{"id":8349,"date":"2021-08-05T04:00:03","date_gmt":"2021-08-05T11:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/?p=8349"},"modified":"2021-08-04T15:40:09","modified_gmt":"2021-08-04T22:40:09","slug":"st-kitts-and-nevis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/st-kitts-and-nevis\/","title":{"rendered":"Saint Kitts and Nevis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/h2>\n

Saint Kitts and Nevis, officially known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, is an island country in the West Indies. Located in the Leeward Islands<\/a> chain of the Lesser Antilles, it is the smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere, in both area and population. The country is a Commonwealth realm<\/a>, with Elizabeth II<\/a> as Queen and head of state. It is the only federation in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n

The capital city is Basseterre<\/a>, located on the larger island of Saint Kitts. Basseterre is also the main port for both passenger entry (via cruise ships) and cargo. The smaller island of Nevis lies approximately 3 km (2 mi) to the southeast of Saint Kitts, across a shallow channel called The Narrows.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
St Kitts and Nevis on the Globe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The British dependency of Anguilla<\/a> was historically also a part of this union, which was then known collectively as Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla<\/a>. However, Anguilla chose to secede from the union and remains a British overseas territory. To the north-northwest lie the islands of Sint Eustatius<\/a>, Saba<\/a>, Saint Barth\u00e9lemy<\/a>, Saint-Martin\/Sint Maarten<\/a> and Anguilla. To the east and northeast are Antigua and Barbuda<\/a>, and to the southeast is the small uninhabited island of Redonda<\/a> (part of Antigua and Barbuda) and the island of Montserrat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Nevis Peak in the Clouds<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Saint Kitts and Nevis were among the first islands in the Caribbean to be colonized by Europeans. Saint Kitts was home to the first British and French colonies in the Caribbean, and thus has also been titled “The Mother Colony of the West Indies”. It is also the most recent British territory in the Caribbean to become independent, gaining independence in 1983.<\/p>\n

History:<\/h2>\n

Pre-Colonial Period:<\/h3>\n

The name of the first inhabitants, pre-Arawakan peoples<\/a> who settled the islands perhaps as early as 3000 years ago, is not known. They were followed by the Arawak<\/a> peoples, or Ta\u00edno<\/a>, about 1000 BC. The warlike Island Caribs<\/a> invaded about 800 AD.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Pre-Colombian Languages of the Antilles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

European Arrival and Early Colonial Period:<\/h3>\n

Christopher Columbus<\/a> was the first European to sight the islands in 1493. The first settlers were the English in 1623, led by Thomas Warner<\/a>, who established a settlement at Old Road Town<\/a> on the west coast of St Kitts after achieving an agreement with the Carib chief Ouboutou Tegremante<\/a>. The French later also settled on St Kitts in 1625 under Pierre Belain d’Esnambuc<\/a>. As a result, both parties agreed to partition the island into French and English sectors. From 1628 onward the English also began settling on Nevis.<\/p>\n

The French and English, intent on self-enrichment through exploitation of the island’s natural resources, soon encountered resistance, with the native Caribs (Kalinago) waging war throughout the first three years of the settlements’ existence. The Europeans thus resolved to rid themselves of this problem once and for all. To facilitate this objective, an ideological campaign was waged by colonial chroniclers, dating back to the Spanish, as they produced literature which systematically denied Kalinago humanity (a literary tradition carried through the late-seventeenth century by such authors as Jean-Baptiste du Tertre<\/a> and Pere Labat). In 1626 the Anglo-French settlers joined forces to massacre the Kalinago<\/a> at a place that became known as Bloody Point<\/a>, allegedly to pre-empt an imminent Carib plan to expel or kill all European settlers. With the native population thus pacified, the English and French began to establish large sugar plantations which were worked by vast numbers of imported African slaves. This system created enormous wealth for the planter-colonists whilst also drastically changing the islands’ demographics as black slaves soon came to outnumber Europeans by some margin.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The Spanish Capture of Saint Kitts in 1629<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Spanish expedition of 1629<\/a> sent to enforce Spanish claims destroyed the English and French colonies and deported the settlers back to their respective countries. As part of the war settlement in 1630, the Spanish permitted the re-establishment of the English and French colonies. Spain later formally recognized Britain’s claim to St Kitts with the Treaty of Madrid<\/a> (1670), in return for British cooperation in the fight against piracy.<\/p>\n

As Spanish power went into decline, Saint Kitts became the premier base for English and French expansion into the wider Caribbean. From St. Kitts the British settled the islands of Antigua<\/a>, Montserrat<\/a>, Anguilla<\/a> and Tortola, and the French settled Martinique<\/a>, the Guadeloupe<\/a> archipelago and Saint Barth\u00e9lemy<\/a>. During the late-17th century France and England fought for control over St Kitts and Nevis, fighting wars in 1667<\/a>, 1689\u201390<\/a>, and 1701\u201313<\/a>. The French renounced their claim to the islands with the Treaty of Utrecht<\/a> in 1713. The islands’ economy, already shattered by years of war, was further devastated by natural disasters: in 1690 an earthquake destroyed Jamestown, capital of Nevis, forcing the construction of a new capital at Charlestown<\/a>; further damage was caused by a hurricane in 1707.<\/p>\n

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Charlestown, Nevis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

British Colonial Period:<\/h3>\n

The colony had recovered by the turn of the 18th century, and by the close of the 1700s St. Kitts had become the richest British Crown Colony per capita in the Caribbean as result of its slave-based sugar industry. The 18th century also saw Nevis, formerly the richer of the two islands, being eclipsed by St Kitts in economic importance. Alexander Hamilton<\/a> was born on Nevis in 1755 or 1757.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Alexander Hamilton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As Britain became embroiled in war with its American colonies<\/a>, the French decided to use the opportunity to re-capture St Kitts<\/a> in 1782; however St Kitts was given back and recognized as British territory in the Treaty of Paris (1783)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The African slave trade was terminated within the British Empire in 1807, and slavery outlawed completely in 1834. A four-year “apprenticeship” period followed for each slave, in which they worked for their former owners for wages. On Nevis 8,815 slaves were freed in this way, while St. Kitts had 19,780 freed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Brimstone Hill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Saint Kitts and Nevis, along with Anguilla, were federated in 1882. In the first few decades of the 20th century economic hardship and lack of opportunities led to the growth of a labor movement; the Great Depression<\/a> led sugar workers to go on strike in 1935. The 1940s saw the founding of the St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla Labour Party<\/a> (later renamed the Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party, or SKNLP) under Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw<\/a>. Bradshaw later became Chief Minister and then Premier of the colony from 1966 to 1978; he sought to gradually bring the sugar-based economy under greater state control. The more conservative-leaning People’s Action Movement party (PAM)<\/a> was founded in 1965.<\/p>\n

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Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After a brief period as part of the West Indies Federation (1958\u201362), the islands became an associated state with full internal autonomy in 1967. Both Nevis and Anguilla were unhappy at St Kitts’ domination of the federation, with Anguilla unilaterally declaring independence in 1967. In 1971 Britain resumed full control of Anguilla and it was formally separated in 1980. Attention then focused on Nevis, with the Nevis Reformation Party<\/a> seeking to safeguard the smaller island’s interests in any future independent state. Eventually it was agreed that the island would have a degree of autonomy with its own Premier and Assembly, as well as the constitutionally-protected right to unilaterally secede if a referendum on independence resulted in a two-thirds majority in favor. St Kitts and Nevis achieved full independence on 19 September 1983. Kennedy Simmonds<\/a> of the PAM, Premier since 1980, duly became the country’s first Prime Minister. St Kitts and Nevis opted to remain within the British Commonwealth<\/a>, retaining Queen Elizabeth as Monarch, represented locally by a Governor-General<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Post Independence Era:<\/h3>\n

Kennedy Simmonds went on to win elections in 1984, 1989 and 1993, before being unseated when the SKNLP returned to power in 1995 under Denzil Douglas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In Nevis, growing discontent with their perceived marginalization within the federation led to a referendum to separate from St. Kitts<\/a> in 1998, which though resulting a 62% vote to secede, fell short of the required two-thirds majority to be legally enacted.<\/p>\n

In late-September 1998, Hurricane Georges<\/a> caused approximately $458,000,000 in damages and limited GDP growth for the year and beyond. Meanwhile, the sugar industry, in decline for years and propped up only by government subsidies, was closed completely in 2005.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Timothy Harris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 2015 Saint Kitts and Nevis general election was won by Timothy Harris<\/a> and his recently formed People’s Labour Party<\/a>, with backing from the PAM and the Nevis-based Concerned Citizens’ Movement<\/a> under the ‘Team Unity’<\/a> banner.<\/p>\n

Geography:<\/h2>\n

The country consists of two main islands, Saint Kitts<\/a> and Nevis<\/a>, separated at a distance of 2 miles (3 km) by The Narrows strait. Both are of volcanic origin, with large central peaks covered in tropical rainforest. The majority of the population live along the flatter coastal areas. St Kitts contains several mountain ranges (the North West Range, Central Range and South-West Range) in its center, where the highest peak of the country, Mount Liamuiga<\/a> 1,156 metres (3,793 ft) can be found.<\/p>\n

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Topographic Map of St Kitts and Nevis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Along the east coast can be found the Canada Hills and Conaree Hills. The land narrows considerably in the south-east, forming a much flatter peninsula which contains the largest body of water, the Great Salt Pond<\/a>. To the southeast, in The Narrows, lies the small isle of Booby Island. There are numerous rivers descending from the mountains of both islands, which provide fresh water to the local population. Nevis, the smaller of the two main islands and roughly circular in shape, is dominated by Nevis Peak<\/a> 985 meters (3,232 ft).<\/p>\n

Economy:<\/h2>\n

Saint Kitts and Nevis is a twin-island federation whose economy is characterized by its dominant tourism, agriculture, and light manufacturing industries. Sugar was the primary export from the 1940s on, but rising production costs, low world market prices, and the government’s efforts to reduce dependence on it have led to a growing diversification of the agricultural sector. In 2005, the government decided to close down the state-owned sugar company, which had experienced losses and was a significant contributor to the fiscal deficit.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
St Kitts and Nevis Export Treemap<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

St. Kitts and Nevis is heavily dependent upon tourism to drive its economy, a sector which has expanded significantly since the 1970s. In 2009 there were 587,479 arrivals to Saint Kitts compared to 379,473 in 2007, an increase of just under 40% in a two-year period, however the tourist sector decreased during the Global financial crisis and has only recently returned to pre-crash levels. In recent years the government has sought to diversify the economy via agriculture, tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking.<\/p>\n

Transportation:<\/h2>\n

Saint Kitts and Nevis has two international airports. The larger one is Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport<\/a> on the island of Saint Kitts with service outside to the Caribbean, North America, and Europe. The other airport, Vance W. Amory International Airport<\/a>, is located on the island of Nevis and has flights to other parts of the Caribbean.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The St. Kitts Scenic Railway<\/a> is the last remaining running railroad in the Lesser Antilles.<\/p>\n

Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis:<\/h2>\n

The flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis consists of a yellow-edged black band containing two white stars that divides diagonally from the lower hoist-side corner, with a green upper triangle and red lower triangle. Adopted in 1983 to replace the flag of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla<\/a>, it has been the flag of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis since the country gained independence that year. Although the flag utilizes the colors of the Pan-Africanist<\/a> movement, the symbolism behind them is interpreted differently.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Flag of St Kitts and Nevis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A national competition was held in the early 1980s to choose a new flag. The winning design by student Edris Lewis was one of 258 entries. It was first hoisted one minute after midnight on 19 September 1983, the day Saint Kitts and Nevis became an independent country.<\/p>\n

The colors and symbols of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. The green alludes to the country’s fertile land, while the red evokes the fight for freedom against slavery and colonialism. The yellow stripes represent the sunshine the islands enjoy all year round, and the black epitomizes the people’s African origins. The two stars on the black band symbolize hope and liberty. The official meaning behind the flag’s symbols was formulated by Edris Lewis, the same person who designed the flag.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis consists of a yellow-edged black band containing two white stars that divides diagonally from the lower hoist-side corner, with a green upper triangle and red lower triangle. Adopted in 1983 to replace the flag of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, it has been the flag of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis since the country gained independence that year. Although the flag utilises the colours of the Pan-Africanist movement, the symbolism behind them is interpreted differently. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9123,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[32,59,5,6,7,29,41,18,60],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8349"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8349"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8349\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}