Saint Croix

Saint Croix, island in the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies, member of the Virgin Islands of the United States. Saint Croix lies 105 km (65 mi) southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea. Saint Croix is 35 km (22 mi) long in an east-west direction and has a maximum width of 10 km (6 mi); its area is 210 sq km (80 sq mi). It is the only one of the Virgin Islands that is of agricultural importance; the principal products are sugarcane, rum, and tropical fruits. Cattle are grazed on mountain pastures in the northwest, but most of the island is flat, well watered, and fertile.

Christopher Columbus discovered Saint Croix in 1493 during his second voyage to the Americas. Columbus attempted to land at the island but was driven away by the Carib Native Americans who inhabited the island. Saint Croix was under the Spanish, Dutch, English, and French flags before Denmark purchased it in 1733. The United States purchased Saint Croix, along with the islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and numerous islets in 1917. The governor of the Virgin Islands is represented in Saint Croix by an administrative assistant. The chief town of Saint Croix is Christiansted. Island population (1990) 50,139. See also Virgin Islands of the United States.