David Stanford, age 13, of Pittsfield, Mass., for his question:
HOW DID THE UNITED STATES GET THE VIRGIN ISLANDS?
Christopher Columbus discovered the Virgin Islands on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. The United States became involved when it purchased Denmark's West Indian possessions in 1917 for $25 million, or about $295 per acre.
Columbus claimed all of the area's islands for Spain, but the Spaniards did not settle there. Taking over were settlers from Breat Britain, France and Denmark.
The British Virgin Islands have been under the British flag since 1672. About the same time, Denmark established a permanent settlement on St. Thomas island and took possession of St. John in 1717. Then in 1733, Denmark bought St. Croix from France.
The Virgin Islands of the United States is a group of three islands and about 50 islets, most of which are uninhabited. The islands are located in the Lessor Antilles chain of the West Indies, east of Puerto Rico and between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The three islands, with their areas, are St. Thomas (32 square miles), St. John (20 square miles) and St. Croix (80 square miles).
Temperatures in the Virgin Islands are tropical, moderated by prevailing trade winds. The average annual temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
The islands are generally hilly to mountainous. Crown Mountain, reaching 1,556 feet above sea level on St. Thomas, is the group's highest point. Vegetation on the islands is luxuriant and diverse. Mineral resources are lacking, although sand and stone are mined for local construction.
Important to the Virgin Islands is tourism. The number of tourists visiting the islands rose from about 200,000 in 1960 61 to about 1.3 million annually in the 1980s.
Products manufactured in the islands include watches, textiles and pharmaceuticals. The islands also have petroleum and alumina processing plants.
In 1927, Congress passed a law making the people of the Virgin Islands citizens of the United States. In 1936, persons who could read and write English were granted the right to vote in local elections.
At the close of World War II, the United States set aside $10 million for the development of schools, hospitals, roads and sewer and water systems.
Congress passed the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands in 1954. It provided for a regular legislature to replace the legislative assembly. In 1956, Congress established the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John. During the 1960s, the government built health centers, houses and schools.
The Virgin Islands National Park occupies about three fourths of St. John island and preserves a landscape of beaches and coves backed by hills covered with lush tropical vegetation. Attractions include underwater coral reefs with diverse aquatic life and an underwater self guided trail.