The US Virgin Islands are a group of islands located in the Caribbean Sea. They are an unincorporated territory of the United States and are composed of the main islands of Saint Croix, Saint John, and Saint Thomas, along with the surrounding minor islands and cays.
The islands were first inhabited by the Ciboney, Carib, and Arawak peoples. The islands were then claimed by Christopher Columbus in 1493, and were later colonized by the Dutch, French, and Danish. The Danish West India Company purchased the islands in 1733 and established a plantation economy based on sugar cane.
In 1917, the United States purchased the islands from Denmark for $25 million in gold. The islands were then organized as the US Virgin Islands in 1936. The islands have since become a popular tourist destination, with a thriving economy based on tourism, fishing, and manufacturing.