British Virgin Islands "40 Islands of sailing fantasyland"

History of British Virgin Islands
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History of British Virgin Islands, Caribbean

It is believed the first inhabitants of the British Virgin Islands an Amerindian tribe from Venezuela around 300BC though they were displaced by another South American tribe, the Arawaks who made the archipelago their home until the 15th century before being overrun by the aggressive Caribs from whom the Caribbean Sea gets its name. In 1493, Christopher Columbus discovered the archipelago on his way to the Americas and named them Saint Ursula and her 11,000 Virgins, later shortened to The Virgins. It was until the early 17th century however that a European power would exert its influence in the region which up until then was a hotbed for pirates. The Dutch privateer Joost van Dyk fended off competition from the Spanish who had colonised nearby Puerto Rico and established a settlement that would trade cotton and tobacco. The Netherlands control however was short lived when the British Invaded in 1672 and over the next decade annexed Tortola with Anegada and Virgin Gorda. The British introduced sugar cane plantations on the islands and brought over slaves from Africa to work in the fields. The sugar cane industry attracted international commerce and the region prospered financially until the mid-18th century. Following the abolition of the slave trade and the growth of sugar beet crops in Europe and the United States, the Virgin Islands main export suffered decline and many plantations went out of business leading to a period of economic decline in the area. With little resources the archipelago laid dormant until it was revived in the late 20th century with a thriving tourist industry.