Saint Kitts and Nevis
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The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis [1]), located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies It is the smallest nation in the Americas in both area and population.
The capital city and headquarters of government for the federated state is on the larger island of Saint Kitts. Kit, or Kitt, is an old-fashioned abbreviation for the name Christopher. This island was given the name by Christopher Columbus; the Spanish version was "San Cristóbal".
The smaller state of Nevis, formerly named "Nuestra Señora de las Nieves" (translated "Our Lady of the Snows"), lies about 2 miles (3 km) southeast of Saint Kitts, across a shallow channel called "The Narrows".
Historically, the British dependency of Anguilla was also a part of this union, then known collectively as Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla.
Saint Kitts and Nevis are geographically part of the Leeward 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 southeast is the small uninhabited island of Redonda, and the island of Montserrat, which currently has an active volcano.
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[edit] History
The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis are two of the Caribbean's oldest colonised territories. Saint Kitts became the first British colony in the West Indies in 1624 and then became the first French colony in the Caribbean in 1625, when both nations decided to partition the island.
Five thousand years prior to European arrival, the island was settled by Neo-Indian peoples. The latest arrivals, the Kalinago peoples, arrived approximately 3 centuries before the Europeans. The Kalinago allowed the Europeans to colonize Saint Kitts, while earlier attempts to settle other islands were met with immediate destruction of the colonies by the Indians. The Kalinago were eventually wiped out 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 small in size, and separated by only 2 miles (3 km) of water, the two islands were viewed and governed as different states until the late 19th century, when they were forcefully unified along with the island of Anguilla by the British. To this day relations are strained, 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 in 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 in Nevis; he spent his childhood there and on St. Croix, then belonging to Denmark, and now one of the United States Virgin Islands.
[edit] Politics
St. Kitts and Nevis has a unicameral legislature, known as the National Assembly. It is composed 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).
[edit] 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:
| Parishes of Saint Kitts and Nevis | Image:Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg | |
|---|---|---|
| Saint Kitts | ||
| Christ Church Nichola Town | Saint Anne Sandy Point | Saint George Basseterre | Saint John Capisterre | Saint Mary Cayon | Saint Paul Capisterre | Saint Peter Basseterre | Saint Thomas Middle Island | Trinity Palmetto Point | ||
| Nevis | ||
| Saint George Gingerland | Saint James Windward | Saint John Figtree | Saint Paul Charlestown | Saint Thomas Lowland | ||
[edit] Geography
- See also: List of cities in Saint Kitts and Nevis
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 tropical rainforest; the steeper slopes leading to these peaks are mostly uninhabited. The majority of the population on both islands lives closer 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 small lake.
[edit] Economy
Saint Kitts and Nevis is a twin-island federation whose economy is characterized by its dominant tourism, agriculture and light manufacturing industries. Sugar was the primary export from the 1640s 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 caused losses and was a significant contributor to the fiscal deficit. Former sugar plantations still dominate the St. Kitts landscape. The agricultural, tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore-banking sectors are being developed and are now 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. [1]
[edit] Education
- See also: List of schools in Saint Kitts and Nevis
[edit] 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: [2]
- 1986-1990: 3,513
- 1991-1995: 2,730
- 1996-2000: 2,101
- 2001-2005: 1,756
[edit] Culture
- See also: Music of Saint Kitts and Nevis, J'ouvert, and Saint Kitts Creole
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.[2]
Additional festivals on the island of Saint Kitts include Inner City Fest, in February in Molineaux; 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; 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.
[edit] Sports
Kim 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.
[edit] See also
- Communications in Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Foreign relations of Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Military of Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Transportation in Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Kitts Creole
[edit] Notes
- ^ Both the names Saint Christopher and Saint Kitts are given in the Constitution of Saint Christopher and Nevis.
- ^ Cameron, pg.502
[edit] External links
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Government
- St. Kitts & Nevis - Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis official website
- Ministry of Finance - of the Saint Kitts & Nevis Federation
- Nevis Ministry of Finance - for the Nevis Island Administration
Directories
- SKNVibes.com Online
Tourism
- Saint Kitts and Nevis travel guide from Wikitravel
- Saint Kitts Tourism Authority - Official Site
- The Nevis Tourism Authority - Official Site
- Discover St Kitts Nevis Beaches - Personal Guide to St Kitts and Nevis by a Local.
- St. Kitts Music Festival - Official Website of the annual Music Festival
Other
- Human Development Report 2006
- St. Kitts Anglican Churches
- Hosted at the University of the West Indies - Articles and materials on Nevis secession
- Windsor University School of Medicine
- St.Kitts Paper Money
- Map of St. Kitts
- Map of Nevis
- Google Maps satellite photo of Saint Kitts and Nevis
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Categories: Articles with sections needing expansion | Wikipedia external links cleanup | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Lesser Antilles | CARICOM members | Former British colonies | Microstates | Island countries | Amalgamated placenames | English-speaking countries and territories | Constitutional monarchies
