The Danish West Indies (Danish: Dansk Vestindien or De dansk-vestindiske øer) or Danish Antilles was a Danish colony in the Caribbean, first under the united kingdoms of Denmark-Norway and later, after the 1814 Treaty of Kiel, Denmark alone. The islands were sold to the United States in 1916 under the terms of the Treaty of the Danish West Indies and were organized as the United States Virgin Islands in 1917. The Danish geographical name for the constituent islands is Jomfruøerne ( "The Virgin Islands").
The Danish West Indies covered a total area of 185 square miles (480 km2) and in the 1850s consisted of three islands: Sankt Thomas with 43 square miles (110 km2); Sankt Jan with 42 square miles (110 km2); and Sankt Croix of 100 square miles (260 km2).
Read more about Danish West Indies: History, Postage Stamps, Religion, Slavery and Property Rights
Famous quotes containing the words west and/or indies:
“Our foreparents were mostly brought from West Africa.... We were brought to America and our foreparents were sold; white people bought them; white people changed their names ... my maiden name is supposed to be Townsend, but really, what is my maiden name? What is my name?”
—Fannie Lou Hamer (1917–1977)
“As the Spanish proverb says, “He who would bring home the wealth of the Indies, must carry the wealth of the Indies with him.” So it is in travelling; a man must carry knowledge with him, if he would bring home knowledge.”
—Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)