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St Kitts - 68 sq miles
Nevis - 36 sq miles
St Kitts - 34,600
Nevis – 11,181
St Kitts - Robert L Bradshaw International
Nevis – Vance Amory Airport
The Eastern Caribbean Dollar is the legal tender and maintains an exchange rate of EC$2.70 = US$1.00
The Brown Pelican
St Kitts is the popular and widely known name of the island of St Christopher and its people are known as Kittitians. The people of Nevis are Nevisians. With just two miles of Caribbean Sea between them, both islands are volcanic in origin. There are black (lava) rock on shore and underwater volcanic vents. Beautiful coral reefs can be found off the shores of both islands. Columbus named St Kitts after his Patron Saint Christopher. Nevis comes from the Spanish word nieves or snow cloud, inspired by the ever present white cloud covering its mountain peak.
After two centuries of fighting, Britain gained possession of Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis from France in the 18th Century. In the years that followed, the two islands were identified by sugar plantations and cotton fields. More than 200 years later, the most inspiring views feature retired sugar mills and remnants of the original great houses.
Brimstone Hill lies approximately nine miles west of Basseterre. The monument is among the largest and best preserved in the Caribbean. It is a complex of bastions, barracks and other structures adapted ingeniously to the top and upper slopes of an 800-ft hill. The fortress was widely known in the 18th Century as the Gibraltar of the West Indies. It is today a UNESCO World Hertiage Site and the centre of nature trails and various plant and animal species including the Green Vervet Monkey.
NEVIS
Nevis has many reminders of its past. Some examples are:
Hamilton House - Birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, the famous American Statesman.
Memorial Square - A small square where the monument in Honour of the dead of World War I, 1914 to 1918 stands.
Montpelier House - It was at this site under a silk cotton tree on 11 March 1787 that the famous Lord Nelson married Fanny Nisbett.
Hot Baths - There are five hot baths with temperatures as high as 108oF which have soothed aching bones and brought relief to sufferers of rheumatism and gout.
St Kitts - Basseterre
Nevis - Charlestown
Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis lie in the northern part of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean 17°15' north, 62°40'west. They are separated by a strait two miles wide.
The Federation of St Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis attained full political independence in September 1983 and enjoys a democratic type of Government. The Governor General is Her Majesty's representative and acts in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister under the general authority of the Cabinet. Cabinet comprises the Prime Minister, the Attorney General (ex-officio) and all other Ministers of Government. The Governor General appoints a Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, who in his opinion is best able to command the support of the majority of the representatives who do not support the Government. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are responsible to Parliament.
The Nevis Island Legislature comprises the Nevis Island Assembly and the Nevis Island Administration headed by the Governor General. The Assembly consists of three nominated members and five elected members from each electoral district on the island.
The Government of Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis operates a passenger ferry between Charlestown, Nevis and Basseterre, St Kitts. The present ferry has a capacity of 150 passengers and the journey takes 45 minutes.
Nevis
The Flamboyant
The economy of Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis is reliant on the agriculture and manufacturing sectors and the tourism industry to facilitate growth. The economy which was predominately agriculture based has now been transformed into a service oriented economy.
Tourism is now the most important economic activity in Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis and it impacts significantly on several other sectors within the economy. It is the largest foreign exchange earner and accounts for approximately sixty per cent of foreign earnings from the export of services. Growth in this sector continues to be substantial.
Although sugar cane production continues to represent the dominant agricultural activity on St Kitts, considerable effort has been put into increasing the production of non-traditional crops such as white potatoes, cabbages and sweet peppers.
The manufacturing sector is mainly based on small-scale assembly plants producing mainly electronic parts and garments for the export market. Though small, it is a significant segment in the economy.
