Oppenheimer Beach, in St John, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Saint John is an island in the Caribbean Sea and a constituent of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincorporated territory of the United States. It is the smallest of the three main islands comprising the territory. St. John is located in the Caribbean Sea about 4 miles east of Saint Thomas, the location of the territory's capital, Charlotte Amalie, and 4 miles south and west of Tortola, part of the British Virgin Islands. It is roughly 20 square miles in area and has a population of 4,157. Because there are no airports on St. John, there is only access to the island by boat. Ferry service runs hourly from St. Thomas and daily from Tortola; regular ferries are also available from Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, and Anegada. Download high resolution version (836x401, 187 KB)Oppenheimer beach. ... Download high resolution version (836x401, 187 KB)Oppenheimer beach. ... Oppenheimer may be the surname of: Alan Oppenheimer, a film actor David Oppenheimer, a mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, founder of a producers cooperative & single channel marketing, the forerunner of De Beers Frank Oppenheimer, a physicist Franz Oppenheimer, a German sociologist and political economist Harry Oppenheimer, a... Saint John is the smallest of the three main United States Virgin Islands (USVI), a United States territory. ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean The Caribbean Sea is a tropical body of water adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean and southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean The Caribbean Sea is a tropical body of water adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean and southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. ... Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and a constituent of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). ... Charlotte Amalie is the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands, a territory of the United States of America. ... Tortola is the largest and most populated of the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands which form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands. ... The Pride of Burgundy, a P&O Ferries car ferry on the Dover-Calais route A ferry is a boat or a ship carrying passengers, and sometimes their vehicles, on scheduled services. ... Huge boulders litter the beach at The Baths Virgin Gorda is the second-largest of the British Virgin Islands. ... At roughly 8 square kilometers, Jost Van Dyke is the smallest of the four main islands of the British Virgin Islands, the northern portion of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. ... Unlike the other British Virgin Islands, Anegada is a flat atoll. ...

History

St. John was first settled by the Arawak Indians who had migrated north from coastal Colombia and Venezuela around AD 300. The Arawaks inhabited the island until around the year AD 1300 when they were driven off by the more aggressive and warlike Carib Indians. Extensive archaeological work was done from 1996 to the present at Cinnamon Bay and the artifacts from this dig are just now being studied and should yield more detailed information on pre-Columbus civilization in the Virgin Islands (Taino). To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Events Beginning of the Renaissance. ... This article is about the Island Carib, who lived on the islands of the Caribbean. ...

Christopher Columbus is credited with being the first European to see the Virgin Islands during his Second Voyage to the New World in 1493. He named the island group "Once Mil Virgins", or Virgin Islands, in honor of the feast day of Saint Ursula and the 11,000 virgins who were said to have been martyred with her. Christopher Columbus (October 30, 1451? – 20 May 1506) was an explorer and trader who crossed the Atlantic Ocean and reached the Americas on October 12, 1492 under the flag of Castile. ... Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, c. ... 1493 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Saint Ursula on the coat-of-arms of British Virgin Islands Ursula (small female bear in Latin) is a Christian saint. ...

The Danish West India and Guinea Company was the first to settle the island in 1672. They are also credited with naming the island St. John (Danish: Sankt Jan). The Danish Crown took full control of the colony in 1754 along with St. Thomas and St. Croix. Sugar plantations, such as the famous Annaberg Sugar Plantation, were established in great numbers on St. John because of the intense heat and fertile terrain. The opening of sugar plantations also meant the importation of slaves from Africa. By 1775, it is estimated that slaves outnumbered the Danish settlers 5 to 1. The indigenous Caribs and Arawaks were also used for slave labor to the point of wiping out the entire population. Slavery was finally abolished in St. John on July 3, 1848. The Danish West Indies or Danish Antilles, (DWI, Dansk Vest Indien) are a former colony of Denmark in the Caribbean, now known as the U.S. Virgin Islands. ... Events England, France, Munster and Cologne invade the United Provinces, therefore this name is know as ´het rampjaar´ (the disaster year) in the Netherlands. ... 1754 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... A plantation is an intentional planting of a crop, on a larger scale, usually for uses other than cereal production or pasture. ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds 2nd largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Trunk Bay Beach, in St John, U.S. Virgin Islands.

]] The United States of America bought the Virgin Islands in 1917 in order to establish a naval base to prevent German expansion in the western hemisphere. The U.S. government paid $25 million for the three islands. They also agreed to recognize Denmark's claim to Greenland, which had previously been disputed. Trunk Bay is in St. ... Saint John is the smallest of the three main United States Virgin Islands (USVI), a United States territory. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... The geographical western hemisphere of Earth, highlighted in yellow. ...

Virgin Islanders are now U.S. citizens, although they are not able to vote in U.S. presidential elections and have only non-voting status in Congress. The Virgin Islands are an organized, unincorporated territory of the US and, since 1972, have elected their own Governor and have a large degree of self-rule through a small, 15-seat local legislature. United States presidential elections determine who serves as President and Vice President of the United States for four-year terms, starting on Inauguration Day (January 20th of the year after the election). ... Congress in Joint Session. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ... HI A governor is also, a monkey who is smart and can fly like a penguin is a device that regulates the speed of a machine. ...

In 1956, Laurence Rockefeller donated most of the land he had acquired on the island to the United States National Park Service under the condition that it be protected from future development. The remaining portion, the Caneel Bay Resort, continues to operate on a lease arrangement while the park owns the actual land. The Virgin Islands National Park borders encompass 75% of the island, but various in-holdings within the park boundary (eg. Peter Bay, Maho Bay) reduce the actual land the park owns to 60%. However, much of the islands waters, coral reefs and shoreline are protected by inclusion within the park and this was expanded with the creation of the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument in 2001. 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Laurance Spelman Rockefeller (May 26, 1910 - July 11, 2004) was a financier, philanthropist, and conservationist. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ... Established in 1980, Virgin Islands National Park is a United States National Park covering approximately 60% of the island of Saint John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. ... The Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located off of Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands. ...

Government and Demographics

Residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands elect a legislature of 15 delegates every four years. Of these 15, seven are from St. Croix, seven are from St. Thomas and St. John and one is elected at-large, but must be a resident of St. John. This assembly is responsible for most of the islands' internal affairs. The Islands also elect a governor every four years.

St. John itself does not have any local government; however, the Governor appoints an island Administrator. He has no actual authority and acts more as an advisor to the Governor and a spokesperson for the Governor's policies.

Cruz Bay, has become principle town on the island since ferry service from St. Thomas became the main entry to the island. Previously, Coral Bay was the hub of economic actitivy on the island as its natural port offered both protection to the sailing vessels of the day, and an easy sail with minimal tacking to the nearby British Virigin Islands. In fact, until the late twentieth century, residents of Coral Bay and East End had easier and more frequent access to Tortola than with either Cruz Bay or St. Thomas. Cruz Bay is a town on the west coast of St. ...

According to the 2000 US Census, St. John has a residential population of 4,157 people, most of whom live in either Cruz Bay or Coral Bay on the eastern end of the island. It should also be noted that although demographic information is recorded in U.S. Census, like other U.S. territories the information is not counted towards the total population count. This article is about the year 2000. ...

Tourism and Sites

Cruz Bay on the western coast of the island serves as the principle port of St. John. From there, a ferry runs throughout the day to and from Charlotte Amalie and Red Hook in St. Thomas. It is also home to (among other things) a small shopping center, car rental locations, several restaurants, and a supermarket. Coral Bay on the eastern side of the island is another town which offers most of the same amenities. Charlotte Amalie is the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands, a territory of the United States of America. ...

Most of St. John is National Park land, so the majority of the island is undeveloped. Some of the most popular beaches in the Caribbean are located along the island's north shore. The most spectacular and well known of these is Trunk Bay, which has consistently been voted one of the "Ten Best Beaches in The World" by Condé Nast Traveler magazine and has received similar recognition from other publications. Since the beaches are on National Park land, they are all open to the public and are not home to any hotels or resorts. One notable exception to this is the Caneel Bay resort on the north shore, which lies on Rockefeller’s former personal estate. The remaining coastal land, mostly in the north and in the east, is private property and is home to many secluded private villas and cottages. The National Park Service also offers two campgrounds on the island's beaches at Maho Bay and Cinnamon Bay. Central America and the Caribbean (detailed pdf map) The Caribbean, (Spanish: Caribe; French: Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Dutch: Cariben or Caraïben, or more commonly Antillen) or the West Indies, is a group of islands and countries which are in or border the Caribbean Sea which lies on... Trunk Bay is in St. ... Condé Nast Traveler is an American magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, started in 1987, specializing in travel, principally recreational for tourism, but also for business travellers. ...

The beaches of St. John are also world famous for their snorkeling, making them a popular cruise ship destination. In some areas, such as Trunk Bay and nearby Cinnamon Bay, signs identifying the different sea life have been placed by the National Park Service among the many offshore coral reefs to assist visitors. A cocoa damselfish, a common sighting in Caribbean snorkeling. ... MV Pride of Aloha docked in Port of Nāwiliwili, Kaua‘i in the Hawaiian Islands A cruise ship, or less commonly cruise liner or luxury liner, is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the amenities of the ship are considered an essential part... Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef. ...

Economy

The main export of St. John used to be Sugar Cane, which was produced in abundance using African and Indian slave labor, however, this industry all but fell about in the 19th century after the island's slaves were declared free. The economy of St. John is now almost entirely built on tourism and tourism-related industries such as real estate development and hotels.

Other information

St. John was recently named "Best Caribbean Destination" by Caribbean Travel and Life Magazine.

Map of St. John

Image File history File links A Map of St. ...

	Territory of the Virgin Islands of the United States   Geography | Economy | Demographics | Communications | Transportation Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States_Virgin_Islands. ... Population: 120,917 (July 2000 est. ... Telephones - main lines in use: 58,000 (1999) Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,000 (1992) Telephone system: domestic: modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay international: submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (1998) Radios: 107,000 (2003...
Government:	Politics | Governors | Congressional Delegates | Senators | Elections To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require rewriting and/or reformatting. ... List of U.S. Virgin Islands Governors 1917 - 1917 Edwin Taylor Pollock 1917 - 1919 James Harrison Oliver 1919 - 1921 Joseph Wallace Oman 1921 - 1922 Sumner Ely Wetmore Kittelle 1922 - 1923 Henry Hughes Hough 1923 - 1925 Philip Williams 1925 - 1927 Martin Edwin Trench 1927 - 1931 Waldo A. Evans 1931 - 1935 Paul... Delegates of the U.S. Virgin Islands to the U.S. Congress Categories: U.S. Virgin Islands ... 26th Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands (2005-2006) Senator At-Large (Saint John) Craig W. Barshinger (Democratic Party) Saint Croix Senators Norman Jn Baptiste (Senate Vice President) Pedro Pete Encarnacion (Democratic Party) Neville James (Democratic Party) Terrence Positive Nelson (ICM) Usie Raymond Richards (ICM) Ronald E. Russell (Democratic... Elections in the U.S. Virgin Islands gives information on election and election results in the U.S. Virgin Islands. ...
Capital:	Charlotte Amalie Charlotte Amalie is the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands, a territory of the United States of America. ...
Small Cities:	Charlotte Amalie | Christiansted | Frederiksted | Cruz Bay Charlotte Amalie is the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands, a territory of the United States of America. ... Christiansted is a town on St. ... Frederiksted is a town on the west end of the U.S. Virgin Island of St. ...
Islands:	Saint Croix | Saint John | Saint Thomas | Water Island | Other A separate article treats the several rivers known as the St. ... The United States Virgin Islands is a group of islands in the Caribbean. ...