Are you looking for a detailed map of the Virgin Islands?  We can provide you a seamless map -  on CD-ROM - that depicts a digital version of the well-known and accurate USGS paper maps.  Also included are detailed aerial photos of the three islands.   The maps reveal St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas (the United States Virgin Islands). These maps are often used as reference maps for field or office work and define a specific piece of geography.  The map show contours, cities, vegetation, lakes, rivers, trails, roads, railroads and other spatial features. 

With three beautiful islands of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas, the United States Virgin Islands offers something for everyone. Breathtaking beaches with emerald water. Secluded coves, pristine coral reefs, and untouched rainforests. Friendly people with a unique music, cuisine, and culture. Posh hotels, cozy inns, and unspoiled campgrounds. Wonderful restaurants, world-class shopping, and exciting festivals. Our islands offer the most romantic setting for your special wedding or honeymoon. Come visit America's Caribbean and see what we have to offer you.  Be sure to get a good map of the islands to help plan your trip.

Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP and employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The islands are subject to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, to support construction projects in the private sector, to expand tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.

Virgin Islands National Park, renowned throughout the world for its breathtaking beauty, covers approximately 3/5 of St. John, and nearly all of Hassel Island in the Charlotte Amalie harbor on St. Thomas. Within its borders lie protected bays of crystal blue-green waters teeming with coral reef life, white sandy beaches shaded by seagrape trees, coconut palms, and tropical forests providing habitat for over 800 species of plants. To these amazing natural resources, add relics from the Pre-Colombian Amerindian Civilization, remains of the Danish Colonial Sugar Plantations, and reminders of African Slavery and the Subsistence Culture that followed during the 100 years after Emancipation - all part of the rich cultural history of the Park and its island home.

While Annaberg and Trunk Bay are the most frequently-visited park sites, Virgin Islands National Park’s diverse beaches, coral reefs, historic ruins, and hiking trails provide endless hours of exploration and enjoyment, as well as inspiration and opportunities for solitude and reflection. Visitors enjoy a variety of activities on the land and in the water, including swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving; sailing, kayaking and windsurfing; and camping, hiking and bird watching. Visitors can enjoy the crystal blue waters on a charter day-sail or boat snorkeling tour which are offered by private operators and can be booked in Cruz Bay and Coral Bay. Some visitors explore the park on their own, while others prefer a two-hour safari bus island tour with a private tour guide.

You can expect beautiful weather year round.  Average temperatures are from 77 degrees Fahrenheit in January to April and 82 degrees Fahrenheit in July to November.  We often have short rain showers, but you can count on them normally ending quickly.  Dress is casual, but not too casual!  While on the street, it is actually illegal to go shirtless or to wear a swimsuit only.  Such attire is not welcome  in island stores, swim wear should be confined to the beach or pools.  Bikini tops are also a no-no when shopping downtown, and shirts must be worn in all other public buildings and banks.  Otherwise the dress code in the Virgin Islands requires only casual lightweight clothing.  Nights and evenings can sometimes.  The Caribbean sun is strong! - be careful when you are in the sun, particularly during late morning & the early afternoon hours.   Each year, two and a half million tourists visit the Virgin Islands wanting to go home with a suntan.   However, many get burnt on their first day due to the cooling effects of  the trade winds, not realizing how much sun they are really getting.  It is very important to limit your sunbathing at first (10 min) to see how your skin takes to our sun, and only gradually increase the length of exposure to the sun's rays. 

The best islands for hiking are Tortola and St. John. In Tortola, the best hiking is through Sage Mountain National Park, spread across 92 acres of luxuriant flora and fauna; you can get maps and advice at the tourist office. On St. John, the most intriguing hike is the Annaberg Historic Trail, which takes you by some of the most evocative scenes of former plantation life on island. Because most of St. John is itself a National Park, park rangers can assist in providing maps and general guidance. St. Croix also has good hiking in its "Rain Forest" area. Buck Island, off the coast of St. Croix, is beloved by snorkelers and scuba divers but also fascinating to hike. You can easily explore the island in a day as it is only half a mile wide and a mile long. You'll encounter many birds and flowers while hiking in the Virgin Islands -- but no poisonous snakes. Look for the trumpet-shaped "ginger thomas," the U.S. Virgin Island's official flower.  More than a third of the 11,560 acres that make up the national park are underwater, offering unparalleled diving and snorkeling. Thanks to the park, St. John's has sustained its vast stretches of green hillsides, exotic foliage, and pristine white-sand beaches.
 

Also included on the CD-ROM are are detailed aerial photos (DOQQ) of the three islands.

The long sandy beaches and the crystal-clear waters makes swimming a prime activity.  Fishing and sailing are enjoyed by visitors and natives alike, and there are always sailboats and fishing vessels for rent.  There is a public nine-hole golf course on St. Thomas, a world renowned golf course on St. Croix, and public tennis courts on St. Thomas and St. Croix. There are regular baseball tournaments also.  St. Croix has a race track.  The races are often amusing and sometimes spectacular.  Evening entertainment consists of starlite moonlight sails, dancing the night away or movies in town.

A trip to St. Croix would not be complete without day tripping to Buck Island.  Located just 1 1/2 miles off the northeast shore of Christiansted, St. Croix, Buck Island is easily accessible.  As one of only three Underwater National Monuments in the United States,  Buck Island's unsurpassed natural beauty will calm and invigorate you.  Accessible only by boat, there are several tour operators offering full and half day trips to the small island. 

Virgin Islands National Park, renowned throughout the world for its breathtaking beauty, covers two-thirds of the 19-square-mile island of St. John and boasts some of the most beautiful coral reefs, plant life, and multicolored tropical fish in the Caribbean. Several beautiful beaches and 22 hiking trails are also included within the national park's boundaries.  St. Johns is not a huge place, and the trails don't cover a great distance: a couple miles at the most. But given those limitations, the hiking at Virgin Islands national park can be a diverse experience. Trails range from easy walks to difficult climbs, from well-maintained to brushy. Some of the best trails are in the wilder South Shore area.  On 02 August 1956, legislation was passed by Congress to authorize the establishment of the Virgin Islands National Park. This act limited the potential acreage of the Park to 9,485 acres on St John (an island 12,500 acres) and 15 acres on St Thomas. On 05 Oct 1962, the boundary of the Virgin Islands National Park was expanded to include 5,650 acres of offshore areas (waters and submerged lands). These acres are considered to contained some of the most significant natural features within the Park. They include coral reefs, mangrove shorelines and sea grass beds

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Photos by Joyce Plaza, Cornish Maine (c) 2005

The moist forest areas are generally found along the island's north shore and at higher interior island elevations. Both evergreen and deciduous trees form a canopy that may exceed 75 feet in height. Trees prominent in the moist forest include; kapok, mango, sandbox, saman, Strangler fig and genip. Shade tolerant plants such as wild coffee, teyer palm, lime, and Sweet lime form a sub- canopy in the moist forest. Ferns, mosses, and bromeliads are also common. The moist forest areas were most frequently cleared for crops. Therefore, many of the slow growing hardwood trees that were a part of the virgin forests are rare in the second and third growth forests that exist in the park today. The modern forest bears only partial resemblance to the forest of the early colonial period.

Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station (VIERS)

Place Order

The cost is $18.95. 

Note: If you wish, download the free computer program for viewing the maps.   A Hyperlink is provided on the CD-ROM to facilitate the download of the free viewer .  Options exist for  both Windows and Apple / Macintosh systems. 

For Windows 95, 98, NT 4, 2000, XP, XP Pro

• Download the MrSID viewer for Windows   (option 1)

• GeoViewer Software  (option 2, as a PKZIP file)

• MrSID User Manual for Windows

For Macintosh OS 9.x (latest version available)

• Download the MrSID viewer for Macintosh

• MrSID User Manual for Macintosh

Other Macintosh OS X Plug-ins

• For more information, visit the LizardTech download site  .
  http://www.lizardtech.com/download/dl_options.php?page=viewers

"Thanks for the map guys, it is great.  I printed some maps on waterproof paper and they are perfect."   Ted S.- Bozman, MT

"Downloading the free viewer was easy.  Its a great application to view the maps you sent.  We hiked in the Crazy Mountains and the maps let us plan our trip! thank you.  Julie B.  - Madison Wisconsin

"The price is right and so are the maps... less than what I paid for some lingerie for my wife.  The maps are actually  more sexy."  Cal T.  St Cloud Minnesota.

"Thanks for sending the CD-ROM so fast - The quad  maps are wonderful.  Its nice to see the entire area without any map seams.  Its good to know there are trusting folks like you.  Thanks!" Cally S.  Chicago, IL

"You guys are quick.  Thanks for the fast turn-around.  Its nice to view this area as a seamless map as opposed  to looking at a bunch of paper Topographic maps on the table.  Thank you mucho!"  Kim T.     Boston, MA