The two islands are separated by a channel which is about two miles wide. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, is head of state and is represented on the islands by a Governor-General. Basseterre is the capital of St. Kitts and at the same time the administrative capital of the Federation. The legal system is based upon English Common Law served by a High Court of Justice, a Court of Appeal, and Her Majesty's Privy Council in London. The spoken and official language of the Federation is English.
Interpreters are available for other major international languages.
The education system has been rated very highly by the World Bank in its report on the Access, Quality and Efficiency in Caribbean Education. The Federation has a history of political stability based on the West minister model of government and continuity of national policy. Since the Federation attained independence from Britain in 1983, it has consistently been adjudged to be among the world's freest nations by Freedom House, and independent and highly respected research organization in the United States of America. Sugar, which was the state's largest export and major income earner, has recently been marginalized as the economic mainstay. The Government's aggressive diversification program has brought tourism, light manufacturing and international financial activities to the fore.