirport Road is a Cruz Rum Distillery distillery, where you can taste any brand of local Roma and watch the process of its production. Nearby spread out a green river park with a beautiful beach and a zone for organizing picnics.

Frederixted

On the west coast, in an extensive bay, almost entirely occupying this part of the island, there is a slightly smaller than ChristianCed, the city-port of Frederixted. Founded at the same time as the capital of the island, the city fell victim to a huge fire of 1879, almost completely destroyed all the buildings. Therefore, many of its modern historical monuments are only carefully recovered copies, standing on the foundations of the middle of the XVIII century. His main monument is a big Fort Frederick next to the pier, which was built in 1760 (now the art gallery and a museum operating from Monday to Friday, from 8.30 to 16.00). It was in this forty on July 3, 1848, Governor-General Peter Van Scholten signed a decree on the abolition of slavery in the Danish West Indies. The Anglican Church of the Cent-Paul (1812 g), the Catholic Church of St. Patrick (1842 g), the Old Danish School (Mid 1830s, All - on Prince Street), Lutheran and Moravskaya Churches, also include Saint-Ann Catholic Church on Centr Island.

Near the city, the 35-meter Damb of Crek Dame and the 15-acre reserve of the Rhine-Forest with a small workshop of wood cutters are located (it is worth noting that local masters are used as the source material only the wood of dead trees), as well as the exotic rocks of the mahogan trees -Reud (the forest itself around the road is private property, access to its territory is possible only with the permission of the owner).

Fort Frederick (XIX C) is noteworthy in the eastern part of the island and the scenic area of \u200b\u200bold houses, the only on-island of Santa Cruz Lighthouse (XIX C) on the top of the rock Hams Blaff, Neoclassical mansion of Vim-Estate plantation (XVIII cent) with windmill The mill, unusually curved walls and a unique dry blade, which served for ventilation of this huge building (now a small museum), as well as the famous Cape Point Adll and his Millennium-Monument is the easternmost point of the United States. The "Heavenly Eyes" is sitting nearby - a colossal aerial radio telescope for the universe study (one of the 9 similar antennas of a unified system of radio telescope framing the whole territory of the United States). And north, behind the narrow strait of Buck-Island-Chenell, there is an extensive zone of the National Reserve Buck-Island Reef (1962 g), consisting of 700 acres of untouched reefs and 180 acres of land (the island of the tank). The whole island and the surrounding reef are declared a protected area in which the dive of water is allowed, and even real underwater excursions are held - Tartl Bay-Trail and East End-Trail (coral "Oleni Rog", in abundance In these waters, refers to the best samples of this type on the planet).

Shores

The island's attractions also include its excellent beaches and beautiful diving sites. The best beach areas of Santa Cruz are located on its northern coast, in the areas of Kane Bay Beach Bay, Bukanir Beach, Cheni Bay Beach, Kukley Bay Beach, Columbus Landing Beach, Gentle Winds Beach, Grapetri -Bay, Isaxek Bay, Jacks-Bay, West end Beach and Shugue Beach. In the same regions, the main places for diving and snorkeling are concentrated. The beach of Colony-Cove Beach is widely known for its excellent reef, in addition to which an artificial reef of old tires has been created here. Beautiful beachfronts are also considered to be Korotran Beach Club and Hibiscus Hotel Beach to the west of Christianweda, Public Beach Kramer Park at the end of RUT-82, Reef Beach in the Gulf of Tig, Beautiful Isolated Sendi Point Beach in South-Western The corner "Islands, a quiet sandy beach Shoi Beach to the east of Christianweda, as well as a semi-kilometer Sprift Hall and Rainbow Beach Club north of Frederiksted.

British Virgin Islands - a territory consisting of 60 small islands. Its area is 153 km2. British Virgin Islands is the overseas lands of the UK. Located in the north-east of the Caribbean, 1770 km south of Florida. They are the southeastern part of the Islands archipelago to which the American Virgin Islands belongs. The city of Rod-Town, located on the island of Tortola - the capital. State language - English.

Currently, the Archipelago of the Virgin Islands is divided by two states - United Kingdom and the United States.

History reference

These lands in the first century BC e. Aravaki Indians populated. In the XV century The militant tribes of the Caribbean, who lived on the Small Antilles, conquered the Indians.

The Great Christopher Columbus during his second campaign was opened by the Virgin Islands in 1493. Spain declared them with their own ownership, but they did not master them. The Dutch, the British, Danes, French were shown to them. The Indian population was exterminated almost completely.

In 1672, the island of Tortole was captured by England. And after eight years (1680 d), the British captured the islands of Vergin-Gorda and Anerade. They began to grow sugar cane on the captured territories. For this, they brought here slaves-blacks from Africa.

When Slavery was canceled in England in 1834, on the plantations began to work under the contract workers from Portugal and India.

Virgin Islands on the World Map

Its part of the US islands acquired in 1917. Basically, they are uninhabited. The American Virgin Islands (on the map it is clearly visible), adjacent to the Virgin Islands (Britain) in the East and with Puerto Rico in the West.

The largest of them are Saint Thomas, Santa Cruz, St. John. The total area of \u200b\u200bthe entire territory is 346, 36 km2. The Virgin Islands of the United States is geographically divided into two major districts. In addition, there are 20 small neighborhoods. The population is 108 thousand people. These are mainly people from South America and African Americans. 30% of the population are busy in the tourist business.

Today it is one of the most popular resort directions in the world. The capital of the islands - Charlotte-Amalia is located on Saint Thomas.

Holidays in the Virgin Islands of the United States

The most appropriate time to relax on the islands from the second half of December, until the very end of April. At this time, there is a peak season, so the cost of services is much higher than from May to August, despite the fact that weather conditions at this time are excellent.

The developed resorts of St. Thomas with its snow-white beaches, picturesque bays, bays with turquoise water - all this holidays on the American islands.

There are about 40 beaches, most of whom are well-equipped. The most calm and deserted of them is a snow-white limeter located in the south of St. Thomas.

Hotels on the islands are classified according to the star system adopted all over the world, and comply with generally accepted standards.

What to watch

On the American Islands you can see the ancient castle of BlackBird and Fort Christian, where there was once (according to local residents) prototype of blue beard, who wanted to climb the Mount St. Peter, take a walk in Charlotte-Amalia.

At the Santa Cruz, a sugar cane plantation can be visited. The city of Christianstand was once the city of Danish colonialists. Here you will be offered to visit the winery cruise. You can see all the Virgin Islands, rising in the sky on a two-door plane.

In the north of Saint Thomas Islands, there is an amazingly beautiful bay of Coki Bay and a unique aquarium with numerous tropical fish and other marine inhabitants.

Where to stay

There are a lot of hotels on the American islands. However, rest here is not cheap. Prices for accommodation in resort hotels at least $ 300 per day from one person. Moreover, this amount is considered minimal.

Many tourists are happy to stop in tent townships, but they are not on all islands.

If you have the necessary amount, you can rent a villa on the coast or apartment.

Entertainment

The American Virgin Islands is simply created for a relaxing and peaceful rest.

Nature has created unique conditions for diving. Underwater caves and coral reefs Manyat plunge into bright turquoise sea waters.

Carnavals are indisputable to the most colorful entertainment. The most bright takes place on Saint Thomas. Here you can see Masquerade, musical performances, dancing contests. Seeing once this is a spectacle, it is impossible to forget it.

In April, all famous Yachtsmen of the Caribbean Sea are collected at St. Thomas to the international regatta.

Such an event takes place in early June at St. John. The celebration smoothly flows a week of fireworks.

At the beginning of the year, a fascinating and a very fun holiday is going on Santa Cruz - Festival Caras. Sports fishing is also a variety of outdoor activities. Here, the champion can even become a newcomer - a lot of fish, equipment can be rented.

British Virgin Islands

As in the American islands, tourism flourishes on these lands. This is one of the best sites for diving, yachting, windsurfing. In addition, the British Virgin Islands (photos you see in our article) is an abundance of historical and cultural attractions. You can visit unique art galleries and exhibitions of magnificent samples of Hand Make from local residents. There will be many interesting and fans of ecotourism for themselves. In the islands have developed interesting pedestrian routes hitting unique vegetation.

Tourists have comfortable hotels, wonderful cafes and restaurants, nightclubs. If this add a great level of service and hospitality of the local population, it becomes clear that the rest on the islands can become unforgettable.

Climate

The average annual air temperature ranges from 23 to 28 degrees. Such a stable climate makes it possible to visit the Virgin Islands all year. The peak of the season comes from November to March. At this time, prices are significantly rising here. Although in May - October, rest on the islands is difficult to call cheap.

sights

The most vivid impressions on the islands, according to our compatriots who already visited here, are excursions passing in Rhodes-Town - the largest city and the main port located in the south of the island of Tortola. Rod-Town surround the sea and three large hill.

Here you can see the post office of the XVIII century, the Saint Phillips Cathedral, the former governor's residence, which over time turned into a public museum. In the south-west of the city, Fort Carlott rises, which in ancient times was a defensive structure and then a prison.

Virgin Islands (British) is rich in natural monuments. Here are 15 national parks and reserves.

Restaurants

National Kitchen of the Virgin Islands is a very bright and original mixture of culinary schools in the world. Here is a sufficient number of restaurants that use various formulations, most often borrowed from the best culinary areas of Asia, Africa and Europe. Interestingly, they are so talented and originally mixed, that they form something, unique, the island menu. Most of the products on the island are imported, but a special, honorable place is occupied by local fruits and seafood.

Security

The standard of living in the Virgin Islands is the highest among the other Caribbean countries. Banking and offshore sector of the economy provide an island treasury sustainable receipt of funds, therefore there is a low level of unemployment and crime. The British Islands rightly consider the safest territory of the Western Hemisphere.

Details Category: North American Dependent Area Published 07/31/2014 17:31 Views: 2046

Part of the Virgin Islands is the overseas territory of Great Britain, and the other part is the non-coordinated organized territory of the United States.

Official symbols of the territory

Flag - It consists of a simplified image on the white cloth of large prints of the United States between the letters V and I (denoting the Virgin Islands). The proportions of the sides of the flag are not defined. The eagle holds in one paw in the laurel branch, and in the other - three arrows representing three main islands: Saint Thomas, St. John and Santa Cruz. Flag colors symbolize various natural features of the Virgin Islands: Yellow (flowers), green (hills), white (clouds) and blue (water). The flag was created by the artist Percivales Sparks at the request of the American governor of the islands of Ilya. Flag adopted on May 17, 1921

Coat of arms - Printing American Virgin Islands. Represents the emblem with three major islands. On the sides of the "Government of the United States of the Virgin Islands".

Political device of the territory

Form of government - US possession.
Head of the territory - US President submitted by the governor elected for 4 years. Residents of the territory are not entitled to participate in the elections of the US President, but can participate in the primary elections of presidential candidates (primaries) from the democratic and republican parties of the United States.
Capital and largest city - Charlotte-amalia.
Official language - English. Used Spanish, French, etc.
Territory - 346.36 km².
Administrative division - 3 districts that are divided into 20 districts.
Population - 106 405 people. Blacks make up 76.2% of the population, white 13.1%, Mulatto 3.5%.
Religion - Baptists 42%, Catholics 34%, etc.
Currency - U.S. dollar.
Economy - Basic mainly on tourism. Islands attend more than 2 million tourists annually. Industry: Oil refining (on the island of Santa Cruz, there is one of the world's largest oil refineries), production of Roma, textiles, pharmaceutical products, an assembly of electronic devices and clock. Agriculture is developed weak, most of the food is imported. Sugar cane, citrus, vegetables are grown.

Nature

The American Virgin Islands is a group of islands located 60 km east of Puerto Rico. The largest islands are Saint Thomas, St. John and Santa Cruz. The rest of the territory is a plurality of small islands.
The islands have hilly relief and are complicated mainly by limestone.
Tropical climate, trade house, hot and wet with two arid seasons. Frections of hurricanes and earthquakes. Although there is a large amount of precipitation on the territory, the water supply problem was sharp before the installation of desalination plants. Rainwater was collected in tanks. Rivers and lakes are missing.

The vegetation cover and the animal world of the islands are largely destroyed by people. The remains of evergreen tropical forests have been preserved mainly on the island of St. John, the two thirds of the territory of which is occupied by the National Park. On the island of Saint-Thomas there is a parel and shrubs at the site of former plantations. Sea waters at the islands are rich in fish, crustaceans and molluscs.

Attractions of the American Virgin Islands

Saint Thomas Island

Beach Magence Bay on the island
On the island is the capital of the territory, Port Charlotte-Amalia. About 52 thousand people live on the island, which is 48.5% of the total population of the American Virgin Islands.

The sights of the island are Fort Christian, built in 1672 to protect Charlotte-Amalia from pirates and European armies. It is located in the Museum of the Virgin Islands; Cableway and viewing platform of Paradais Point overlooking the island and its surroundings; Sea Observatory "Coral Warld" with aquariums and underwater observation tower; "Castle of black beard".

Sea Observatory "Coral Warld"

Feeding turtles
The sea fleet is designed according to the open water system - through each of the exhibits and back to the ocean. 21 small tanks reflect the life of the ocean in the Caribbean: sharks, skates, turtles, starfish, etc. The underwater observatory makes it possible to see marine life in its natural form. The coral world was opened in 1970.

"Castle of Black Beard"

Built in 1679 by the Danes as a Watchtower to protect the harbor, like Fort Christian. The tower served as an observation point for the detection of enemy ships, while Fort Christian was at sea level and was an ideal place to reflect the attack. It is not known what year the tower began to be so called, but Edward Tich, a famous pirate on the nickname "Black beard", used the tower as an observation point for his pirate goals.

Charlotte Amalia

The capital and largest city of the American Virgin Islands. Population of 19 thousand people. Tourist center, where cruise ships are often stopped, resort.

Saint John Island

The smallest, but the richest of the territory of the territory. Its area is 50.79 km²; Population of 4170 people. The largest settlement on the island - Cruz Bay, where 2706 people live. The island can only be reached by sea.
On the island there is a historical museum and library, the ruins of the plantation Annaberg, Petroglyphs of Aravakov, archaeological excavations.

Cruz Bay

Vyrzhin-Islands National Park

Located in the central part of Saint John. Created in 1956 area of \u200b\u200b59 km². The park is known good places for diving and rainforest.

One of the most famous sights of the park -beach Tank Bay With white sandy beaches and underwater path.

Santa Cruz Island

The largest of the American Virgin Islands. Its area is 214.66 km², the population is more than 50 thousand people. The largest settlement on the island - Cristianast, where 2626 people live.

ChristianCeated - An example of colonial urban planning on the US Virgin Islands. The city was built in the XVIII-XIX centuries.

Buck Island Reef

Nature Monument (protected part of reef). Created in 1961 located north-west of Santa Cruz Island. With the help of diving, you can explore a well-visible underwater path on the eastern tip of the reef. This is one of the three underwater trail of the United States. Along the trails there are signs, leading information about the sea flora and fauna characteristic of the area. Two thirds of the island surrounds the reef of six high corals, it is a unique ecosystem, where more than 250 species of fish and other inhabitants of the water area are.

Story

The first inhabitants of the Virgin Islands were Sibonia, Caribbean and Aravaki. In 1493, the Islands opened Christopher Columbus.
In 1625, English and French colonists settled on the islands and took up agriculture. Then England, Spain, France and Maltese Order are then the islands. In 1666, Saint Thomas wasland of Denmark, then she captured Saint John Island, and in 1733 he bought Santa Cruz Island from France. Danes were hoping to establish a plantation farm at St. Thomas, but this undertaking was not successful because of the small fertility of land, and the island became one of the centers of trade rum and slaves. Port of Saint Thomas Island has become a base of pirates. Santa Cruz Island had more fertile lands, and after the transition to Denmark, about 200 sugar cane plantations were founded there.
By the beginning of the XX century. The production of sugar on Santa Cruz decline, the Islands of the Danish West India were sold in 1917.

Where the Emerald Wave of the Atlantic is hospitably extended to embraces the blue waves of the Caribbean Sea, scattered as if the grade, framed in corals, Virgin Islands, part of which is a total area of \u200b\u200babout three hundred and fifty square meters belongs to the United States. About sixty islands, most of them are uninhabited, the Columbus was opened at the end of the fifteenth century. And only in the middle of the seventeenth came here the first colonists - the British and the French, which became the founders of the first settlements. Since then, who just did not belong to the islands - Spaniards and the French, the British and the Maltese Order.

But perhaps the most significant owner for the Virgin Islands was Denmark, which at the end of the eighteenth century declared them with his colony. During the possession, one of the largest islands - St. Thomas became the center of trade in slaves, and Saint John sugar plantations were processed by thousands of slaves-blacks, brought Denmark huge revenues. Only at the beginning of the twentieth century the islands were sold in the amount of $ 25 million.

Since then, a century has passed, which resolutely changed the lifeguings of the population of the islands, which were the descendants of those 28 thousand black slaves, delivered here by the Danes. At the same time, the external attractiveness of the Virgin Islands did not suffer, despite the fact that more than fifty years is the US military base here.

The wet tropical climate of the islands determines the best time for the trip, calling the peak of the tourist season - from January to April. Although for those who prefer snorkeling (from the English. Snorkeling) - underwater swimming with a mask and a tube, the best time is the beginning of summer, when there is almost no storms, and the hotels are much cheaper. This independent type of diving provides for swimming and immersion for a small depth does not require serious training and expensive equipment, therefore, it takes the continued success in tourists from different ages.

However, each tourist coming to the islands finds something special for himself that they will not meet anywhere else. Someone will be dying in admiration for the form of beautiful beaches, and takes the heat of the tanning skin and the spicy aroma of the Atlantic, someone will rest in solitude bay, surrounded by the purest corals. Someone will enthusiastically perceive virgin rainforests. And someone likes distinctive music, the kitchen and culture of the people, friendly and hospitably meeting tourists in the Virgin Islands. Chic hotels and comfort of small hotels, the abundance of wonderful restaurants and shopping at the world level will satisfy the demands of the most arrogant tourists.

And for sure everyone will fall to taste original bright festivals and holidays. Fireworks of sensations from the colorful carnival at St. Thomas at the end of April, crowded with masquerade processions and dance competitions, smoothly goes to the June festival at St.jone from a week of parades and a variety of independence Day. And even unforgettable impressions of the two-week cruise festival on Santa Cruz, from the international regatta Rolex, which collects yachtsmen at St. Thomas ... And nowhere you can see the dancing fabulous heroes and many Santa Claus in the Summer Christmas! The most important official holiday islanders consider March 31 - the day when the Virgin Islands were given by the United States.

Enecesssed with him the feelings of the holiday and delight from the picturesque national park, which occupies most of the Island of St. John, to see the winery cruise and bring friends a gift - a rum of an extraordinary taste that glorified Santa Cruz. Coral reefs of a tiny tank, a huge Aquarium of the Bay of Kok and Bay, Uyne sugar plantations on Santa Cruz are capable of not only to enrich the knowledge of the history of the islands and development, but also leave the feeling of involvement in the events of a centuries-old limitation.

By the way, Santa-Krus is known not only by diving and snorkeling, rum and festival marchs of the famous Golf Carambola Golf Club, which designed Robert Trent Jones. It is here that the annual LPGA Golf Tournament Golf Tournament is held, which attracts crowds of admirers of this sport from all over the world.

But there is own charm and in the islands that few are populated. When Reuters published the Rating of the Caribbean Islands, which were least injured from civilization, then Saint John was named (St.john) Everyone who decided to come here for a relaxing holiday away from the city bustle.