Dec 2, 2010 – Boats on the beach in the US Virgin Islands – Reed Kaestner / Corbis

The United States Virgin Islands, also called Virgin Islands of the United States is a group of islands in the Caribbean  that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.

The U.S. Virgin Islands consist of the main islands of Saint Croix, Saint John and Saint Thomas, along with the much smaller but historically distinct Water Island, and many other surrounding minor islands. The total land area of the territory is 133.73 square miles (346.4 km2). As of the 2000 census the population was 108,612.

The main islands have nicknames often used by locals: “Twin City” (St. Croix), “Rock City” (St. Thomas), “Love City” (St. John), and “Small City” (Water Island).