Welcome to the Virgin Islands!

The U.S. Virgin Islands are located in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean between the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. They are comprised of approximately 50 islands and cays, the largest of which are St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas. The "Fourth Virgin Island" is Water Island, the newest Virgin Island. Average temperatures here range from 77º F in the winter and 82º F in the summer. Christopher Columbus discovered the islands on his second voyage to the New World, landing on St. Croix in 1493, and Denmark purchased the islands in 1733. In 1917 the U.S. purchased St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas from Denmark for $25 million in gold. Today the U.S. Department of the Interior administers the islands. The majority of present-day indigenous people are West Indian of African descent. Today's native populations include Europeans, Americans, Indians, Middle Easterners, and Asians, and 45% of St. Croix's population speaks Spanish.