Saint Croix, Caribbean island in U.S. Virgin Islands, United States.
Saint Croix is an island in the U.S. Virgin Islands of the Caribbean, crossed by low ridges that open onto sandy coves and dry hillsides. The highest ground rises in the northwest, while the southern coast unfolds into gentler shorelines and mangrove inlets.
The island changed hands several times between the 17th and 18th centuries before Denmark acquired it from France in 1733 and developed sugar plantations. After more than a century of Danish rule, the United States purchased the territory in 1917 during World War I.
The name derives from Spanish Santa Cruz, meaning holy cross, reflecting early European exploration. Today the island blends English and Creole speech, while local traditions live on through calypso music and quadrille dances.
Most travelers arrive at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on the southwest coast, which receives direct flights from several North American cities. The terrain is hilly, so a rental car makes it easier to reach distant beaches and inland historic sites.
Point Udall on the eastern tip is considered the easternmost point of the United States and holds a bronze sundial commemorating the first sunrise of the new millennium. On the opposite side of the island, century-old silk cotton trees stand with thick trunks and spreading branches among abandoned plantation ruins.
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