Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Saint Croix (/ˌseɪnt ˈkrɔɪ/; Spanish: Santa Cruz; Dutch: Sint-Kruis; French: Sainte-Croix; Danish and Norwegian: Sankt Croix) is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincorporated territory of the United States.

St. Croix is the largest of the islands in the territory, being 22 by 7 miles (45 by 11 km). However, the territory's capital, Charlotte Amalie, is located on Saint Thomas.

History

The island was inhabited by various indigenous groups during prehistory. Christopher Columbus landed forces on the island on November 14, 1493, and was attacked by the Kalinago, who lived at Salt River on the north shore. Control of the island was traded among various powers, including Spain, the Netherlands, the Knights of Malta, and Great Britain before it became a possession of France from 1650 until 1733. On June 13, 1733, France sold the island group to Denmark-Norway and the Danish West India Company. For nearly 200 years, St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John were known as the Danish West Indies; around the mid to late 18th century, "at the peak of the plantation economy, the enslaved population of St. Croix numbered between 18,000 and 20,000, the white population ranging between 1,500 and 2,000".

St. Croix (clothing)

St. Croix, or St. Croix Shop, is an independently owned speciality boutique store selling handmade high-end knitwear founded in Minnesota, USA.

History

Founded by a group of seven designers 50 years ago, St. Croix began as a small apparel business in Minnesota. However it has become a major retailer in luxury knitwear.

St. Croix Shops joined the Advisory Board for the Global Point of Sale and Store Operations Summit in Las Vegas in 2004, an event for successful retailers to discuss marketing strategies and modern trends and fashions.

Operations

St. Croix uses many rare raw materials including Australian Merino Wool, Pima cotton, Tasmanian Lambswool, Cashmere, Vicuna, and Chenille.

St. Croix employs more than 200 craftsmen who hand-craft the item and create limited quantities of each design.

There are currently fourteen St. Croix Shops located throughout the United States in upscale shopping areas. The company's clothing can also be found in over 150 specialty boutiques and stores worldwide.

St. Croix (disambiguation)

St. Croix or Saint Croix (from the French: Sainte-Croix, "holy cross") may refer to:

St. Croix sheep

The St Croix (Saint 'Croy') is a breed of domestic sheep native to the U.S. Virgin Islands and named for the island of Saint Croix. They are often also called Virgin Island White because those that were imported into North America were selected for white coloration. On the Island of St. Croix, they come in shades of brown, white and black.

The breed is believed to be descended from African sheep that were brought to the Caribbean on slave ships, and is a breed of hair sheep which does not grow wool. The St Croix is a hardy tropical breed known for its parasite resistance, and is raised primarily for meat production. Breeders have crossbred the St Croix with other breeds to impart these important traits into their bloodlines. The St Croix breed is the foundation breed for Katahdin and Royal White breeds.

Characteristics

Most St. Croix are completely white with others being solid tan, brown, black or white with brown or black spots. Ewes and rams are polled (no horns), and rams have a large throat ruff. Mature ewes weigh 68 kg (150 lbs) and rams weigh 90 kg (200 lbs). Birth weights average 2.7 kg (6 lbs) to 3.1 kg (7 lbs). Tail should not need docking.