the use of the U.S. Navy. At that time the U.S. military took complete control of the community of San Ildefonso de la Culebra, expelling its residents, and huddled in a small area of Bahía Sardinas, which they called Dewey in honor of an outstanding American admiral during the Spanish-American War. On March 17, 1941, Public Law 13 was passed in Washington, allocating $35 million for the construction of the Vieques Base. On August 25 of the same year, Public Law 247 allowed the U.S. Navy to take immediate possession of the lands to be expropriated in Vieques. Thus began the process of military expropriation that left the Navy in control of of the of Vieques territory by the end of the 1940s. With the outbreak of World War II, Culebra Island became the main artillery- and bombing-practice area for the U.S. Navy and continued to be used for this purpose until 1975. Geography Puerto Rican tourist literature uses the name Spanish Virgin Islands, but most general maps and atlases do not treat these islands as part of the Virgin Islands archipelago. They are mostly referred to as Islas Municipio, with Vieques being called Isla Nena. As part of Puerto Rico, the Spanish Virgin Islands have been controlled by the United States since the Spanish–American War in 1898 and up until then belonged to Spain. Spanish remains the predominant language, although English is also common. The principal islands of the group are Culebra and Vieques, with multiple associated smaller islands and islets. Other islands that are close to the shore of Puerto Rico include Icacos Island, Cayo Lobo, Cayo Diablo, Palomino Island, Palominito Island, Isla de Ramos, and Isla Pineiro. Near Culebra is Cayo Luis Peña. Culebra's smaller island, Culebrita, is part of the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge. Much of Vieques is part of the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge, formerly a U.S. Navy facility. Culebra is characterized by an irregular topography resulting in an intricate coastline. The island is approximately . The coast is marked by cliffs, coral sand beaches, and mangroves. The highest elevation on the island is Mount Resaca, at about . Its hydrography is based on lagoons (Laguna Flamenco, Laguna Zoní, Laguna de Cornelio, and Laguna de Molino, among others), bays (Ensenada Honda [including Ensenada del Coronel, Ensenada Fulladoza, Ensenada del Cementerio, Ensenada Dákity, Bahía Mosquito, and Ensenada Malena], Puerto Manglar, and Bahía de Tamarindo, among others),