Just how did the United States wind up owning some of the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean? You might guess that it had something to do with foreign affairs, and you'd be right. But my first thought was that it was part of the booty obtained for winning the Spanish-American War, and that would be wrong.
The three islands were purchased from Denmark in 1917, as the United States was interested in holding down some shipping areas in the region during World War I. Another small island was added to the collection during World War II. The U.S.' Department of the Interior was put in charge of running the place, but eventually home rule was installed around 1970.
There isn't much industry on the islands, particularly in Saint Thomas. In fact, there's none as we know it, although there is an oil refinery on a nearby island. So tourism is the top economic engine for the area. It started to grow in popularity as a tourist destination once Cuba was closed to the American marketplace. As cruise numbers have grown, Saint Thomas has become a good stop along the way.
The climate is tropical but not extreme. While the average summer temperature is about 90, it has never been 100 degrees in Saint Thomas. By the way, it was once 52 there in November. Brrr.
The capital city is Charlotte Amalee, which is the name of a Danish wife of a King. There's not a great deal of flat land around, which sort of limits economic activity. Even so, the rich and famous seem to enjoy visiting.
We did a quick drive through downtown on a tour of the island, but didn't try to go back there afterwards. A relatively nice shopping area is centered around the port entrance to the ship, making it easy for the 1+ million visitors each year to leave some dollars behind. I'd bet a week of relaxation could work nicely there.
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