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Virgin Islands (United States)

by Željko Heimer, 13 Febuary 1996

Official Name: United States Virgin Islands
Previous name: Danish West Indies
Capital: Charlotte Amalie
Location: Caribbean
Government Type: Organized, Unincorporated Territory of the US
Flag adopted: 17 May 1921
ISO Code: VI

Overview
The Seal
Subdivisions
St Croix

See also:

Overview

The flag of the US Virgin Island shows a bird in a pose similar to that on the US presidential flag or state arms. However, its colouring is not that of a bald eagle, and it looks much more benign. What is this bird?
Rob Raeside, 17 January 2000

It is a bald eagle. The flag of the Virgin Islands uses a simplified version of the US coat of arms. National Geographic Magazine, September 1934 attributes the flag as being that of the Governor of the Virgin Islands, adopted by executive order of the President. DK goes into more detail: adopted in 1921, the three arrows represent the three main islands.
Phil Nelson, 17 January 2000

OK, it is supposed to be a bald eagle, since it was based on the US arms. But, what does distinguish a (heraldic) bald eagle? Only the white head, and nothing more. Yet this USVI eagle is all golden, just like, say, the Russian or Egyptian eagles... And that's weird, as even American Samoa shows a proper colored bald eagle (not to mention Illinois, Utah, Iowa or New York...).
António Martins, 20 January 2000

The official website of the government of the Virgin Islands states:
The flag of the United States Virgin Islands was adopted by Executive Order on May 17,1921. Upon a white field between, the letters V I, an American Eagle in yellow is displayed with the shield of the United States on its breast. A sprig of laurel is in its dexter talon, while a bundle of three blue arrows are in its sinister talon. The letters V I and the three arrows are in azure blue and the blue of the shield is the blue of the arms and flag of the United States.
Phil Nelson, 7 Febuary 2000

From </www.virginislandsdailynews.com>: Recently Blanche Sasso from the US Virgin Islands could celebrate her 105th birthday. "In 1921 she embroidered the first U.S. Virgin Islands flag with her sister, Grace Sparks. The flag design was done by Sparks' husband", as the news report states.
Martin Karner, 19 September 2004

The Seal

from <school.discovery.com> , located by Joe McMillan, 20 September 2001

Subdivisions

There are three islands in Virgin Islands. According to Administrative divisions of the World the island are divded to sub districts as follows:
Saint Croix: Anna's Hope Village, Christiansted, East End, Frederiksted, Northcentral, Northwest, Sion Farm, Southcentral, Southwest.
Saint John: Central, Coral Bay, Cruz Bay, East End.
Saint Thomas: Charlotte Amalie, East End, Northside, Southside, Tutu, Water Island, West End.
There is no information about any flags used by those subdivisions.
Dov Gutterman, 3 August 2004

St Croix

Probably won't happen, but if it does, a new flag would result.....
From Associated Press: "At least 5,500 residents of St. Croix, the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, have signed a petition asking Congress to make the island its own U.S. territory. Supporters say seceding from the rest of the Virgin Islands would bring the island more U.S. funds. St. Croix is poorer than the two other main islands of St. Thomas and St. John. Volunteers, who are still collecting signatures, plan to give the petition to Congress in the near future, said Rena Brodhurst, president of the Committee for St. Croix's Self-Government. But some admit they are not optimistic about its chances for success. Only about 20 percent of St. Croix's 27,000 registered voters have signed, and reorganizing the territorial government would take major legislative changes. Still, the petition will draw attention to St. Croix's economic needs, said Donna M. Christensen, the U.S. Caribbean territory's nonvoting representative in Congress and a St. Croix native. "I believe in the principle that St. Croix needs more attention ... Their position is a bit extreme, but I signed it just to draw some attention," she said. Though St. Croix is home to the Western Hemisphere's second largest oil refinery and the Cruzan Rum distillery, unemployment is at about 13 percent compared to 9 percent on the other two islands. St. Croix residents voted four of their seven territorial senators out of office in elections on Nov. 2. Many residents complained they were poorly represented and received less than their share of government money. Terrance Nelson, elected to the Senate this year from St. Croix, said the island needed more help, but he didn't sign the petition. He said changing in the local government structure would be a better way to get more funding. Nelson said it was unfair that St. Thomas and St. John elected eight of the 15 senators, leaving seven to St. Croix. Home to 110,000 people, the Caribbean islands have been a U.S. territory since the American government purchased them from Denmark in 1917."
David C. Fowler, 15 November 2004