There are over eighty islands and cays that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands. St. Croix is the largest. At 83 square miles (215 square kilometers) it is nearly three times the size of the next largest, St. Thomas. Located at approximately 17.7 degrees North latitude and 64.7 degrees West longitude it is 23.5 miles (37.8 kilometers) long by 7 miles (11.3 kilometers) at its widest. The population was approximately 54,000 according to the
2000 census (pdf file, 5.8 MB).
St. Croix has a rich
history (pdf file), being visited by Columbus on his second voyage. Because of the relatively large areas of flat land the island has historically relied more on agriculture and industry to fuel its economy than on tourism. The largest industrial presence is the
Hovensa oil refinery, one of the largest in the world and the largest employer in the Virgin Islands.
Cruzan Rum is produced here and
Captain Morgan, the second best selling rum in the world, has recently relocated its production to the island. In addition, many other technology, financial companies and hedge funds have found St. Croix attractive as their base of operations. Global Crossing and AT&T maintain fiber optic cable landing sites, on the island. Combined, they potentially provide some of the best connectivity in the world. To encourage development and provide employment The Virgin Island's
Economic Development Authority offers generous tax incentives (up to 90% reduction of income tax) to businesses locating here.
Tourism is also on the rise. There is marked increase in the number of cruise ship visits scheduled for the 2008-2009 season. Divi Carina Bay hotel now offers the first and only casino in the Virgin Islands. There is a large destination resort and casino being planned on the North West shore of St. Croix. The Mashantucket Pequots, owners of Foxwoods in Connecticut, are the majority developers and applications for permits have been submitted. Another developer of a large resort and casino on the Southeastern shore is in the process of assembling an application for permits. These are the most significant and furthest along projects being planned, more than doubling the available hotel rooms for the island. However, there are several other projects in various stages of planning. The tourism products offered by St. Croix should be greatly enhanced in the next few years, providing a corresponding boost to the island?s economy.
St. Croix is divided into nine Quarters and these Quarters are divided into plantations which are referred to as Estates. Real estate on the island is referenced by the Quarters and Estates. The topography and even the climate varies across the island. Below you will find links to more detailed information about five distinct areas of the island:
