A Brief History of the Devil's Triangle
The Spanish Virgin Islands are a group of islands just east of the main island of Puerto Rico. They are part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Although United States territory, they are politically and culturally distinct from the Territory of the Virgin Islands of the United States (commonly called the U.S. Virgin Islands) which lies to the east of the Spanish Virgin Islands. As part of Puerto Rico, they formerly belonged to Spain, and Spanish remains the predominant language. As Puerto Rican islands, they are often not labeled as part of the Virgin Islands archipelago. However, they are geographically closer to St. Thomas than St. Thomas is to St. Croix, both part of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The term "Spanish Virgin Islands" is common in Puerto Rican literature. The principal islands of the group are Culebra and Vieques, with multiple associated smaller out-islands and islets. Many of the smaller islands are part of Culebra National Wildlife Refuge and are explored by Snorkel SVI Eco-Tours.