St. Thomas is one of the
U.S. Virgin Islands. It about 13 miles long and 4 miles wide,
comprising about 32 square miles. The major town on the
island is
Charlotte Amalie, which is also the
capital city of the U. S. Virgin Islands.
St. Thomas has an
airport, and from here you can get
ferry service to
St. John or
seaplane
transport to
St. Croix (the other two U. S. Virigin Islands).
The Danish were the first Europeans to successfully establish a permanent
presence on the island, in 1672. St. Thomas has many
historical buildings dating from periods of Danish rule, for example, Fort Christian.
Although fairly mountainous and formed mostly out of volcanic basalt, St. Thomas is highly
developed. It is famed for its shopping, and is a popular docking spot for
cruise ships.