The Truth About the Virgin Islands Quiz

Answer: Spanish Virgin Islands

The islands of Vieques and Culebra are technically a part of Puerto Rico and both islands have substantial National Wildlife Refuges that are home to seabirds and other marine life. The main town on either island is Isabel Segunda on Vieques which has a fort that was built in 1845.

Answer: Saint Croix

Saint Croix also contains Point Udall which is the easternmost point in the United States as measured from the center of the continental United States. The island has over 150 churches and has been nicknamed the "Land of Churches".

Answer: Saint John

For hundreds of years the island of Saint John was inhabited by Arawak and Carib Indians. Saint John and the other islands that comprise the U.S. Virgin Islands were purchased from Denmark in 1917 for $25 million. Virgin Islands National Park was established in 1956 and in addition to the large part of Saint John it also includes much of Hassel Island. Popular activities in Virgin Islands National Park include scuba diving and hiking through the rainforest.

Answer: Saint Thomas

About half of the total population of the U.S. Virgin Islands resides on Saint Thomas and Charlotte Amalie is the largest settlement. The main airport of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Cyril E. King Airport, is located about about three kilometers from Charlotte Amalie.

Answer: Hurricane

Similar to most of the Caribbean, the U.S. Virgin Islands have a warm climate with average high temperatures of 91 °F in the summer and 86 °F in the winter. The islands receive an average of 38 inches of rainfall a year and are most vulnerable during the hurricane season that goes from June to November.

Answer: Tortola

Tortola is known as the "Land of the Turtle Dove" and its name translates from Spanish to mean turtle dove. The terrain of Tortola is quite mountainous and the island lies near a geologic fault line which puts it at risk for earthquakes. The highest point in all of the Virgin Islands lies on Tortola at Mount Sage which rises 1,716 feet (523 meters) and is the focal point of Mount Sage National Park.

Answer: Virgin Gorda

Virgin Gorda is the third-largest of the British Virgin Islands and the second most populous after Tortola. The Baths is a beach area that has volcanic boulders jutting out from the surface from eroded granite. Since the area is near the water the boulders form grottoes and tidal pools that are called baths.

Answer: Anegada

While most of the British Virgin Islands are mountainous Anegada is typically flat with its highest point being only 28 feet above sea level. Anegada also contains Horseshoe Reef which is the largest barrier coral reef in the Caribbean.

Answer: Jost Van Dyke

Sailing for the Netherlands, Joost van Dyk established the first permanent settlement in the islands that came to be known as the British Virgin Islands in the 17th century. Van Dyk and his crew farmed tobacco and cotton and even discovered copper on the islands but the settlement was not as profitable as the Dutch West India Company had hoped.

Answer: Tourism

In 2015 an incredible 80% of the GDP and workforce of the U.S. Virgin Islands was accounted for by the tourism industry whereas in the British Virgin Islands the figure was about 45%. The influx of tourists is primarily derived from cruise ships that transport thousands of people to the islands daily.