Saint Kitts and Nevis

I

Introduction

Saint Kitts and Nevis, independent country in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It is made up of two of the Leeward Islands, Saint Kitts (also known as Saint Christopher) and Nevis, in the West Indies. Saint Kitts and Nevis achieved full independence from the United Kingdom on September 19, 1983, and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The capital is Basseterre on the island of Saint Kitts; the largest city on Nevis is Charlestown.

Saint Kitts and Nevis is the smallest country in the Western Hemisphere in area and in population. The country covers an area of 269 sq km (104 sq mi). It has a population of 39,349 (2007 estimate). The majority of the people live on the island of Saint Kitts. Nearly all of the country’s people are blacks of African ancestry. The Africans were originally brought to the islands to work on sugar plantations.

Today, tourism is a leading industry on the islands. Lush green rain forests, unusual plants and animals, and sandy beaches draw tourists to Saint Kitts and Nevis. Cruise ships also make stopovers in the harbor at Basseterre. However, the islands lie in the Caribbean hurricane zone, and hurricanes present a danger from August to October.

II

Land

Both Saint Kitts and Nevis were formed by volcanoes. Three groups of rugged volcanic peaks, divided by deep ravines, dominate the topography of Saint Kitts. In the center of the island, Mount Liamuiga, a dormant volcano, rises to a height of 1,156 m (3,793 ft). It is the country’s highest point. Liamuiga (“fertile land”) is the Carib Indian name for the peak, which was formerly called Mount Misery. In the southeast, a low-lying peninsula with rolling hills, salt ponds, and golden beaches stretches toward the island of Nevis.

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Nevis lies across a narrow channel 3 km (2 mi) to the southeast of Saint Kitts. The Caribs called the island Oualie (“land of beautiful water”). Nevis is nearly circular in shape and surrounded by coral reefs and beaches of white coral sand. Its highest point, Nevis Peak (985 m/3,232 ft) at the center of the island, is usually shrouded in mist. Christopher Columbus named the island after the Spanish word for snow, nieve, in the mistaken belief that the mist atop the volcanic peak was snow. He named Saint Kitts after his patron saint, Christopher. Saint Kitts accounts for 176 sq km (68 sq mi) of the country’s total area, and Nevis for 93 sq km (36 sq mi).

A

Climate

Saint Kitts and Nevis has a tropical climate moderated by northeasterly trade winds. The average annual temperature is 27°C (80°F). Near sea level the annual rainfall is about 1,250 to 2,000 mm (50 to 80 in) a year, with a wetter season from July to November. Rainfall increases with altitude and on the windward slopes of the mountains. There is a risk of hurricanes from August to October. Although serious storms are relatively rare, Hurricane Luis caused extensive damage to sugar crops and buildings in 1995.

B

Plants and Animals

Although both Saint Kitts and Nevis are heavily cultivated, they have between them a wide variety of habitats, including oceanic rain forest and cloud forest, dry woodland, wetland, grassland, and salt ponds. The rain forest on the slopes of the volcanic peaks on Saint Kitts and the cloud forest on Nevis Peak are home to wild orchids, candlewoods, tree ferns, and tropical vines. The brilliant red blossoms of the flamboyant tree, or flame tree, are the national flower of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Trees include several varieties of royal palm; the mahoe; the spiny-trunked sandbox tree; the silk-cotton tree, or ceiba tree; the turpentine tree, a member of the pistachio genus; and numerous species of tropical fruit trees such as papaya, mango, and breadfruit. Nevis is known for its many coconut palms, which fringe the coast.

Green vervet monkeys, introduced by the French in the 17th century, live in the forests of both islands. The mongoose, another imported animal, has contributed to the extinction of indigenous species of lizards, iguanas, and tortoises, as well as birds that nest on the ground. The anole is the most common of the many lizards, and there are also many species of frogs, bats, and butterflies. Saint Kitts and Nevis has the earliest documented evidence of honey bees in the Caribbean. Three species of hummingbird and many sea birds, such as frigate birds and brown pelicans, are found on the islands.

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