Virgin Islands
(territory
of the US)
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. Its languages are: English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole
16.8%, French or French Creole 6.6%, other 1.9%.
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