The capital city isBasseterre, located on the larger island ofSaint Kitts.[1] Basseterre is also the main port for passenger entry (via cruise ships) and cargo. The smaller island ofNevis lies approximately 3 km (2 mi) to the southeast of Saint Kitts, across a shallow channel calledThe Narrows.[1]
Saint Kitts and Nevis were among the first islands in the Caribbean to be colonised by Europeans. Saint Kitts was home to the first British and French Caribbean colonies, and thus has also been titled "The Mother Colony of the West Indies".[9] It is also the most recent British territory in the Caribbean to become independent, gaining independence in 1983.
TheKalinago, the pre-European inhabitants of Saint Kitts, called the islandLiamuiga, roughly translating as 'fertile land'.[10]
It is thought thatChristopher Columbus, the first European to see the islands in 1493, named the larger islandSan Cristóbal, afterSaint Christopher, hispatron saint and that of travellers. New studies suggest that Columbus named the islandSant Yago (Saint James), and that the nameSan Cristóbal was in fact given by Columbus to the island now known asSaba, 32 km (20 mi) northwest. Saint Kitts was well documented asSan Cristóbal by the 17th century.[1] The first English colonists kept the English translation of this name, and dubbed itSt. Christopher's Island. In the 17th century, a common nickname for Christopher wasKit(t); hence, the island came to be informally referred to asSaint Kitt's Island, later further shortened toSaint Kitts.[1]
Columbus gave Nevis the nameSan Martín (Saint Martin).[10] The current nameNevis is derived from a Spanish nameNuestra Señora de las Nieves, meaning "Our Lady of the Snows", a reference to the 4th-centuryCatholic miracle of a summertime snowfall on theEsquiline Hill inRome.[1] It is not known who chose this name for the island, but it is thought that white clouds which usually wreath the top of Nevis Peak reminded someone of the miracle.[11][1]
Today, theConstitution refers to the state as bothSaint Kitts and Nevis andSaint Christopher and Nevis; the former is the one most commonly used, but the latter is generally used for diplomatic relations. Passports list the nationality of citizens asSt. Kitts and Nevis.[12]
Christopher Columbus was the first European to sight the islands in 1493.[15][8] The first settlers were the English in 1623, led byThomas Warner, who established a settlement atOld Road Town on the west coast of St Kitts after achieving an agreement with the Carib chiefOuboutou Tegremante.[14]: 15–18 [8] The French later also settled on St Kitts in 1625 underPierre Belain d'Esnambuc.[8] As a result, both parties agreed to partition the island into French and English sectors. From 1628 onward the English also began settling on Nevis.[8]
The French and English, intent on exploitation of the island's resources,[16] encountered resistance from the native Caribs (Kalinago), who waged war during the first three years of the settlements' existence.[17][18] The Europeans resolved to rid themselves of this problem. An ideological campaign was waged by colonial chroniclers, dating back to the Spanish, as they produced literature which denied the Kalinagos' humanity (a literary tradition carried through the late-seventeenth century by such authors asJean-Baptiste du Tertre and Pere Labat).[18] In 1626 the Anglo-French settlers joined forces tomassacre the Kalinago at a place that became known asBloody Point, allegedly to preempt a Carib plan to expel or kill all European settlers.[19][20] Thereafter, the English and French established large sugar plantations which were worked by imported African slaves. This made the planter-colonists rich, but drastically altered the islands' demographics as black slaves soon came to outnumber Europeans.[15][14]: 26–31
A Spanish expedition of 1629 sent to enforce Spanish claimsdestroyed the English and French colonies and deported the settlers back to their respective countries. As part ofthe war settlement in 1630, the Spanish permitted the re-establishment of the English and French colonies.[14]: 19–23 Spain later formally recognised Britain's claim to St Kitts with theTreaty of Madrid (1670), in return for British cooperation in the fight against piracy.[21]
As Spanish power declined, Saint Kitts became a key base for English and French expansion in the Caribbean. From St Kitts the British settled the islands ofAntigua,Montserrat,Anguilla andTortola, and the French settledMartinique, theGuadeloupe archipelago andSaint Barthélemy. During the late 17th century, France and England fought for control over St Kitts and Nevis, fighting wars in1667,[14]: 41–50 1689–90[14]: 51–55 and1701–13. The French renounced their claim to the islands with theTreaty of Utrecht in 1713.[14]: 55–60 [8] The islands' economy, already shattered by war, was further harmed by natural disasters: In 1690 an earthquake destroyed Jamestown, capital of Nevis, forcing the construction of a new capital atCharlestown. Further damage was caused by a hurricane in 1707.[22]: 105–108
The colony had recovered by the turn of the 18th century, and St Kitts had become the richest British Crown Colony per capita in the Caribbean as result of its slave-basedsugar industry by the close of the 1700s.[23] The 18th century also saw Nevis, formerly the richer of the two islands, being eclipsed by St Kitts in economic importance.[14]: 75 [22]: 126, 137 Alexander Hamilton, the future U.S. secretary of the Treasury, was born on Nevis in 1755 or 1757.[24]
The fortress on Brimstone Hill, focus of the successful French invasion of 1782
The African slave trade was terminated within the British Empire in 1807, and slavery outlawed completely in 1834. A four-year "apprenticeship" period followed for each slave, in which they worked for their former owners for wages. On Nevis 8,815 slaves were freed, while St Kitts freed 19,780.[22]: 174 [14]: 110, 114–117
Saint Kitts and Nevis, along with Anguilla, were federated in 1882. In the first few decades of the 20th century economic hardship and lack of opportunities led to the growth of a labour movement;the Great Depression prompted sugar workers to go on strike in 1935.[25] The 1940s saw the founding of theSt Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla Labour Party (later renamed the Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party, or SKNLP)[26] underRobert Llewellyn Bradshaw. Bradshaw later became Chief Minister and then Premier of the colony from 1966 to 1978; he sought to gradually bring the sugar-based economy under greater state control.[14]: 151–152 The more conservative-leaningPeople's Action Movement party (PAM) was founded in 1965.[27]
After a brief period as part of theWest Indies Federation (1958–62), the islands became anassociated state with full internal autonomy in 1967.[8] Residents of Nevis and Anguilla were unhappy with St Kitts's domination of the federation, and Anguilla unilaterally declared independence in 1967.[15][8] In 1971 Britain resumed full control of Anguilla, but it was formally separated in 1980.[28][14]: 147–149 [8] Attention then focused on Nevis, with theNevis Reformation Party seeking to safeguard the smaller island's interests in any future independent state. Eventually it was agreed that the island would have a degree of autonomy with its ownPremier andAssembly, as well as the constitutionally-protected right to unilaterally secede if a referendum on independence resulted in a two-thirds majority in favour.[29][30]
St Kitts and Nevis achieved full independence on 19 September 1983.[8][15]Kennedy Simmonds of the PAM, Premier since 1980, duly became the country's firstPrime Minister. St Kitts and Nevis opted to remain within theBritish Commonwealth, at that time retaining Queen Elizabeth asMonarch, represented locally by aGovernor-General.[31]Kennedy Simmonds went on to win elections in1984,1989 and1993, before being unseated when the SKNLP returned to power in 1995 underDenzil Douglas.[15][8]
In Nevis, growing discontent with their perceived marginalisation within the federation[32] led to areferendum to separate from St Kitts in 1998, which though resulting a 62% vote to secede, fell short of the required two-thirds majority to be legally enacted.[33][15][8]
In late-September 1998,Hurricane Georges caused approximately $458,000,000 in damages and limited GDP growth for the year and beyond. Meanwhile, the sugar industry, in decline for years and propped up only by government subsidies, was closed completely in 2005.[8][34]
In June 2020, Team Unity coalition of the incumbent government, led by Prime Minister Timothy Harris, won generalelections by defeating Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP).[36]
St. Kitts and Nevis has aunicameral legislature, known as theNational Assembly. It is composed of fourteen members: eleven elected representatives (three from the island ofNevis) and three senators, who are appointed by theGovernor-General.[1] Two of the senators are appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister, and one, on the advice of the leader of the opposition. Unlike in other countries, the senators do not constitute a separatesenate orupper house of parliament, but sit in the National Assembly alongside representatives. All members serve five-year terms. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet answer to the Parliament. Nevis also maintains its own semi-autonomousassembly.[40]
At a CARICOM meeting, representative of St. Kitts and Nevis Kennedy Simmons signed the Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaty 1994, on 6 July 1994.[42]
The representatives of seven CARICOM countries signed similar agreements at Sherbourne Conference Centre, St. Michael, Barbados.[42] The countries whose representatives signed the treaties in Barbados were: Antigua & Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.[42] This treaty covered income, residence, tax jurisdictions, capital gains, business profits, interest, dividends, royalties and other areas.[citation needed]
On 30 June 2014, St. Kitts and Nevis signed a Model 1 agreement with the United States of America in relation toForeign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).[43]
Malehomosexuality has been legal in St. Kitts and Nevis since 29 August 2022.[44] In 2011, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis said it had "no mandate from the people" to abolish the criminalisation of homosexuality among consenting adults.[45]
A map of Saint Kitts and NevisA view ofNevis island from the southeastern peninsula ofSaint Kitts
The capital city isBasseterre, located on the larger island ofSaint Kitts.[1] Basseterre is also the main port for passenger entry (via cruise ships) and cargo. The smaller island ofNevis lies approximately 3 km (2 mi) to the southeast of Saint Kitts, across a shallow channel calledThe Narrows.[1]The islands ofSint Eustatius,Saba,Saint Barthélemy,Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten and Anguilla lie to the north-northwest of the country. To the east and northeast areAntigua and Barbuda, and to the southeast is the small uninhabited island ofRedonda (part of Antigua and Barbuda) and the island ofMontserrat.
The country consists of two main islands,Saint Kitts andNevis, separated at a distance of 2 miles (3 km) by The Narrows strait.[8] Both are ofvolcanic origin, with large central peaks covered intropical rainforest.[1] The majority of the population live along the flatter coastal areas.[1] St Kitts contains several mountain ranges (the North West Range, Central Range and South-West Range) in its centre, where the highest peak of the country,Mount Liamuiga 1,156 metres (3,793 ft) can be found.[8] Along the east coast can be found the Canada Hills and Conaree Hills. The land narrows considerably in the south-east, forming a much flatter peninsula which contains the largest body of water, theGreat Salt Pond. To the southeast, in The Narrows, lies the small isle ofBooby Island. There are numerous rivers descending from the mountains of both islands, which provide fresh water to the local population. Nevis, the smaller of the two main islands and roughly circular in shape, is dominated byNevis Peak 985 metres (3,232 ft).[1]
Saint Kitts and Nevis contains two terrestrial ecoregions: Leeward Islands moist forests and Leeward Islands dry forests.[47] The country had a 2019Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.55/10, ranking it 121st globally out of 172 countries.[48]
By theKöppen climate classification, St Kitts has atropical savanna climate (KöppenAw) and Nevis has atropical monsoon climate (KöppenAm).[52] Mean monthly temperatures in Basseterre varies little from 23.9 °C (75.0 °F) to 26.6 °C (79.9 °F). Yearly rainfall is approximately 2,400 millimetres (90 in), although it has varied from 1,356 millimetres (53.4 in) to 3,183 millimetres (125.3 in) in the period 1901–2015.[53]
Climate data for Saint Kitts and Nevis (1991–2015)
The population of Saint Kitts and Nevis is around 53,000 (July 2019 est.)[1] and has remained relatively constant for many years.[8] At the end of the nineteenth century there were 42,600 residents, the number slowly rising to a little over 50,000 by the mid-twentieth century.[54] Between 1960 and 1990, the population dropped from 50,000 to 40,000, before rising again to its current level. Approximately three-quarters of the population live on Saint Kitts, 15,500 of them in Basseterre. Other large settlements includeCayon (population 3,000) andSandy Point Town (3,000), both on Saint Kitts, andGingerland (2,500) andCharlestown (1,900), both on Nevis.[citation needed] It ranks number 209 on the list of countries and dependencies by population.[55]
As of 2021[update], there were 47,606 inhabitants; their average life expectancy is 76.9 years. Emigration has historically been very high, so high that the total estimated population in 2007 was little changed from that in 1961.[56]
Emigration from St Kitts and Nevis to the United States:[50]
According to the 2011census, 17 per cent of the population is Anglican, 16 per cent Methodist, 11 per centPentecostal, 7 per centChurch of God, 6 per cent Roman Catholic, 5 per cent each Baptist, Moravian,Seventh-day Adventist, and Wesleyan Holiness, 4 per cent "Other", and 2 per cent each Brethren, evangelical Christian, and Hindu.[59]
TheMongoose Play, a popular production of folk theatre and music
Saint Kitts and Nevis is known for a number of musical celebrations includingCarnival (18 December to 3 January on Saint Kitts). The last week in June features theSt Kitts Music Festival, while the week-longCulturama on Nevis lasts from the end of July into early August.[60]
Additional festivals on the island of Saint Kitts include Inner City Fest, in February inMolineaux; Green Valley Festival, usually around Whit Monday in village of Cayon; Easterama, around Easter in village of Sandy Point; Fest-Tab, in July or August in the village of Tabernacle; andLa festival de Capisterre, around Independence Day in Saint Kitts and Nevis (19 September), in theCapisterre region. These celebrations typically feature parades, street dances andsalsa,jazz,soca,calypso andsteelpan music.[citation needed]
The St Kitts and Nevis Billiard Federation, SKNBF, is the governing body for cue sports across the two islands. The SKNBF is a member of the Caribbean Billiards Union (CBU) with the SKNBF President Ste Williams holding the post of CBU Vice-president.[citation needed]
American writer and formerfigure skater andtriathleteKathryn Bertine was granteddual citizenship in an attempt to make the 2008 Summer Olympics representing St Kitts and Nevis in women'scycling. Her story was chronicled online at ESPN.com as a part of its E-Ticket feature entitled "So You Wanna Be An Olympian?" She ultimately failed to earn the necessary points for Olympic qualification.[68]
St Kitts and Nevis had two athletes ride in the time trial at the 2010UCI Road World Championships: Reginald Douglas and James Weekes.[69]
Saint Kitts and Nevis is a twin-island federation whose economy is characterised by its dominant tourism, agriculture, and light manufacturing industries.[1] Sugar was the primary export from the 1940s on, but rising production costs, low world market prices, and the government's efforts to reduce dependence on it have led to a growing diversification of the agricultural sector. In 2005, the government decided to close down the state-owned sugar company, which had experienced losses and was a significant contributor to the fiscal deficit.[8][1]
St Kitts and Nevis is heavily dependent upon tourism to drive its economy, a sector which has expanded significantly since the 1970s.[1][8] In 2009 there were 587,479 arrivals to Saint Kitts compared to 379,473 in 2007, an increase of just under 40% in a two-year period; however, the tourist sector declined during theGreat Recession and then rebounded slowly.[1] In the 21st century, the government has sought to diversify the economy via agriculture, tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking.[1]
In July 2015, St Kitts & Nevis and theRepublic of Ireland signed a tax agreement to "promote international co-operation in tax matters through exchange of information." The agreement was developed by the OECD Global Forum Working Group on Effective Exchange of Information, which consisted of representatives from OECD member countries and 11 other countries in the Caribbean and other parts of the world.[70]
St. Kitts and Nevis allowsforeigners to obtain the status of St. Kitts and Nevis citizen by means of a government sponsored investment programme called Citizenship-by-Investment.[71][1] Established in 1984, St. Kitts and Nevis's citizenship programme is the oldest prevailingeconomic citizenship programme of this kind in the world. However, while the programme is the oldest in the world, it only catapulted in 2006 whenHenley & Partners, a global citizenship advisory firm, became involved in the restructuring of the programme to incorporate donations to the country's sugar industry.[72]
Citizenship-by-Investment Programmes have been criticised by some researchers due to the risks of corruption,money laundering andtax evasion.[73] According to the official website of St. Kitts and Nevis's Citizenship-by-Investment Programme, they offer multiple benefits, including citizenship for life that can be passed down for generations, no residency or language requirements, and citizenship in a financially favourable country.[74] Once an applicant is vetted and successfully becomes a citizen, he or she is eligible to apply for aSaint Kitts and Nevis passport.[75]
To qualify for citizenship under the investment programme, each candidate must complete a vetting process which includes several background and due diligence checks, an interview, and other various legal requirements. This is followed by a qualifying investment into the country.[76] The applicant must make at least a minimum investment in either approved real estate; or a donation, known as theSustainable Island State Contribution (SISC) into the Federal Consolidated Fund; or a donation to an Approved Public Benefactor.[76][74][77]
The official website of St. Kitts and Nevis's Citizenship-by-Investment Programme lists the following investment options:
An investment in designated real estate with a minimum value of US$400,000, plus the payment of government fees and other fees and taxes.[76][77][78][79]
A contribution to the Federal Consolidated Fund, or to an Approved Public Benefactor, of at least US$250,000, inclusive of all government fees but exclusive of due diligence fees which are the same as the real estate option.[76][74]
There are eight publicly administered high and secondary level schools in St. Kitts and Nevis, and several private secondary schools. Education is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16.[8]
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^abSaunders, Nicholas J. (2005).Peoples of the Caribbean: an encyclopedia of archeology and traditional culture. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 260–261.ISBN1576077012.OCLC62090786.
^Taylor, Patrick; et al., eds. (2010).The Encyclopedia of Caribbean Religions, Volume 1 A-L. Urbana, IL, Chicago, IL, and Springfield, IL:University of Illinois Press. p. 886.
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