Book a flight | St. Croix
St. Croix, a U.S. Virgin Island, is the largest of the four islands, which include St. Thomas, Water Island, and St. John. Despite its size, St. Croix has a similar population to St. Thomas. The other two islands are much smaller in comparison. Over the years, St. Croix has been colonized by seven different countries, including Spain, Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, the Knights of Malta, Denmark, and the United States. The island was originally inhabited by the Tainos or Arawaks, and later by the Carib people. Sugarcane was the main economic force on the island, but the abolishment of slavery and the development of the sugar beet in Europe undermined the colony's economy. Slavery was abolished after a successful insurrection in 1848, and in 1862, St. Croix received a shipload of East Indians who were indentured for five years. In 1878, a labor revolt led by four women, known as the "Queens" of the revolt, burned down much of Frederiksted, one of the island's two towns. Christopher Columbus is credited as the first European to have discovered the island in 1493. The island is 27 miles long and has lush green hills and a small rainforest in the west. The eastern part of the island is a bit more arid and has cactus plants growing up to 15 feet high. There are pristine, white sandy beaches all around the island.