Saint Kitts' and Nevis are a pair of tropical islands in the Caribbean, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago.
Regions
Saint KittsNevisFor more information on the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis visit www.myislands.myeyez.net and www.discover-stkitts-nevis-beaches.com
Cities
BasseterreCayonCharlestown (Saint Kitts and Nevis)Dieppe Bay TownGingerlandNewcastle (Saint Kitts and Nevis)Old Road TownSandy Point Town Understand
As if it were the custom in the Caribbean, St-Kitts and Nevis changed hands many times between English and French, which has left it a heritage of cities with names from both countries. Contrariwise, the architecture there is very Anglo-Saxon (Style Victorian) with driving on left and especially in downtown Basseterre: Circus Place the reproduction of the 'Berkeley Memorial Clock'.
The islands became an associated state of the United Kingdom with full internal autonomy in 1967. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. Saint Kitts and Nevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority needed.
There are also several ancient British fortifications which have been restored with minutiae and reproducing the tiniest details of original construction. St-Kitts and Nevis will be called to be developed in the near future, in fact many projects are in progress or completion, notably vast dockings to accommodate the largest liners and cruisers with terminals, loading docks, etc.
What is really remarkable on St-Kitts and Nevis is the natural aspect. Many tropical birds which one rarely finds elsewhere are present in great concentration in the nature and there are also the famous monkeys which, it is said, were introduced by the pirates. An all-new road permits going to the southeast end of St-Kitts (Turtle Beach) where one feels that a certain febrility in the air will make of this part of the island an appreciated place. Indeed, one has only to take a little adventure in the underwoods with some fruit in hand to see oneself quite soon surrounded by monkeys coming gently to meet one to get fed. For the inhabitants of the islands, on the other hand, the monkeys are not perceived as as big a joy, for these pretty little hairy beings plunder the harvest and nose around everywhere they can go.
ClimateTropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
LandscapeWith coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat and ball, the two volcanic islands are separated by a three-km-wide channel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of long, baseball bat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its almost circular namesake island and its ball shape complements that of its sister island. The highest point is Mount Liamuiga (St Kitts) at 1,156 meters.
Get in
By planeFrom the US
Daily flights are available from San Juan, PR from American Airlines and Caribbean Sun, as well as through British Virgin Islands/Tortola. American Airlines also has weekend flights from Miami (more flights during the tourist season), and US Airways has direct flights from Philadelphia. American Airlines has also offered charter flights direct from Dallas/Ft. Worth on 767's.
From Britain
Golden Caribbean offer a weekly charter service to the island on a Saturday from London Gatwick. The flight cannot be booked through Excel, it has to be booked through either www.westernair.com or www.goldencaribbean.com
From Canada:
There is a non-stop charter flight from Toronto to St. Kitts beginning December 19th until April with Skyservice.
By boatThere is a cruise ship terminal as well as a marina for yachts in Basseterre.
Take a catamaran/snorkel excursion with Blue Water Safaris or Leeward Island Charters.
You can also charter a boat with No Problem Boat Charters.
Get around
By trainThere is a scenic railroad tour that goes through portions of the narrow gauge railroad formerly used for the sugar mill.
www.stkittsscenicrailway.com
By carTaxis and buses out number those needing them in St. Kitts. Be sure to negotiate upfront the costs of the trip, pay special attention if the fare is in US or EC dollars.
Temporary drivers licenses are available, as well as several car rentals agencies.
There are many popular taxi drivers in St. Kitts that will give you a tour of the island. One such tour guide is Thenford Grey's Island Tours.
www.thenfordgrey.com
By busMicro buses form the public transportation system on the island. These are much cheaper than taxis and can be flagged down while in route. If they are full the driver will flash their lights and proceed on. Service does not generally extend to Frigate Bay or the Southern Peninsula. That is the domain of taxis. Taxis and Buses use the same format of Micro buses, the difference is that taxis have a yellow license plate and buses have a green one. Bus fare varies but in 2005 was between 1.25 EC and 5 EC depending on length of trip.
Buy
Just in the Sun Boutique, Marriott Resort, Frigate Bay, St. Kitts
Splash Boutique, TDC Mall, Basseterre, St. Kitts
Caribelle Batik www.caribellebatik.com
CostsEat
There are many dining options in St. Kitts. Some of the popular restaurants are:
Sprat Net - Old Road
Ballahoo Restaurant, Basseterre www.ballahoo.com
Marshall's, Frigate Bay www.marshalls-stkitts.com
You'll find lots of beach bars located in the Frigate Bay and South East Peninsula.
Drink
Ziggy's Beach Bar www.ziggysbeachbar.com
Mr. X's Shiggidy Shack www.mrxshiggidyshack.com
Lion's Beach Bar - Cockleshell Beach
Chevy's Beach Bar - Pinney's Beach Bar in Nevis
Learn
For more information on St. Kitts and Nevis visit:
www.myislands.myeyez.net
www.discover-stkitts-nevis-beaches.com
www.stkitts-tourism.com
www.nevisisland.com
www.nevis1.com
Respect
It is important when in the city and other public places (airport, downtown, stores) to be sure to wear shoes and a shirt. It is a sign of disrespect to be wearing beach attire in the city.
Loud public swearing is also looked down upon and you can be fined for it.
The
Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis (or the
Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis ), located in the Leeward Islands, is a unitary island nation in the Caribbean and the smallest nation in the Americas in both area and population. The capital city and government for the federated state is mainly on the larger island of Saint Kitts (
formerly named Saint Christopher). The smaller state of Nevis (
formerly named: Nuestra Señora de las Nieves) lies about 3 km southeast of Saint Kitts. Historically the British dependency of Anguilla was also a part of this union, which was then known collectively as Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla. Although Saint Kitts and Nevis are geographically within the Leeward Islands, they are relatively close to a cluster of several other islands. To the north-northwest lie the islands of Saint Eustatius, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Martin. To the northeast are Antigua and Barbuda, and to the south-east is Montserrat.
History
Saint Kitts and Nevis has the distinction of being two of the Caribbean's oldest colonised territories. Saint Kitts specifically became the first ever British colony in the West Indies in 1624, and then became the first ever French colony in the Caribbean in 1625, when both nations decided to partition the island. Prior to European arrival, the island was settled by Neo-Indian peoples for over 5,000 years, with the latest arrivals, the Kalinago peoples, arriving approximately 3 centuries before the Europeans. It was the kindness of the Kalinago that allowed the Europeans to colonize Saint Kitts in the first place, as all earlier attempts to settle other islands was met with immediate destruction of the colonies by the Indians. The Kalinago were eventually completely wiped out on Saint Kitts in the great Kalinago Genocide of 1626. The island of Nevis was colonized in 1628 by British settlers from Saint Kitts. From there, Saint Kitts became the premier base for British and French expansion, as the islands of Antigua, Montserrat, Anguilla and Tortola for the British, and Martinique, the Guadeloupe archipelago and St. Barths for the French were colonized from it.
Although being tiny in size, and separated by only 2 miles of water (in the case of Saint Kitts and Nevis), the two islands were always viewed and governed as completely different states until the late 19th century, when they were forcefully unified along with the island of Anguilla by the British. An uneasy relationship followed to this day, with Nevis accusing Saint Kitts of neglecting its needs.
Saint Kitts and Nevis along with Anguilla, became an associated state with full internal autonomy in 1967. Angullians rebelled, and their island was allowed to separate from the others in 1971. St. Kitts and Nevis achieved independence in 1983. It is the newest sovereign nation of the Americas. In August 1998, a vote in Nevis on a referendum to separate from St. Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority needed. In late September 1998, Hurricane Georges caused approximately $445 million in damages and limited GDP growth for the year.
Alexander Hamilton, the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, was born on Nevis and spent his childhood there and on the island of St. Croix.
Politics
The country is an independent Commonwealth Realm with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state, represented in St. Kitts and Nevis by a Governor-General, who acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The prime minister is the leader of the majority party of the House, and the cabinet conducts affairs of state.
St. Kitts and Nevis has a unicameral legislature, known as the National Assembly. It is comprised of fourteen members: eleven elected Representatives (three from the island of Nevis) and three Senators who are appointed by the Governor-General. 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, Senators do not constitute a separate Senate or upper house of parliament, but sit in the National Assembly, alongside Representatives. All members serve five-year terms. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are responsible to the Parliament.
Saint Kitts and Nevis is a full and participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Parishes
The federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is divided into fourteen parishes: nine divisions on Saint Kitts and five on Nevis. They are as follows:
Geography
The country has two main islands, Saint Kitts and Nevis. The highest peak, at 1,156 metres, is Mount Liamuiga.
The islands are of volcanic origin, with large central peaks covered in jungle; the steep slopes leading to these peaks are mostly uninhabited. The vast majority of the population on both islands live close to the sea where the terrain flattens out. There are numerous rivers descending from the mountains of both islands, which provide fresh water to the local population. St. Kitts also has one very small lake.
Economy
Saint Kitts and Nevis is a twin-island federation whose economy is characterized by its dominant sugar and tourism industries. Sugar has been the country's main export crop for well over a century, but increasing 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 late 2005, the government decided to close down the state-owned sugar company, which had produced losses and was a significant contributor to the fiscal deficit. While sugar still dominates the agricultural sector, tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore-banking are being developed and taking larger roles in the country’s economy. The growth of the tourism sector has become the main foreign exchange earner for Saint Kitts and Nevis. The country has also developed a successful apparel assembly industry and one of the largest electronics assembly industries in the Caribbean.
During the 1990s, Saint Kitts and Nevis registered an annual GDP growth of 5.5 percent, but the strong growth was interrupted by devastating hurricanes in 1998 and 1999. Post-hurricane reconstruction led to an economic resumption in 2000 with GDP growing 6.2 percent. The year 2001 began well enough although the post-hurricane construction boom was over and growth was slowing from its 2000 rate. But after September 11, tourism arrivals dropped off precipitously and activity in related sectors of the economy such as road construction and retail sales declined along with tourism. As a result, the GDP growth declined substantially in 2001 and 2002. Economic activity has recovered since 2003, mainly driven by strong growth in tourism. In view of its high level of public debt, the country needs a prudent fiscal policy to ensure sustainable economic growth.
Education
:
See also: List of schools in Saint Kitts and Nevis Demographics
As of July 2000, there were 42,696 inhabitants; their average life expectancy was 72.4 years. Emigration has historically been very high, and the population is about 25% lower than at its peak of about 51,100 in 1960.
Emigration from St. Kitts & Nevis to the United States:
1986-1990: 3,5131991-1995: 2,7301996-2000: 2,1012001-2005: 1,756 Culture
Saint Kitts and Nevis is known for a number of musical celebrations including Carnival (December 17 to January 3 on Saint Kitts). The last week in June features the St Kitts Music Festival, while the week-long Culturama on Nevis lasts from the end of July into early August.
In addition, there are other festivals on the island of Saint Kitts. There is Inner City Fest in February in Molineaux, Green Valley Festival usually around Whit Monday in village of Cayon, Easterama around Easter (April) in village of Sandy Point, Fest-Tab, around July-August in the village of Tabernacle, and La festival de Capisterre, around Independence Day in Saint Kitts and Nevis (19th September), in the Capisterre region. These celebrations typically feature parades, street dances and salsa, jazz, soca, calypso and steelpan music.
There is also the Annual St. Kitts Music Festival.
SportsKim Collins is the 100 metres world champion and a national hero. He won in 2003 with only 0.02 seconds between him and three others.
The St. Kitts and Nevis national football team, also known as the "Sugar Boyz", has experienced some international success in recent years, progressing to the second round of qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in the CONCACAF region, defeating U.S. Virgin Islands and Barbados before they were outmatched by Mexico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Communications in Saint Kitts and NevisForeign relations of Saint Kitts and NevisMilitary of Saint Kitts and NevisTransportation in Saint Kitts and NevisExternal links
GovernmentSt. Kitts & Nevis - Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis official websiteMinistry of Finance - of the Saint Kitts & Nevis FederationNevis Ministry of Finance - for the Nevis Island AdministrationDirectoriesSKNVibes.com OnlineTourismSaint Kitts Tourism Authority - Official SiteThe Nevis Tourism Authority - Official SiteDiscover St Kitts Nevis Beaches - Personal Guide to St Kitts and Nevis by a Local.St. Kitts Music Festival - Official Website of the annual Music FestivalOtherHuman Development Report 2006St. Kitts Anglican ChurchesHosted at the University of the West Indies - Acticles and materials on Nevis secessionWindsor University School of MedicineSt.Kitts Paper MoneyMap of St. KittsMap of NevisGoogle Maps satellite photo of Saint Kitts and Nevis
