Virgin Islands

Flag Description
Thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; known as old glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico.

Currency
The US dollar. Common coins include the 50, 25, 10, 5, and 1 cent coins.

Astronomy
Today's date is November 21, 2009. There is currently a New Moon.

Location
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico.

Climate
Mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

Terrain
Vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii.

Elevation Extremes
The lowest point is at Death Valley -86 m. The highest point is at Mount McKinley 6,194 m in Denali National Park.

Share|

Virgin Islands National Park

Virgin Islands,national,park, renowned throughout the world for its breathtaking beauty, covers approximately 3/5 of St. John, and nearly all of Hassel Island in the Charlotte Amalie harbor on St. Thomas. Within its borders lie protected bays of crystal blue-green waters teeming with coral reef life, white sandy beaches shaded by seagrape trees, coconut palms, and tropical forests providing habitat for over 800 species of plants.

Index:
National Parks
Historic Parks and National Memorials
Military Parks and Battlefields
National Monuments and Recreation Areas
National Seashores and Reserves
Placenames Around the World