The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis gained their independence
from the United
Kingdom in 1983. This two island nation is part of the Leeward Islands.
It is the smallest nation in the Americas, both in size and
population. The larger island is Saint Kitts, which is an
old fashioned abbreviation for the name Christopher—the island was
named by Christopher Columbus.
St. Kitts is 23 miles long and 5 miles across at its widest, comprising an area of 68 square miles. Nevis, the smaller island formerly called Nuestra Señora de las Nieves translated as Our Lady of the Snows, is only seven miles in diameter, covering 36 square miles. Together they are about 1.5 times the size of Washington D.C.
Basseterre on St. Kitts is the capital. It is a picturesque colonial harbor town. Prior to the arrival of Columbus the islands were occupied by Carib people. Today most of the inhabitants are descendants of African slaves. English is the official language. The majority of the population belongs to the Anglican Church. The two islands were governed as separate states until the late 19th century and relations are often strained between them. The Prime Minister is Denzil Douglas. He has lead this parliamentary democracy since 1995. The Federation is divided into fourteen parishes, nine on St. Kitts and five on Nevis. The total population is 42,696.
Until 2005 sugar was the primary export. Because of rising production costs and low world market prices the state owned sugar company closed. Today agriculture, tourism, export-oriented manufacturing and offshore-banking have taken on larger roles in the economy.
Web Sites
Catalog
Search the library's catalog for Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Databases
Enter Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Kitts & Nevis or St. Kitts and Nevis in these databases: