St. Martin - Virgin Islands
12.03.2010 - 02.04.2010

Virgins

St. Martin was our last visited island of the Leeward Islands.



Now we are sail the Virgin Islands. The British Virgin Islands , called BVIs are located more easterly and the US Virgin Islands, called USVI, are the more south westerly islands of this archipelago.



Christopher Columbus named the islands Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Vírgenes, shortened to Las Vírgenes, after Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgins. They were inhabited by the Arawak, Carib and Cermic, all of whom died out during the colonial period.



The British Virgin Islands consist of the main islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke, along with over fifty other smaller islands and cays. Executive authority in British Virgin Islands is invested in The Queen and is exercised on her behalf by the Governor of the British Virgin Islands who is elected since 2007.



The territory of the USVI consists of four main islands: Saint Thomas, Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island, as well as several dozen smaller islands and a population of about 110.000. They are an organized, unincorporated United States territory. Even though they are U.S. citizens, U.S. Virgin Islands residents cannot vote in presidential elections. At the national level, the U.S. Virgin Islands elects a delegate to Congress from its at-large congressional district.



The principal Spanish Virgin Islands are Culebra and Vieques, with multiple associated smaller islands and islets

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