Virigin Islands - Introduction

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Virgin Islands
Virigin Islands - Introduction
By CIA Factbook
Jan 17, 2005, 18:02

Introduction

Virgin Islands

Background:

During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.