Why are Virgin Islands called Virgin?

In 1493, Christopher Columbus visited these islands. He had been searching for a route to India and consequently he called the people he encountered Indians. Columbus named the beautiful islands 'The Virgins' in reference to the legendary beauty of St. Ursula and her 11,000 virgins.



The Virgin Islands were named by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Upon seeing the vast beauty of the numerous small islands and cays, he was reminded of a popular medieval legend: the story of Saint Ursula and the 11,000 Virgins. He originally named the archipelago Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Vírgenes in honor of the British princess who, according to legend, was martyred by Huns while on a pilgrimage with her virgin companions. Over the centuries, the name was shortened to simply Las Vírgenes, which the English eventually translated to "The Virgin Islands." Today, the group is divided into the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). The name remains a poetic reflection of the islands' pristine, untouched natural beauty that Columbus perceived over 500 years ago. Interestingly, the largest of the US Virgin Islands, St. Croix, was named separately by Columbus as Santa Cruz (Holy Cross) before he encountered the rest of the "virgin" chain.

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US Virgins Islands: Whats the Difference? The British Virgin Islands are a British Overseas territory consisting of four larger islands (Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, and Jost Van Dyke), while the U.S. Virgin Islands are a territory of the United States consisting of three larger islands (St. Croix, St.

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It was during his second expedition for America, that Christopher Columbus discovered the small archipelago, on 4 November 1493. He named them Los Santos, in reference to All Saints' Day which had just been celebrated.

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Five territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) are permanently inhabited, unincorporated territories; the other nine are small islands, atolls, and reefs with no native (or permanent) population.

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U.S. Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands are an unincorporated territory of the United States, meaning that only certain parts of the U.S. Constitution apply to its residents. Individuals born in the U.S. Virgin Islands are considered citizens of the United States.

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Conditions on the islands were harsh and many slaves tried to escape in the bush. It wasn't long before the number of slaves on the island exponentially outnumbered the free men. Reports say that on St. Thomas in 1725 there lived 324 whites compared to 4,490 enslaved Africans.

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History & Political Status In 1917, the United States purchased the Danish part for $25 million, mainly for strategic reasons to assure tranquility in the Caribbean Ocean. U.S. citizenship was conferred on U.S. Virgin Islanders in 1927.

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Experts think that the Arawak people were the first to settle on the three main islands that are now known as the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI): St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John.

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Passports for U.S. Citizens are NOT required for the U.S. Virgin Islands, but you must be prepared to show evidence of citizenship upon leaving the territory (such as a government issued photo ID or your passport). Citizens of countries other than the U.S. should follow U.S. travel regulations.

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