The Virgin Islands are an archipelago found in the Leeward side of the Caribbean. Some of the islands are territories of the United States, while others are territories of the United Kingdom. The British Virgin Islands are located to the northeast of the US Virgin Islands. The archipelago’s name was derived from Christopher Columbus’ founding name for it: Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Virgenes. The name directly translates to Saint Ursula and her 11 thousand virgins.
Oranjestad is Aruba’s capital city. Locally, however, it is only referred to as “Playa” in the Papiamento language. Unlike other cities that have to undergo transformations before becoming the capital, Oranjestad was the capital from the very moment it was established in 1796. The name comes from King Willem van Oranje-Nassau. After all, Aruba is part of the kingdom of the Netherlands. Oranjestad has a population of 35 thousand people according to the latest measurement.
