Saint John (US Virgin Islands)
| Saint John | ||
|---|---|---|
| Waters | Caribbean Sea | |
| Archipelago | Virgin Islands | |
| Geographical location | 18 ° 20 '26 " N , 64 ° 44' 47" W | |
|
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| surface | 50.8 km² | |
| Highest elevation | Bordeaux Mountain 392 m |
|
| Residents | 4170 (2010) 82 inhabitants / km² |
|
| main place | Cruz Bay | |
Saint John ( Danish Sankt Jan ) is an island of the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean and belongs to the non-incorporated outer territory of the United States . Main place of about 5000 inhabitants, the island is the west, in the direction of Saint Thomas location Cruz Bay , where the ferry terminal is located.
Only after several years of power struggle between Denmark and Great Britain over the vacant island, Saint John came to the Danish West Indies in 1762 . With the help of African slaves , Danish colonists created sugar cane plantations , the ruins of which are now one of the main attractions. In the middle of the 19th century the economic decline of the island became apparent. There were slave revolts and the Danish governor Peter von Scholten released the black slaves in 1848.
In 1956, American billionaire Laurance Rockefeller bought large areas of the island. He created the Saint John National Park there . Jobs were created on St. John and the park became a tourist attraction. Special attractions are, besides the mentioned ruins from the times of sugar cane cultivation, the beaches and associated snorkeling opportunities - Trunk Bay is the only "Underwater Trail" of a US national park - and the remaining primary forest in the south of the island.
