Christiansted, town (2000 pop. 2,637), chief city of St. Croix, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is a shipping port for sugar and rum; tourism is the leading industry. Founded in 1733, Christiansted served briefly as capital of the Danish West Indies. Colonial development of the Virgin Islands in the 18th and 19th cent. is commemorated in the Christiansted National Historic Site (see National Parks and Monuments, table).