Virgin Islands

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context: Atlantic front forming into tropical storm 'rapidly moving' west toward U.S. Virgin Islands.

Location

• Virgin Islands, group of about 90 small islands, islets, cays, and rocks in the West Indies, situated some 40 to 50 miles (64 to 80 kilometres) east of Puerto Rico.
• The islands extend from west to east for about 60 miles and are located west of the Anegada Passage, a major channel connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
• Their combined land area is about 195 square miles (505 square kilometres).

Administration

Three political jurisdictions:

• Virgin Islands, informally referred to as British Virgin Islands, a British overseas territory.
• Virgin Islands of the United States, an unincorporated territory of the United States.
• Spanish Virgin Islands, the easternmost islands of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, itself also an unincorporated territory of the United States.

Geography

Geology

• The Virgin Islands themselves are the peaks of submerged mountains that rise from a submarine plateau.
• A long process of undersea mountain building and uplift brought submarine ridges and peaks to the surface.
• This was followed by periods of explosive volcanism, alternated with periods of coral reef deposits, changing sea levels and future intrusion, creating the islands.
• The highest point is Mount Sage on Tortola, which is 1,710 feet (521 metres) high.

Climate

• Tropical climate, moderated by trade winds.
• Rainfall averages about 1,150 mm (45.3 in) per year.
• Its natural hazards consist of hurricanes and tropical storms from July to October.

Vegetation

• Dry tropical forests, moist tropical forests, mangrove swamps.
• Virgin Islands National Park was established in 1956.

Tropical Cyclones: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/tropical-cyclone#:~:text=Climatologically%2C%20tropical%20cyclones%20form%20mainly,them%20intensify%20into%20tropical%20cyclones.

Cyclones : https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/tropical-cyclone-ilsa

Source

https://bvi.gov.vg/content/about-territory

https://www.britannica.com/place/Virgin-Islands