View source for Geography of the United States Virgin Islands

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
[[File:virgin islands sm02.png|thumb|350px|A map of the United States Virgin Islands.]]
[[Image:US Virgin Islands.png|thumb|right|300px|U.S. Virgin Islands - NASA NLT Landsat 7 (Visible Color) Satellite Image]]
The [[United States Virgin Islands]] are a group of several dozen islands and cays located in the [[Caribbean]], about {{convert|1100|mi|km|0}} southeast of [[Florida]], {{convert|600|mi|km|0}} north of [[Venezuela]], {{convert|40|mi|km|0}} east of [[Puerto Rico]], and immediately west and south of the [[British Virgin Islands]].

The U.S. Virgin Islands lie near the boundary of the [[North American Plate]] and the [[Caribbean Plate]], roughly {{convert|100|mi|km|0}} south of the [[Puerto Rico Trench]] and near the [[Anegada Passage]], a key shipping lane. Together with the [[British Virgin Islands]], [[Vieques, Puerto Rico|Vieques]], and [[Culebra, Puerto Rico|Culebra]], they make up the [[Virgin Islands|Virgin Islands archipelago]].

The hilly, [[volcano|volcanic]] islands of [[Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands|Saint Thomas]] ({{convert|31|sqmi|km2|0}}<ref name="vinow1">{{cite web |url=http://www.vinow.com/general_usvi/geography/ |title=VInow: Virgin Islands Geography |access-date=6 September 2013 |publisher=vinow.com }}</ref>) and [[Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands|Saint John]] ({{convert|20|sqmi|km2|0}}<ref name="vinow1" />) border the [[Atlantic Ocean|North Atlantic Ocean]] to the north and the [[Caribbean Sea]] to the south. The larger island of [[Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands|Saint Croix]] ({{convert|84|sqmi|km2|0}}<ref name="vinow1" />) lies {{convert|40|mi|km|0}} to the south across the Virgin Islands Trough and is entirely in the Caribbean Sea.

[[Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands|Charlotte Amalie]], Saint Thomas is one of the best natural, deepwater harbors in the Caribbean. The Islands have many well-known beaches, including [[Magens Bay]] (Saint Thomas) and [[Trunk Bay]] (Saint John), and coral reefs, including the [[Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument]] and the [[Buck Island Reef National Monument]]. More than half of [[Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands|Saint John]] and nearly all of [[Hassel Island, U.S. Virgin Islands|Hassel Island]] are owned by the U.S. [[National Park Service]].

== Statistics ==
[[Geographic coordinates]] (capital [[Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands|Charlotte Amalie]]): {{Coord|18|21|N|64|57|W|type:country}}

'''Islands:'''
[[Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands|Saint Croix]], [[Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands|Saint Thomas]], [[Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands|Saint John]], [[Water Island, U.S. Virgin Islands|Water Island]], [[Minor islands of the United States Virgin Islands|many other islands]]

'''Area:'''
:''total:'' 738 sq mi (1,910&nbsp;km²)
:''land:'' 134 sq mi (346&nbsp;km²)
:''water:'' 604 sq mi (1,564&nbsp;km²)

:''Comparative area'': twice the size of the [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]]

'''Maritime claims:'''
:''exclusive economic zone:'' {{convert|200|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on|lk=in}}
:''territorial sea:'' {{convert|12|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on}}

'''Land use:'''
:''arable land:'' 5.71%
:''permanent crops:'' 2.86%
:''other:'' 91.43% (2005)

'''Irrigated land:'''
1&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>

'''Natural hazards:'''frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional [[earthquake]]s; rare [[tsunami]]s

'''Environment—current issues:'''
lack of natural freshwater resources

== Terrain ==
The islands' terrain is mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land. [[Crown Mountain (United States Virgin Islands)|Crown Mountain]], on Saint Thomas, is the highest point in the U.S. Virgin Islands at 1,555&nbsp;ft (474 m). [[Sea level]] is the lowest point. It has a coastline of {{convert|117|mi|abbr=on}}. The territory is known for its beaches and plentiful sunshine.

== Climate ==

The U.S. Virgin Islands enjoy a [[tropical climate]], moderated by easterly trade winds and with relatively low humidity. Temperatures vary little throughout the year.

In the capital, [[Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands|Charlotte Amalie]], typical daily maximum temperatures are around {{convert|91|°F|°C|1}} in the summer and {{convert|86|°F|°C}} in the winter. Typical daily minimum temperatures are around {{convert|78|°F|°C|1}} in the summer and {{convert|72|°F|°C|1}} in the winter. Water temperatures are around {{convert|83|°F|°C|1}} in the summer and {{convert|79|°F|°C}} in the winter.<ref name="vinow2">{{cite web |url=http://www.vinow.com/usvi/weather.php |title=VInow: Weather in the Virgin Islands |access-date=6 September 2013 |publisher=vinow.com }}</ref> Rainfall averages about {{convert|38|in|mm|0}} per year. Rainfall can be quite variable, but the wettest months on average are September to November and the driest months on average are February and March.<ref name="worldclimateguide1">{{cite web |url=http://www.worldclimateguide.co.uk/climateguides/virginislands/charlotteamalie.php |title=World Climate Guide: Charlotte Amalie Virgin Islands |access-date=6 September 2013 |publisher=worldclimateguide.co.uk }}</ref>

The islands are subject to tropical storms and hurricanes, with the hurricane season running from June to November. In recent history, substantial damage was caused by [[Hurricane Irma]] and [[Hurricane Maria]] in 2017,<ref name="fema20180302">{{cite web |url=https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2018/03/02/six-months-after-two-category-5-hurricanes-struck-us-virgin-islands |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417054942/https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2018/03/02/six-months-after-two-category-5-hurricanes-struck-us-virgin-islands |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 17, 2018 |title=Six Months after Two Category 5 Hurricanes Struck, the U.S. Virgin Islands Is Recovering |date=2 March 2018 |access-date=15 June 2018|publisher=fema.gov }}</ref> [[Hurricane Hugo]] in 1989 and [[Hurricane Marilyn]] in 1995.  The islands were also struck by [[Hurricane Bertha (1996)|Hurricane Bertha]] in 1996, [[Hurricane Georges]] in 1998, [[Hurricane Lenny]] in 1999, [[Hurricane Jeanne|Tropical Storm Jeanne]] in 2004, [[Hurricane Omar]] in 2008, [[Hurricane Earl (2010)|Hurricane Earl]] in 2010, [[Hurricane Otto (2010)|Tropical Storm Otto]] in 2010, and [[Hurricane Tomas|Tropical Storm Tomas]] in 2010, but damage was less severe in those storms.<ref name="fema1">{{cite web |url=https://www.fema.gov/disasters/grid/state-tribal-government/40 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130906074949/https://www.fema.gov/disasters/grid/state-tribal-government/40 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 6, 2013 |title=Fema: Disaster Declarations for Virgin Islands |access-date=15 June 2018 |publisher=fema.gov }}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 93
|Feb record high F = 93
|Mar record high F = 94
|Apr record high F = 96
|May record high F = 97
|Jun record high F = 99
|Jul record high F = 98
|Aug record high F = 99
|Sep record high F = 98
|Oct record high F = 97
|Nov record high F = 95
|Dec record high F = 92
|year record high F= 99
|Jan high F = 85
|Feb high F = 85|Mar high F = 86
|Apr high F = 87
|May high F = 88
|Jun high F = 89
|Jul high F = 90
|Aug high F = 90
|Sep high F = 90
|Oct high F = 89
|Nov high F = 87
|Dec high F = 86
|year high F=
|Jan low F = 72
|Feb low F = 73
|Mar low F = 73
|Apr low F = 74
|May low F = 76
|Jun low F = 78
|Jul low F = 78
|Aug low F = 78
|Sep low F = 78
|Oct low F = 77
|Nov low F = 75
|Dec low F = 74
|year low F=
|Jan record low F = 63
|Feb record low F = 62
|Mar record low F = 56
|Apr record low F = 62
|May record low F = 66
|Jun record low F = 67
|Jul record low F = 57
|Aug record low F = 59
|Sep record low F = 64
|Oct record low F = 66
|Nov record low F = 52
|Dec record low F = 62
|year record low F= 52
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.38
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.48
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.42
|Apr precipitation inch = 2.74
|May precipitation inch = 3.06
|Jun precipitation inch = 2.53
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.85
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.74
|Sep precipitation inch = 5.58
|Oct precipitation inch = 5.42
|Nov precipitation inch = 5.23
|Dec precipitation inch = 2.96
|year precipitation inch= 39.39
|source 1 = weather.com <ref name="weather1">{{cite web
| url =http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/00801 | title =Average Conditions Saint Thomas, VI| access-date =May 16, 2010
| publisher =weather.com }}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

==See also==
* [[Islands of the United States Virgin Islands]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{U.S. Virgin Islands}}
{{U.S. political divisions geographies}}
{{Geography of North America}}
{{North America topic|Climate of}}
{{Americas topic|Geography of}}

[[Category:Geography of the United States Virgin Islands| ]]