Spanish Virgin Islands
The Spanish Virgin Islands, or Passage Islands, or Puerto Rican Virgin Islands, are a group of islands east of the island of Puerto Rico. They are part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. As part of Puerto Rico they are in association with the United States, but they are distinct from the US Virgin Islands which lie to their east.
As part of Puerto Rico, they formerly belonged to Spain, and Spanish remains the predominant language, although English is common.[1]
They are often not labeled as part of the Virgin Islands archipelago. However, they are geographically part of the Virgin Islands chain.[1] They are closer to St. Thomas than St. Thomas is to St. Croix, both part of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The term "Spanish Virgin Islands" is common in Puerto Rican tourist literature[2], but often does not appear on general maps and atlases.
The principal islands of the group are Culebra and Vieques, with multiple associated smaller islands and islets. Many of the smaller islands are part of Culebra National Wildlife Refuge.[3] Much of Vieques is part of Vieques National Wildlife Refuge, formerly a U.S. Navy facility.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Casa Las Palmas". http://www.culebra-caribbean.com/. Retrieved March 7, 2007.
- ^ Enchanted Isle. "Puerto Rico's Spanish Virgin Islands". http://www.enchanted-isle.com/. Retrieved March 7, 2007.
- ^ U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. "Culebra National Wildlife Refuge". http://www.fws.gov/caribbean/PDF/cbrcon.pdf. Retrieved March 7, 2007.
- ^ U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. "Vieques National Wildlife Refuge". http://www.fws.gov/caribbean/PDF/vieques_factsheet.pdf. Retrieved March 7, 2007.
Coordinates: 18°13′36.27″N 65°20′18.38″W / 18.2267417°N 65.3384389°W
