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Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

 

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Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands


 
 

Saint Croix (; ) is an islandIsland

An island or isle is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water....
 in the Caribbean SeaCaribbean Sea

[image:IMG_2908.JPG|thumb|250px|right|A Caribbean beach in Isla Margarita, Venezuela.]]...
, and a countyCounty

A county is generally a sub-unit of regional self-government within a sovereign jurisdiction....
 and constituent districtDistricts and sub-districts of the United States Virgin Islands Summary

|||}The United States Virgin Islands are administratively divided into 3 districts, which are subdivided into 20 ...
 of the United States Virgin IslandsUnited States Virgin Islands

The United States Virgin Islands are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States....
 (USVI), an unincorporated territory of the United StatesUnited States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., and America, is...
. It is the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, being 28 by 7 miles (45 by 11 km). However, the territory's capital, Charlotte AmalieCharlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands

Charlotte Amalie is the capital and largest city of the U.S....
, is located on Saint ThomasSaint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and a constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands, an unincorpor...
.

History

Saint Croix has flown seven different flags. It has been colonized by SpainSpain

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a European parliamentary monarchy....
, Great BritainGreat Britain

Great Britain is an island lying off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe and to the east of Ireland, comprising the ma...
, the NetherlandsNetherlands

The Netherlands is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands , which is formed by the Netherlands, the Neth...
, FranceFrance

France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and whi...
, the Knights of Malta, DenmarkDenmark

The Kingdom of Denmark is the smallest and southernmost of the Nordic countries....
, and the United States.

ArawakArawak Summary

The term Arawak , was used to designate the Amerindians encountered by the Spanish in the Caribbean....
s and CaribCarib Summary

Carib or Island Carib is the collective name of a people given to them who lived in the Lesser Antilles islands, afte...
s inhabited Saint Croix prior to European colonizationEuropean colonization of the Americas

A massive European colonization of the Americas started in 1492 when Columbus reached the Americas, thus opening the Columbi...
. Christopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus Italian Cristoforo Colombo; Spanish: Cristbal Coln was a navigator and an admiral for the Crow...
 visited there on November 14, 1493 at the Salt River. Columbus called the island Santa Cruz ("Holy Cross"). His initial visit led to a battle in which one Spaniard and one Carib were killed, the first recorded violent confrontation between Europeans and indigenous peoples in the Americas. This heralded warfare between the SpaniardsSpain

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a European parliamentary monarchy....
 and Caribs which lasted for over a century, until the Spanish abandoned the island. In the seventeenth century, DutchFacts About Netherlands

The Netherlands is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands , which is formed by the Netherlands, the Neth...
 and EnglishFacts About England

England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom....
 settlers, who soon came in conflict with one another, settled the island. Eventually the Dutch abandoned their settlement. Next, the English settlement was destroyed by the Spanish, who retook the island in 1650. However, they in turn were immediately ousted by the FrenchFrance Overview

France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and whi...
.

The island was owned by the Knights of MaltaKnights Hospitaller

The Knights Hospitaller is a tradition which began as a Benedictine hospitaller religious order founded in Jerusalem, follo...
 after being bequeathed by Phillippe de Longvilliers de PoincyDe Poincy

Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy was a French nobleman and Bailiff Grand Cross of the Knights of St John....
, governor of the French colony of St. Kitts in 1660. However, they sold it to the French West India CompanyFrench West India Company Overview

In the history of French trade, the French West India Company was a chartered company established in 1664....
 five years later. Under Governor Dubois, the colony became profitable with over 90 plantations established, growing such crops as tobaccoTobacco

Tobacco refers to a genus of broad-leafed plants of the nightshade family indigenous to North and South America, or to the ...
, cottonCotton

Cotton is a soft fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant , a shrub native to the tropical and subtropical regi...
, sugar cane, and indigoIndigo dye

Indigo dye is an important dyestuff with a distinctive blue color ....
. After Dubois's death, the colony declined and Europeans abandoned the island until 1733 when it was sold to the Danish West India and Guinea Company. This company placed no national restrictions on colonists and soon attracted Spanish Sephardic Jews, Huguenots, and English settlers, the last of which came to dominate the island. Sugar cane became the major crop. Eventually, however, the development of the sugar beetSugar beet

Sugar beet , a member of the Chenopodiaceae subfamily and the Amaranthaceae family, is a plant whose root contains a high co...
 in Europe undermined the economy of the colony.

SlaverySlavery

Slavery is the social and legal designation of specific persons as property or chattel, for the purpose of providing labor a...
 was abolished in 1848, but in 1862, St. Croix received a shipload of East Indians that were indentured on the island for five years. There was a labor revolt by former slaves in 1878 when much of Frederiksted, one of the island's two towns, was burnt in a labor revolt now known as the "Fireburn". It was reportedly led by four women known as the "Queens" of the revolt, and a modern island thoroughfare is named after "Queen Mary" Thomas.

In 1917, the Danish West IndiesDanish West Indies Summary

The Danish West Indies or "Danish Antilles", are a former colony of Denmark in the Caribbean, now known as the U.S....
 were sold by DenmarkDenmark

The Kingdom of Denmark is the smallest and southernmost of the Nordic countries....
 to the United States of America for $25 million in gold. The U.S. feared the island would fall into German hands and be used as a base for attacks against the United States and its interests in the western hemisphere. In return, the United States backed Denmark's claim to GreenlandGreenland

Greenland is a self-governed Danish territory....
.

St. Croix suffered major devastation on September 17–18, 1989 when Hurricane HugoHurricane Hugo

Hurricane Hugo was a destructive Category 5 hurricane that struck Puerto Rico, St....
 hit the island. The island then suffered a fair amount of damage during Hurricane MarilynHurricane Marilyn

Hurricane Marilyn was the thirteenth named storm of the unusually busy 1995 Atlantic hurricane season, following closely on ...
 in September 1995. Hurricanes GeorgesHurricane Georges

Hurricane Georges was the seventh tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurrican...
 and LennyFacts About Hurricane Lenny

Hurricane Lenny was the 12th tropical storm, eighth hurricane, and fifth major hurricane in the 1999 Atlantic hurricane seas...
 also struck the island in 1998 and 1999, but damage was minimal in comparison. There are still many buildings, especially on the outskirts of Christiansted, that still lie in ruins as a result of hurricanes.

Although the U.S. Virgin Islands remain under the U.S. flag, the islands are an unincorporated territory with a non-voting delegate to the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the Se...
. Residents are U.S. citizens, but have no vote in national elections and generally do not pay taxes to the U.S. Internal Revenue ServiceInternal Revenue Service

The Internal Revenue Service is the United States government agency that collects taxes and enforces the internal revenue l...
, though taxes are paid, using U.S. law, to the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Subdistricts

Saint Croix is divided into the following subdistrictSubdistrict

Subdistrict is a low level administrative country subdivision....
s (with population as per the 2000 U.S. Census):
  1. Anna's Hope Village (pop. 4,192)
  2. ChristianstedChristiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands

    Christiansted is a town on Saint Croix, one of the main islands comprising the United States Virgin Islands, an unincorporat...
     (pop. 2,865)
  3. East End (pop. 2,341)
  4. FrederikstedFrederiksted, U.S. Virgin Islands

    Frederiksted is a town on the west end of the U.S....
     (pop. 3,767)
  5. Northcentral (pop. 5,760)
  6. Northwest (pop. 4,919)
  7. Sion Farm (pop. 13,565)
  8. Southcentral (pop. 8,125)
  9. Southwest (pop. 7,700)

Geography

There are two towns on the island; Christiansted with a 2004 population of 3,000 and Frederiksted with a 2004 population of 830. The total population of the island is about 60,000. The official 2000 censusUnited States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is a part of the United States Department of Commerce....
 count was 53,234 , living on a land area of 214.66 kmē (82.88 sq mi). Inhabitants are called CruciansCrucians

#redirect Crucian ...
 and English is the most common language. SpanishSpanish language

Spanish or Castilian is an Iberian Romance language....
 is spoken by the large Puerto RicanPuerto Rico

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , also Porto Rico and more commonly Puerto Rico, is a United States territory w...
 and smaller DominicanDominican Republic

The Dominican Republic, is a country located on the eastern two-thirds of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, bordering Hai...
 (Dominican Republic) populations, and a French CreoleAntillean Creole

Antillean Creole is a French-lexified creole language spoken primarily in the Lesser Antilles....
 is spoken by the large St. Lucian and DominicaDominica

Dominica is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea....
n (Dominica) populations. A native English-based dialect known on the island as Crucian, but formally known as Virgin Islands CreoleVirgin Islands Creole

Virgin Islands Creole is a linguistic variety spoken in the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean....
, is also spoken by the majority of the population in informal situations.

Fort Christiansvaern built in 1749 and other buildings are maintained by the National Park ServiceNational Park Service

The National Park Service is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and ...
 as the Christiansted National Historic SiteChristiansted National Historic Site

Christiansted National Historic Site commemorates urban colonial development of the Virgin Islands....
.

Buck Island Reef National MonumentBuck Island Reef National Monument

Buck Island Reef National Monument, or just Buck Island is a small, uninhabited, 176 acre island about 1.5 miles north...
 preserves a 176 acre (71 ha) island just north of Saint Croix and the surrounding reefs. This is a popular destination for snorkelers.

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. Prominent among these are Cane and Divi bays along with Long reef which encompasses a large portion of the northern side of the island. 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.

St. Croix lies at : the easternmost point in the United States is considered to be Point UdallFacts About Point Udall

Point Udall is the name of both the easternmost and westernmost points in the United States, named for two brothers....
. The island has an area of a little over eighty square miles (207 kmē). 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. The trade wind blows more or less along the length of the island, and 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 (1000 mm) a year. 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 refers to any of several processes that remove the excess salt and other minerals from water in order to obtain...
 plant, however most residential homes and businesses have a built-in cisternCistern

A cistern is a receptacle for holding liquids, usually water....
 used to collect rainwater.

National protected areaProtected area

*Protected areas of Brazil*Protected areas of Canada...
s


Economy

St. Croix, like many other Caribbean islands, has tourism 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 is home to HOVENSAHovensa

Hovensa is a petroleum refinery located on the island of St....
, one of the world's largest oil refineriesOil refinery

An oil refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into useful petroleum products, such...
. HOVENSA is a limited liability companyLimited liability company Overview

A limited liability company is a legal form of business company offering limited liability to its owners....
 owned and operated by Hess Oil Virgin Islands Corp. (HOVIC), a division of U.S.-based Hess CorporationHess Corporation

The Hess Corporation is an integrated oil company based in New York City....
, and Petroleos de Venezuela, SA, the national oil company of VenezuelaVenezuela

Venezuela is a country on the northern tropical Caribbean coast of South America....
. Because of the presence of the oil refinery, gas prices have customarily been 50 cents cheaper than gas prices in the continental United States and the other Virgin Islands.

St. Croix is also home to the Cruzan RumCruzan Rum

Cruzan Rum is a rum made in Saint Croix, U.S....
 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 rumRum

Rum is a distilled beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses and sugarcane juice by a process of fermentatio...
. The distillery now imports sugar cane molasses from other Caribbean islands, primarily from the Dominican Republic. In recent years Cruzan Rum, along with BacardiBacardi

Bacardi is the world's largest privately held, family-owned spirits company; a producer of rums, including Bacardi Superior ...
 from Puerto RicoPuerto Rico

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , also Porto Rico and more commonly Puerto Rico, is a United States territory w...
 and Gosling'sGosling's Rum

Gosling's Rum is a brand of rum, founded in 1806 by James Gosling in Bermuda after leaving his home in London....
 from BermudaBermuda

Bermuda is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the North Atlantic Ocean, situated around 640 miles off the coas...
, has also contributed to the resurgence of "single barrel" super-premium rum. 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).

Population

While locals call themselves "Crucians" , there is much debate as to what constitutes a "real" Crucian. Most people feel that as long as they were born on St. Croix, they could claim to be Crucian. Because of heavy migration from the other islands in the Lesser AntillesLesser Antilles

The Lesser Antilles are part of the Antilles, which together with the Bahamas and Greater Antilles form the West Indies....
 and Puerto Rico, most native born Crucians can trace their ancestry to other Caribbean islands.

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 cane 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 IIWorld War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,...
 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/Virgin Islands Friendship Day, that has been celebrated since the 1960s on the same date as Columbus DayColumbus Day

Columbus Day is a holiday celebrated in many countries in the Americas, commemorating the date of Christopher Columbus's arr...
. 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 SpanglishSpanglish

Spanglish, also called espanglish or ingaol, a portmanteau of the words Spanish and English, is a na...
-like combination of Puerto Rican SpanishPuerto Rican Spanish

Puerto Rican Spanish is a Spanish dialect spoken in Puerto Rico and by people of Puerto Rican descent elsewhere....
 and the local Crucian dialectVirgin Islands Creole

Virgin Islands Creole is a linguistic variety spoken in the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean....
 in informal situations. The Puerto Rican presence on the island is so extensive that St. Croix has sometimes been described by scholars as being as much a part of the Spanish-speaking CaribbeanSpanish Caribbean

The Spanish Caribbean is the Spanish speaking countries in the Caribbean, namely Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Ric...
 as it is a part of the English-speaking CaribbeanAnglophone Caribbean

The term Anglophone Caribbean is used to refer to the independent English-speaking countries of the Caribbean region....
.

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 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 and Nevis, Antigua and BarbudaAntigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is an island nation located in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean....
, St. Lucia and DominicaDominica

Dominica is an island nation in the Caribbean Sea....
, but people from every British West IndianBritish West Indies

Although the "West Indies" generally refers to the insular Caribbean and The Bahamas, several mainland territories were also inclu...
 island can easily be found on St. Croix.

Continental Americans (mainly White), 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. Continental Americans, however, are sometimes seen by the locals as imposing their customs and way of life without respect for the traditions, heritage and culture 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 (legal and illegal) to St. Croix include people from places such as the Dominican RepublicDominican Republic

The Dominican Republic, is a country located on the eastern two-thirds of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, bordering Hai...
, HaitiHaiti

Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti, occupies one third of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, and also includes ...
, JamaicaJamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, 240 kilometres in length and as much as 85 kilometres in width situat...
, the PhilippinesPhilippines

The Philippines , officially the Republic of the Philippines , is an island nation located in the Malay archipelago in...
, and various South American countries.

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 Virgin Islander" as anyone who could trace their ancestry to 1927, the year in which Virgin Islanders were given U.S. citizenship. This effort, by a select group of nationalist senators, eventually failed after much public outcry, considering the fact that most born Virgin Islanders would not qualify as "native" under the proposed legislation (but, ironically, thousands of Danish citizens would, the legislation being so poorly worded).

ChristianityFacts About Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New...
 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 HispanicHispanic

Hispanic is a term denoting a derivation from Spain, its people and culture....
 population as well as IrishIrish people

The Irish are a northwest European ethnic group who originated in Ireland....
 influence during the Danish colonial times. Like many other Caribbean islands, various strains of Rastafarianism are prominent on the island. IslamIslam

Islam is a monotheistic religion based upon the Qur'an, which adherents believe was sent by God through Muhammad....
 is prevalent among the small local ArabArab

The Arabs are predominantly speakers of the Arabic language, rather than a pure ethnic group, mainly found throughout the ...
 population, and there is a small Jewish presence, as well.

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 drive 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 AirportHenry E. Rohlsen International Airport

Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport is located 6 mi southwest of Christiansted on the island of St....
 services St. Croix with regular flights from the U.S. mainland, Puerto Rico, and the rest of the Eastern Caribbean. Seaplanes, operated by Seaborne AirlinesSeaborne Airlines

Seaborne Airlines is an airline based in the United States Virgin Islands....
, also service the island, taking off and landing in Christiansted Harbor. Ferry service to St. Thomas runs 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.

Education

The St. Croix School DistrictSt. Croix School District

St. Croix School District is a school district in the United States Virgin Islands....
 operates public schools in St. Croix.

Famous Crucians and St. Croix residents

  • Joe AskaJoe Aska

    Joe Aska is a former American football running back who played for the Oakland Raiders and Indianapolis Colts of the Nationa...
    , former professional American footballAmerican football

    American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive team sport....
     running backRunning back

    A running back, halfback or tailback is the position of a player on an American and Canadian football team who l...
  • Raja BellRaja Bell Summary

    Raja Bell is a basketball shooting guard who currently plays for the Phoenix Suns....
    , professional basketballBasketball

    Basketball is a sport in which two teams of five players each try to score points on one another by throwing a ball through ...
     player, Phoenix SunsPhoenix Suns Summary

    The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona....
  • Bennie BenjaminBennie Benjamin

    Claude A. Benjamin was a songwriter, often teaming with George David Weiss....
    , musician, songwriterSongwriter Overview

    A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both....
  • Livingstone BrambleLivingstone Bramble

    Livingstone Bramble is a boxer from St....
    , boxer (raised on St. Croix)
  • Carina Christmas, actress
  • DezarieDezarie

    Dezarie is born in the U.S. Virgin Islands....
    , reggae singer
  • Tim DuncanTim Duncan

    Timothy Theodore Duncan is an NBA basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs, playing at the power forward position....
    , professional basketballBasketball

    Basketball is a sport in which two teams of five players each try to score points on one another by throwing a ball through ...
     player, San Antonio SpursSan Antonio Spurs Summary

    The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas....
  • Akeem Ferdinand, modelModel (person)

    A model is a person who poses or displays for purposes of art, fashion, or other products and advertising....
  • Jack GantosJack Gantos

    Jack Gantos is an American author of children's books renowned for his portrayal of fictional Joey Pigza, a boy with ADHD....
    , author (mentioned in Hole In My Life)
  • Alexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton

    Alexander Hamilton was an American politician, leading statesman, financier, intellectual, military officer, and founder of...
    , American statesman, first United StatesUnited States

    The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., and America, is...
     Secretary of the Treasury (born on NevisNevis

    Nevis is an island in the Caribbean near the top of the Lesser Antilles archipelago, about 220 miles southeast of Puerto Ri...
    )
  • Jimmy HamiltonJimmy Hamilton

    Jimmy Hamilton was an American jazz clarinettist, tenor saxophonist, arranger, composer, and music educator, best known for ...
    , jazz musician
  • Hubert HarrisonHubert Harrison

    Hubert Henry Harrison Born Saint Croix V.I....
    , Harlem RenaissanceHarlem Renaissance

    The Harlem Renaissance was a flowering of art, literature and music in the United States led primarily by the African Americ...
     intellectualIntellectual

    An intellectual is a person who uses his or her intellect to work, study, reflect, speculate on, or ask and answer questions...
  • Casper HolsteinCasper Holstein

    Casper Holstein was a powerful gangster in Harlem, New York City in the 1920s and 1930s....
    , Harlem RenaissanceHarlem Renaissance

    The Harlem Renaissance was a flowering of art, literature and music in the United States led primarily by the African Americ...
     philanthropistPhilanthropist Summary

    A philanthropist is someone who devotes his/her time, money or effort towards helping others....
  • Roy InnisRoy Innis Summary

    Roy Emile Alfredo Innis is currently the National Chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality....
    , civil rights advocate, chairman, Congress of Racial EqualityCongress of Racial Equality

    The Congress of Racial Equality or CORE is a U.S....
     (CORE)
  • Rea IrvinRea Irvin

    Rea Irvin was an American graphic artist....
    , illustrator and first art director on The New YorkerThe New Yorker

    The New Yorker is an American magazine that publishes reportage, criticism, essays, cartoons, poetry, and fiction....
    magazine
  • Peter JacksonPeter Jackson (boxer)

    Peter "Black Prince" Jackson, born July 3,1861 in Frederiksted, St....
    , 19th Century Australian boxing champion
  • Lloyd Christina Joseph, professional boxer, IBC Boxing Middleweight champion
  • Hanik MilliganHanik Milligan

    Hanik Milligan is a professional American football player, currently playing safety and on special teams for the Arizona Car...
    , professional American footballSan Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers

    The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California....
  • 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 c...
    , Hall of Fame sportscasterSportscaster

    A sportscaster, sports announcer, or sports commentator is an announcer on radio or television who specializes ...
  • Kraig Singleton, 1988 Summer OlympicsVirgin Islands at the 1988 Summer Olympics

    The Virgin Islands competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea under the IOC country code ISV....
     swimmer
  • Kristan Singleton, 1988 Summer OlympicsVirgin Islands at the 1988 Summer Olympics

    The Virgin Islands competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea under the IOC country code ISV....
     swimmer
  • MidniteMidnite

    Midnite is a crucial roots reggae band hailing from U.S....
    , roots reggae band
  • Sir Allen Stanford, American billionaire and philanthropist, founder of Stanford 20/20 Cricket
  • Jasmin St. ClaireJasmin St. Claire

    Jasmin St. Claire is a former porn star best known for her mainstream appearances in the world of professional wrestling and...
    , retired pornographic actress
  • Douglas C. Annan CEO STX Motorsports, UWI Graduate- Masters Community Leader

Culture

Along with other nearby islands, locals celebrate what is known as a full-moon party at the end of every month when there is a full moon in the sky. The annual Agricultural and Food Fair is held in mid-February.

A local festival, termed "Crucian Christmas Festival", is celebrated on St. Croix throughout late December and early January. Every year the Saturday before Mardi Gras there is a local Mardi Croix parade and a dog parade through the North Shore. 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 along the Frederiksted waterfront.

The St. Croix Half Ironman Triathlon is held in the first week of May. The Triathlon includes a 1.4 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run. Because the bicycle route includes a ride up the incredibly steep hill called "The Beast", this triathlon is often nicknamed "Beauty and the Beast".

See also

  • Danish West IndiesDanish West Indies

    The Danish West Indies or "Danish Antilles", are a former colony of Denmark in the Caribbean, now known as the U.S....
  • Danish colonization of the AmericasDanish colonization of the Americas

    Denmark had a colonial empire from the 18th century until the 20th....
  • History of DenmarkHistory of Denmark

    This is a history of the Kingdom of Denmark and the areas comprising modern day Denmark....
  • Danish IndiaTranquebar

    Tranquebar was a Danish colony in India from 1620-1845....
  • Culture of the Virgin IslandsCulture of the Virgin Islands

    Virgin Islander culture represents the various peoples that have inhabited the present-day U.S....
  • Virgin Islands CreoleVirgin Islands Creole

    Virgin Islands Creole is a linguistic variety spoken in the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean....
  • Buck Island Reef National MonumentBuck Island Reef National Monument

    Buck Island Reef National Monument, or just Buck Island is a small, uninhabited, 176 acre island about 1.5 miles north...
  • Christiansted National Historic SiteChristiansted National Historic Site

    Christiansted National Historic Site commemorates urban colonial development of the Virgin Islands....
  • St. George Village Botanical GardenFacts About St. George Village Botanical Garden

    The St. George Village Botanical Garden is a botanical garden with arboretum located at 127 Estate St....
  • Cruzan RumCruzan Rum

    Cruzan Rum is a rum made in Saint Croix, U.S....
     Factory
  • Point UdallPoint Udall Summary

    Point Udall is the name of both the easternmost and westernmost points in the United States, named for two brothers....
     (most eastern point of the United States)

External links

Official sites
  • - United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism
  • - St. Croix Central High School (Official Site)
  • - St. Croix Educational Complex High School (Official Site)
  • - Office of the Lieutenant Governor Gregory R. Francis


Map
  • - Satellite Map of St. Croix, USVI
  • - US Virgin Islands Map / St. Croix Maps and Driving Directions


News and media
  • - Virgin Island Public Television
  • - Daily news from St. Croix




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