About St. Kitts And Nevis

What’s In A Name?

Carib Indians occupied the islands of the West Indies for hundreds of years before the British began settlement in 1623. In 1967, the island territory of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla became an associated state of the UK with full internal autonomy.

The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. The remaining islands achieved independence in 1983 as Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Saint Kitts (St. Kitts) was, and still is, referred to as Saint Christopher and this name was well established by the 17th century (although who first applied the name is unclear); in the 17th century a common nickname for Christopher was Kit or Kitt, so the island began to be referred to as “Saint Kitt’s Island” or just “Saint Kitts”.

Nevis is derived from the original Spanish name “Nuestra Senora de las Nieves” (Our Lady of the Snows) and refers to the white halo of clouds that generally wreathes Nevis Peak. Learn About St. Kitts Citizenship By Investment.

Economy

The economy of Saint Kitts and Nevis depends on tourism. Since the 1970s, tourism has replaced sugar as the economy’s traditional mainstay.

Roughly 200,000 tourists visited the islands in 2009, but reduced tourism arrivals and foreign investment led to an economic contraction in the 2009-2013 period, and the economy returned to growth only in 2014.

Like other tourist destinations in the Caribbean, Saint Kitts and Nevis is vulnerable to damage from natural disasters and shifts in tourism demand.

Following the 2005 harvest, the government closed the sugar industry after several decades of losses.

To compensate for lost jobs, the government has embarked on a program to diversify the agricultural sector and to stimulate other sectors of the economy, such as export-oriented manufacturing and offshore banking.

The government has made notable progress in reducing its public debt, from 154% of GDP in 2011 to 83% in 2013, although it still faces one of the highest levels in the world, largely attributable to public enterprise losses.

Saint Kitts and Nevis is among other countries in the Caribbean that supplement their economic activity through economic citizenship programs, whereby foreigners can obtain citizenship from Saint Kitts and Nevis by investing there. Learn About St. Kitts Citizenship By Investment.

10 Facts About St. Kitts And Nevis You Should Know

1. Great things come in small packages

In terms of both population and land area, St. Kitts and Nevis is the smallest country in the Caribbean (and indeed in the whole of the Americas).

The twin-island Federation covers just 104 square miles, and is home to around 52,000 people. Around a quarter of them live in the capital city, Basseterre.

2. Cricket is a national obsession in St. Kitts

Basseterre has a modern stadium, Warner Park, which gets packed out whenever there’s any sporting action to be seen. International matches featuring the West Indies are the biggest occasions.

But the nation also has its own team, the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, who play in the Caribbean Premier League.

St. Kitts basks in a warm tropical climate all the year round

The average temperature in Basseterre varies from 25°C in January to around 28°C between June and October. And it’s never too chilly to go for a swim. Water temperatures seldom drop below a balmy 26°C, whatever the season.

4. Colonial history

The colonial history of St. Kitts is more than a little complex, with the English and French squabbling over control of the island for centuries.

There was even a spell when they shared the spoils, with the French occupying the two ends and the English in the middle. St. Kitts and Nevis gained full independence from the United Kingdom in 1983.

5. St. Kitts was formed by volcanoes 

Like many of its neighbours, St. Kitts was formed by volcanoes, all of which are now dormant. The tallest is the 3,792ft Mount Liamuiga, which is thought to have last erupted some 200 years ago.

Energetic visitors can hike through pristine tropical forest to its summit, a mile-wide volcanic crater known as the “Giant’s Salad Bowl”.

6. The Narrows Swim

The strait that separates St. Kitts and Nevis is known as the Narrows, and lives up to the name. In places it’s just two miles wide.

Every spring, swimmers arrive from across the Caribbean and beyond to take part in a race between the sister islands. If you fancy your chances, the course record to beat is 58 minutes and nine seconds. Learn About St. Kitts Citizenship By Investment.

7. The national flower of St. Kitts is the Royal Poinciana

It’s more colloquially known as the “flamboyant”, and if you visit between the months of May and August, you’ll see why.

The blooms paint the whole island in vivid scarlet, with a particularly fine display around Independence Square in Basseterre.

What’s more, the Poinciana is named after a local – the first French governor, Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy.

8. Sugar City

St. Kitts was known throughout the world as a sugar-cane island and is still commonly known today as Sugar City, but this wasn’t the first crop to be cultivated for export.

The first English governor, Sir Thomas Warner, started a tobacco plantation in 1624, but soon switched to sugar after facing stiff competition from the colony of Virginia.

Tobacco plants can still be seen growing wild around the 17th-century Wingfield Estate.

9. Carnival flair

The two biggest occasions in the social calendar are the St. Kitts Music Festival which is now in its 20th year. This festival is held end of June every year and attracts a variety of international artistes for the 3 day event.

Locals and returning nationals look forward to this event. The other being St. Kitts-Nevis National Carnival – also known as Sugar Mas – which takes place around Christmas and the New Year.

The whole island bounces to the beat of soca and calypso music as the local troupes vie to outdo each other with their spectacular costumes and dancing. No one gets much sleep…

10. Green monkeys 

It’s said that St. Kitts is so fertile that even the monkeys are green, and you’ll see colonies of them scampering freely beside the roads and beaches.

Their ancestors were the pets of 17th-century French settlers, brought over from West Africa.

Records suggest they soon escaped to establish a native population, and they’ve been thriving ever since. Learn About St. Kitts Citizenship By Investment.

About St. Kitts And Nevis