The United States Virgin Islands is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands is Charlotte, situated on St. Thomas island. The given area consists mainly of such islands as Saint Croix, Saint John, and Saint Thomas and is not more than 300 square miles (Peters). Despite its small size and a population, the community of this region has its own socio-political and socio-cultural characteristics.
When it comes to the socio-cultural factors of the region, the community was primarily influenced by other cultures. Multiple nations have had an impact on local architecture. Wattle and daub constructions, water storage in reservoirs, the communal space, and verandas and porches may all be traced back to Africa (Peters). In urban architecture, Danish culture is represented in step streets, street names, furnaces, and colored rooftops (Peters). Europe also contributed to the incorporation of yellow ballast brick and domestically mined stone and coral (Peters). Moreover, extrinsic influences of other nations can also be traced in local cuisine.
Aside from the cultural idiosyncrasies of the community, it is noteworthy that other areas of the islands are driven by the main pillars of the economy, including tourism, agriculture, and fishing. In this case, tourism is the essential pillar of all since this sphere provides the most of the employment and accounts for the biggest proportion of the local businesses and revenue (Clegg 203). Moreover, when it comes to the political structure of the islands, they are an unincorporated United States territory (Andersen 104). The political position of the islands means that while the islands are granted self-governing, they are still dependent on the U.S. and the armed forces of the latter have control over the islands. It is noteworthy that many countries of the Caribbean are still colonized. This does not allow the communities to have their indigenous rights and break with the colonial past, focusing on nurturing their values and systems.
However, aside from other factors, the Virgin Islands and many other countries of the Caribbean face the challenges of poverty, high cost of living, and increasing poverty rates. The majority of these political concerns in the Caribbean countries stem from the islands’ small size, economic dependence, and overall fragility (Clegg 203). The Caribbean comprises open but weak economies that rely on a limited percentage of goods and services. Even though the overall territory has considerably incorporated a fair amount of development and an estimated GDP per capita is around US$9000, the economy of the countries has slowed in a recent couple of decades (Clegg 203). This fact has resulted in several Caribbean countries becoming the most debt-burdened globally.
Hence, the U.S. Virgin Islands are primarily a small area inhabited by 100,000 people. Due to their colonial past, the culture and cuisine of the islands that constitute the given region were influenced mainly by European countries or Africa, from where the enslaved people were brought. Moreover, due to their location, the islands largely depend on the spheres of tourism, agriculture, and fishing. The political side of the area involves being an unincorporated United States territory, meaning dependence on the U.S. The small size of the countries in the Caribbean and their reliance on these industries result in poverty and economic fragility.
Works Cited
Andersen, Astrid Nonbo. “The Reparations Movement in the United States Virgin Islands.” The Journal of African American History, vol. 103, no. 12, 2018, pp. 104-132.
Clegg, Peter. “Book Review: Caribbean Sovereignty, Development, and Democracy in an Age of Globalization, written by Terri-Ann Gilbert-RobertsBook Review: Caribbean Sovereignty, Development, and Democracy in an Age of Globalization, edited by Linden Lewis.” New West Indian Guide, vol. 89, no. 1-2, 2015, pp. 203-206.
Peters, Susan W. “Culture of United States Virgin Islands – History, People, Clothing, Women, Beliefs, Food, Customs, Family, Social.” Countries and Their Cultures, Web.