Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands

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Saint John (Danish: Sankt Jan ) is an island of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean and is part of the unincorporated area outside of the United States. Main place of about 5000 inhabitants island is the west, in the direction of Saint Thomas, located Cruz Bay, where the ferry port is located.

Only after a multi-year power struggle with Denmark Great Britain around the undeveloped island came to Saint John in 1762 the Danish West Indies. Danish colonists created with the help of African slaves sugar cane plantations, whose ruins are now among the main attractions.

Middle of the 19th century, the economic decline of the island loomed. There were slave revolts and the Danish Governor Peter von Scholten had the colored slaves free in 1848.

1956 bought by American billionaire Laurance Rockefeller large areas of the island. He created there the Saint John National Park. It created jobs on St. John, and the park has been attracting tourists. Special attractions include, in addition to the said ruins from the days of the cane, the beaches and associated snorkeling ( in Trunk Bay is the only "Underwater Trail " a U.S. National Park ), and the remaining Primärbewaldung in the south of the island.