St.+Croix

**St. Croix, U.S.V.I** **"The Big Island"**


 *  St. Croix is considered to be the most beautiful out of all the U.S. Virgin ** **Islands. With its amazing natural features and welcoming community you can't go wrong here. **

**__Population & Size__**  **St. Croix is the largest out of the 4 islands. St. Croix is a flat 84 square mile islands with a large expanse of lush forests and dry grassy plains. It is made up of two towns, Christiansted and Frederiksted, and about 53,000 residents.**

__**Places**__  **Some of the beast beaches to be found anywhere in the world are on St. Croix. There are three main beaches to go to when and if you visit the island of St. Croix: Jack's Bay, Buck Island/Turtle Beach, and Cane Bay Beach.** **Jack's Bay is towards the East end of St. Croix right beside Isaac's Bay. Jack's Bay has multi-blue calm waters, marine life, a turtle resting area, and a reef that is great for snorkeling. This is a place where anyone can be one with nature and relax to the sound of the smooth rolling waves.**

**Buck Island is known to have a lush green peak and turquoise waters. Visitors are placed in a trance when their feet touch the soft white sand their ears are touched with the calming sound of the waves rolling ashore. There is also some friendly aquatic life. On the north side of Buck Island there is the underwater National Reef Monument.** **Cane Bay Beach is found on the North side of the island. Everyday of the week the restaurants and bars are open to the islanders and visitors. There is also a full service dive center. The people can kayak and go snorkeling to see the amazing coral reefs and stunning sea life. Cane Bay Beach is a world renowned dive spot that was given the name "Cane Bay Wall". About a quarter of a mile offshore there is a deep 1,000 foot plunge into the ocean. This is how the "Cane Bay Wall" was given its name. A restaurant not too far from the shore was named after "Cane Bay Wall" and every month they host full moon parties.**  __**History**__ **St. Croix was discovered by Christopher Columbus on November 14, 1493, on his second voyage to the New World. He landed on Salt River, west of Christiansted, which is the only certain documented site associated with Columbus' exploration of the New World. Christopher Columbus named this island Santa Cruz, which means "Holy Cross."** **The first groups of people to establish themselves on St. Croix were the Dutch, English, and a few of the French. In 1625, the English and Dutch colonists began to arrive on the island of Santa Cruz. The English settled on the west end of the island and the Dutch settled on the east end. After a few years, the Dutch killed the English counterpart so they could have power over Santa Cruz. The English reacted by killing the Dutch governor. There were battles between the two to see who would get possession of the land. The Dutch and French withdrew and left the English to have power over Santa Cruz.** **Ever since the battle had ended, news spread to the Spanish and they became concerned. So they launched a surprise attack on the English, killed many of their settlers, and forced them to leave.** **News spread to the French and they took the opportunity to take over Santa Cruz from the Spanish. In 1651, Philippe de Poincy, the official from the Knights of Malta, sent 160 men to capture Santa Cruz. About two years later the French renamed the island St. Croix.** <span style="color: #0072ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">**In 1665, the French West India Company was formed and was sent to St. Croix. Thisonly lasted seven years. Soon Louis XIV replaced by the French Crown rule. By 1674, the French took possession of the French West India Company. Even though the French had possession of St. Croix, most of them left by 1695.** <span style="color: #0072ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%;">**On June 13, 1733 the Danish West India Company bought St. Croix. Under the rule of Frederik Moth, a new town at Christiansted was planned within the first year. Years later in 1747, St. Croix was given its own government. Planters became upset with the harsh and strict regulations that the company came up with. To fix the situation they petitioned the King to buy out the Danish West India Company in 1753. By the next year the islands became a royal colony. The capitol was moved from St. Thomas to Christiansted, St. Croix.** <span style="color: #0072ff; display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">**In 1760, Cruzan Rum distillery was founded.** **With the prosperity of sugar cane, rum production, and slave trade St. Croix became a leading port and one of the wealthiest islands in the West Indies.** <span style="color: #0072ff; display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">**In 1803, Denmark abolished slave trade. The slave population was 26,500 out of an****overall total of 30,000. After 15 years, the possession of St. Croix returns toDenmark. Prosperity came to a stop because of the end in slave trade.** **Because of this, during the 1820s the island began to suffer do to economic depression and droughts.** <span style="color: #0072ff; display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">**Racial segregation was put to an end in 1834. Aftery years of slave revolts a royal Danish decree went out in 1847 that stated all salves would be free after 1859.** <span style="color: #0072ff; display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">**In 1917, St. Croix and the other islands were purchased by the U.S. for $25 million. By the 1950s, the economy started to improve and became the leading industry.** <span style="color: #0072ff; display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 170%; text-align: left;">__**Facts**__ __<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 110%;">**Pictures** __ <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 110%;">**St. Croix, U.S.V.I.-** **<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 110%;">http://www.usvi.net/aerial-views/st-croix/ ** **<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 110%;">Jack's Bay- http://www.villasoleil.com/stcroix_beaches.html ** **<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 110%;">Buck Island- http://www.birdsonthebrain.com/caribbean-cruise-1-virgin-islands/ ** **<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 110%;">Cane Bay Beach- http://www.stcroixtourism.com/beaches/cane_bay_beach2.htm ** **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 110%;">Louis XIV of France- http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/L6713.html ** **<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 110%;">Slavery In Sugar Cane Plantations- http://www.realmagick.com/sugar-plantations-in-the-caribbean/ **
 * **<span style="color: #0072ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">St. Croix has the largest living reef out of all the Caribbean Islands. **
 * **<span style="color: #0072ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">The Bananaquit is the official St. Croix Bird. **
 * **<span style="color: #0072ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">The Ginger Thomas is the official St. Croix flower. **
 * **<span style="color: #0072ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">The Caribbean's finest rum, Cruzian Rum, was voted the best rum by the Washingtonian Magazine. **