The Virgin Islands cont.
Photo: travelandleisure.com
Like other territories, many U.S. citizens know the Virgin Islands as a tourist destination. Tourism remains The Virgin Islands’ main economy. It’s a particularly popular destination for cruise ships. Despite the popularity of resorts on Saint Croix and Saint John, the government remains the largest Virgin Islands employer.
Some see the Virgin Islands’ history as a slave port and its modern status as a tourist destination to be symbolic of the need for the Virgin Islands to achieve self-determination.
Northern Mariana Islands
Photo: islandssociety.org
At first glance, you may be wondering why the Northern Mariana Islands are a U.S. territory. After all, these 22 islands are bordered by Taiwan and Japan.
Actually, the islands were under Japanese control during World War II. They served as a staging ground for the invasion of Guam. When the United States assumed control of the Northern Mariana Islands, they actually used the island of Tinian as the takeoff point for the plane that dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima.