Saint Kitts and Nevis

The **Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis** (, also known as the **Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis**), is a federal nation made up of two small islands in the Caribbean Sea. It is the smallest independent country in the Western Hemisphere.

The capital city is Basseterre. It is on the main island of St Kitts, also called Saint Christopher. The island of Nevis has some rights of self-government and two seats in the federal parliament.

St Kitts and Nevis is about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago.

The headquarters of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank is in St Kitts. That bank controls the East Caribbean dollar.

## History and politics

The two islands were part of the Leeward Islands Colony from 1871 to 1956, and of the West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962.

The Islands, plus Anguilla, got limited self-government in 1967.  Anguilla objected and the Metropolitan Police were sent there in 1968 to stop rioting. Until 19 December 1980 the official name of St Kitts and Nevis was Saint Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla.

St Kitts and Nevis became an independent Commonwealth realm in 1983, Anguilla has stayed a British overseas territory.

In 1970, a movement to make Nevis separate from St Kitts started.

In 1983, the constitution set up a 15-member National Assembly.  The Assembly is unicameral, that is, it only has one chamber.  3 members of the Assembly are appointed by the Governor General, on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.  The other members are elected.  If the Speaker decides to stand for re-election he is automatically elected, without a contest.

In 2023 Terrance Drew said that he planned a public consultation on whether St Kitts and Nevis should become a republic.

### Nevis

Nevis is responsible for its own internal affairs.  There is an eight-member Nevis Island Assembly, and an Island administration headed by the premier.

## Geography

The country has two main islands, Saint Kitts and Nevis. The highest peak, at 1,156 metres, is Mount Liamuiga. There is also a smaller island named Booby Island.  No one lives on Booby Island.

The islands are of volcanic origin.  There are large central peaks covered in tropical rainforest.  People do not live on the steeper slopes leading to these peaks. Most of the people on both islands live closer to the sea. There are many rivers coming from the mountains of both islands.  These give fresh water to the people.  St. Kitts also has one small lake.

## Parishes

The federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is divided into fourteen parishes.  There are nine divisions on Saint Kitts and five on Nevis.

|Name|Number of people|Capital|Other villages and towns|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|Saint Thomas Lowland, Nevis|2,035|Cotton Ground|* Westbury * Barnes Ghaut * Jessup * Stuart's|
|Saint John Figtree, Nevis|2,922|Figtree|* Bath * Church Ground * Brown Hill * Brown's Pasture * Pembroke * Bush Hill * St. Peter's Hill * Cole Hill|
|Saint George Gingerland, Nevis|2,568|Market Shop|* Chicken Stone * Taylors Pasture * Zetlands * Hull Ground * Rawlins * Crook's Ground * Rices * Buck's Hill * Sheriffs * Holmes Hill * Fenton Hill * Stony Hill * Webb's Ground * Harris * Zion * New River|
|Saint Paul Charlestown, Nevis|1,820|Charlestown|* Craddocks|
|Saint James Windward, Nevis|1,836|Newcastle|* Rawlins * Fountain * Scarborough * Camps * Rick's * Brick Kiln * White Hall * Butler's * Burnaby * Mt. Lily * Spring Hall * Eden Browne|
|Saint George Basseterre, Saint Kitts|13,220|Basseterre|* Bird Rock * Frigate Bay|
|Trinity Palmetto Point, Saint Kitts|1,692|Palmetto Point|* Mattingley * Camps * West Farm * Boyds * Conphipps * Challengers * Stone Fort|
|Saint Thomas Middle Island, Saint Kitts|2,332|Middle Island|* Franklands * Old Road Town * Verchilds * Lamberts * Conyers * Godwin's Ghaut * Half Way Tree * New Guinea|
|Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint Kitts|3,140|Sandy Point Town|* Fig Tree * La Vallée * Sir Gillee's|
|Saint Paul Capesterre, Saint Kitts|2,460|Saint Paul Capesterre|* Cranston * Newton Ground * Belmont Estate|
|Saint John Capesterre, Saint Kitts|3,181|Dieppe Bay Town and Saddlers|* Parson's * Harriss' * Belle View * Tabernacle|
|Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Kitts|2,059|Nichola Town|* Mansion * Borryeux * Molyneux * Phillips'|
|Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Kitts|3,374|Cayon|* Lodge * Ottley's * Little Italy * Spooner's * Keys|
|Saint Peter Basseterre. Saint Kitts|3,472|Monkey Hill|* New Road * Saint Peter's * Stapleton * Parry's * Ogee's * Morgan Heights * La Fontaine * Conaree|

## Cities and Towns

These are some of the more important cities and towns in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
|Name|Number of people|Feature|
| --- | --- | --- |
|Basseterre|16,696|Capital of Saint George Basseterre and of Saint Kitts and Nevis|
|Cayon|788|Capital of Saint Mary Cayon|
|Charlestown|1,538|Capital of Saint Paul Charlestown and of Nevis|
|Dieppe Bay Town|592|Capital of Saint John Capesterre and first town ever founded in the Caribbean by France|
|Gingerland|2,568|Capital of Saint George Gingerland and largest town on Nevis|
|Newcastle|493|Location of Nevis' airport|
|Old Road Town|1,647|First town ever founded in the Caribbean by Britain|
|Sandy Point Town|3,140|Capital of Saint Anne Sandy Point and second largest town in Saint Kitts and Nevis|

## Sports

Cricket is popular in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Many local cricketers have played for the West Indies. Keith Arthurton and Derick Parry, for example, are from Nevis. Saint Kitts and Nevis is the smallest country on Earth to ever host a World Cup event. It was one of the host venues of the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

The St. Kitts and Nevis national football team, also known as the "Sugar Boyz", has had some international success. They went to the semifinal round of qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in the CONCACAF region. Led by Glence Glasgow they defeated U.S. Virgin Islands and Barbados.  They then lost to Mexico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The St. Kitts and Nevis Billiard Federation, SKNBF, is the governing body for cue sports across the two islands.

Kim Collins is the country's best known track and field athlete. He has won gold medals in the 100 metres at both the World Championships in Athletics and Commonwealth Games. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics he was the country's first athlete to reach an Olympic final. He and three other athletes represented St. Kitts and Nevis at the 2008 Summer Olympics. The four by one hundred metre relay team won a bronze medal in the 2011 world championships.

American writer and former figure skater and triathlete Kathryn Bertine was given dual citizenship.  She tried to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics representing St. Kitts and Nevis in women's cycling. She did not make enough points to go the Olympics.

St. Kitts and Nevis had two athletes ride in the time trial at the 2010 UCI Road World Championships.  Athletes included Reginald Douglas and James Weekes.

## Related pages

- List of rivers of Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Kitts and Nevis at the Olympics
- Saint Kitts and Nevis national football team

## Other websites

- Official website of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis http://www.gov.kn/default.asp?PageIdentifier=1

## Infobox (country)

- **conventional long name**: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
- **common name**: Saint Kitts and Nevis
- **ethnic groups year**: 2001
- **religion year**: 2010
- **image flag**: Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg
- **image coat**: Coat of Arms of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg
- **national motto**: "Country Above Self"
- **national anthem**: "O Land of Beauty!"
<div class="center" style="padding:4px 0"></div>
- **royal anthem**: "God Save the King"
<div class="center" style="padding:4px 0"></div>
- **image map**: KNA orthographic.svg
- **map2 width**: 250px
- **capital**: Basseterre
- **largest city**: Basseterre
- **official languages**: English language, English
- **languages type**: Vernacular language
- **languages**: Saint Kitts Creole
- **demonym**: Kittitian or Nevisian
- **leader title1**: Monarchy of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Monarch
- **leader name1**: Charles III
- **leader name2**: Marcella Liburd, Dame Marcella Liburd
- **leader title3**: Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Prime Minister
- **leader name3**: Terrance Drew
- **leader title4**: List of Speakers of the National Assembly of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Speaker of the National Assembly
- **leader name4**: Anthony Michael Perkins
- **legislature**: National Assembly (Saint Kitts and Nevis), National Assembly
- **sovereignty type**: Independence
- **established event1**: Associated Statehood Act 1967, Associated State
- **established date1**: 27 February 1967
- **established event2**: from the United Kingdom
- **established date2**: 19 September 1983
- **area km2**: 261
- **area rank**: 187th
- **area sq mi**: 104
- **percent water**: Negligible
- **population census**: 46,204
- **population estimate rank**: 213th
- **population census year**: 2011
- **population density km2**: 164
- **population density sq mi**: 424
- **population density rank**: 64th
- **gdp ppp**: $1.758 billion
- **gdp ppp year**: 2019
- **gdp ppp per capita**: $31,095
- **gdp nominal**: $1.058 billion
- **gdp nominal year**: 2019
- **gdp nominal per capita**: $18,714
- **hdi**: 0.779
- **hdi year**: 2019
- **hdi change**: increase
- **hdi rank**: 74th
- **currency**: East Caribbean dollar
- **currency code**: XCD
- **time zone**: Atlantic Standard Time, AST
- **utc offset**: -4
- **drives on**: Right- and left-hand traffic, left
- **calling code**: +1 869
- **cctld**: .kn
- **footnote a**: Or "Saint Kitts and Nevis".