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Saint Christopher and Nevis on the map. Island of Nevis. How to get to Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis

(Saint Kitts and Nevis), Saint Christopher and Nevis , state on the islands of the same name in the east. parts of the Caribbean Sea; are part of the group Leeward Islands (Lesser Antilles). Pl. 261 km². Capital – Buster . The islands were discovered by X. Columbus in 1493. In 1623, an English settlement was founded on St. Christopher (the first in West Indies); in 1624 - French. Since 1625, together with Fr. Anguilla is a colony of Great Britain, which became the base for its conquest of other islands in the region, for which it is called the “cradle of the Caribbean.” Since September 19 (national holiday) 1983 - independent state Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis . Member of the British Commonwealth. The head of state is the Queen of Great Britain, represented by the Governor General; Legislative power belongs to the National meetings.
The islands are of volcanic origin, mountainous (the highest point is the Miseri volcano, 1155 m). The climate is tropical trade wind; humid and hot. Wed.-Mon. temperatures 18–32 °C, precipitation from 1500 mm per year at low elevations. up to 3700 mm in the mountains. Hurricanes are frequent. The slopes of the mountains are occupied by sah plantations. reed and cotton, higher - shrubs and small mountain tropical forests.
Population 39 thousand people. (2001), Ch. arr. blacks (descendants of slaves brought from Africa) and mulattoes. Official English language. B.h. believers - Protestants. The economy is based on rural areas. food and services for foreign tourists (magnificent beaches, sometimes with black volcanic sand). A third of cultivated land is occupied by agricultural land. reed; cotton, coconut palms, and pineapples are grown on Nevis. Production of raw sugar, molasses, cottonseed and coconut oil, copra, small light production, pharmaceuticals. prom-sti. Intl. airport. A fortress in which in the 18th–19th centuries. there was an English garrison and where Thomas Warner, the founder of the British West Indies, is buried; the underwater ringing of church bells in Jamestown, which was flooded by the 1960 earthquake; remains of Indian settlements. Cash unit – East Caribbean dollar.

Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Ekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of academician. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006 .

The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, or the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, is an island state in the West Indies, in the northern part of the Lesser Antilles. Includes the islands of Saint Kitts (or Saint Christopher, area 168 sq. km) and Nevis (93 sq. km). The capital is Basseterre (18 thousand people, 1999).
Nature. The islands are of volcanic origin. The island of St. Kitts stretches for 37 km from northwest to southeast. In the same direction along its central axis stretch strongly dissected peaked mountains with the highest point of the country - the extinct volcano Liamuiga (formerly Misery, 1156 m) in the north, in the crater of which there is a lake. The southeastern tip of the island of St. Kitts is formed by a peninsula, which is a flat plain. Its coastline is rugged, forming many bays with sandy beaches. The island of Nevis, separated from the island of St. Kitts by the Narrows Strait, approx. wide. 3 km, has a round shape and is a mountain with the peak of Nevis (985 m), above which fog constantly rises. A strip of sandy beaches stretches along the coast. The island is surrounded by coral reefs. Both islands are cut through by numerous watercourses.
The tropical climate of the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis is formed under the influence of trade winds and is characterized by average monthly temperatures of approx. 26° C. In rare cases, the temperature drops to 18° C and rises to 32° C. Ocean breezes moderate the heat. There is no rainy season. Precipitation is distributed fairly evenly throughout the year. The average annual precipitation is 700–1400 mm, with more of it falling in the mountains. The islands are in the zone of tropical typhoons, which sometimes cause significant damage.
The mountain slopes in the interior of the islands are covered with dense, intertwined lianas, tropical rain forests, which in the upper parts of the slopes are replaced by meadow vegetation, and in their lower parts they are reduced and replaced by plantations. The forests contain many brightly flowering and fruiting plants (mango, tamarind, avocado, bananas, papaya, breadfruit, etc.). There are groves of cinnamon trees and coconut palms. Plantations of sugar cane and other agricultural crops are common on the fertile soils of the lower slopes and plains. Numerous tropical birds and butterflies have found shelter in the forests, and there are monkeys. Many seabirds, including pelicans, nest on the coast. The waters abound with fish.
In general, natural and climatic conditions are favorable for the creation of resorts and the development of tourism business.
Population. In 2004, 38.8 thousand people lived in the country, with approx. 80% on St. Kitts. Children and adolescents under the age of 15 make up 30% of the island's population, the age group from 15 to 65 years old - 61%, over 65 years old - 9%. The birth rate is estimated at 19.06 per 1000 population, mortality - 9.38 per 1000, emigration - 11.85 per 1000, population decline - 0.22%. The population is dominated by descendants of African slaves brought to work on plantations at the dawn of the colonial period. Among the believers, Protestants (Anglicans and Methodists) predominate, with some Catholics. The official language is English.
State structure. The Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis is a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is the Queen of Great Britain, who is represented by the Governor General. Legislative power is exercised by a unicameral parliament (National Assembly with a term of office of 5 years) consisting of 14 members (11 are elected by the population: 8 from St. Kitts and 3 from Nevis; 3 are appointed by the Governor General: 1 on the recommendation of the leader of the opposition, 2 - on the recommendation of the Prime Minister). All citizens of the country who have reached the age of 18 have the right to vote. The executive branch is represented by the government headed by the Prime Minister, a member of the People's Assembly who has the support of a majority in Parliament and is appointed by the Governor-General. Cabinet ministers are appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The government is responsible to parliament.
Nevis has a legislative body - the Assembly of the Island of Nevis. Five deputies are elected by the population, and three are appointed. According to the constitution, Nevis has the right to separate from St. Kitts.
The main political parties are Labor, Concerned Citizens Movement (on Nevis), Nevis Reform Party, People's Action Movement (on St. Kitts), United National Movement (on Nevis, advocates separation from St. Kitts). In the March 2000 elections, the Labor Party won a majority of seats in parliament and formed a government.
Economy. Traditionally, the main sectors of the economy have been agriculture (focused mainly on sugarcane growing) and serving foreign tourists. Due to the decline in world sugar prices in recent years, tourism has begun to play a large role in the country’s economy (about 250 thousand tourists visit the country annually), the production of some export industrial goods and offshore banking. According to estimates, the total GDP in 1998 amounted to 244 million dollars, and per capita - 6000 thousand dollars. The structure of GDP is dominated by the service sector (more than 70%), the share of industry is more than 20%, agriculture - approx. 6%.
The main crops on the island of St. Kitts are sugar cane and cotton, on the island of Nevis - cotton, coconut palm and sugar cane. They also cultivate coffee trees, bananas, pineapples, peanuts, yams, and rice. Livestock farming is developed - goats and sheep are raised. Fishing is also one of the traditional industries. However, agricultural production provides no more than half of domestic food needs.
The manufacturing industry is poorly developed and is represented mainly by small enterprises producing raw sugar, copra, cottonseed and coconut oil, alcoholic beverages, textiles, footwear, medicines, electrical equipment, and, in recent years, electronics.
Transport links on the islands are well developed and support the tourism business and the needs of sugar production. The length of roads is more than 300 km, of which about a third are paved. Narrow gauge railway on the island of St. Kitts with a length of approx. 60 km connects sugar cane plantations with a sugar processing plant. The main seaports are Basseterre on the island of St. Kitts and Charlestown on the island of Nevis. It does not have its own merchant fleet. There are two airports in the country: Golden Rock International in the vicinity of the capital and Newcastle on the island of Nevis.
Imports are almost four times higher in value than exports. The trade deficit is covered by income from tourism and remittances from citizens working abroad. They export sugar, molasses, cotton, cottonseed and coconut oil, drinks, tobacco products, and fruits. They import equipment, petroleum products, food, and industrial products. The main foreign trade partners are the USA, Great Britain and the countries of the Caribbean Community.
There is a government radio and television service. The weekly journal of the People's Action Movement party "Democrat" (3 thousand copies) and the newspaper of the Trade Union and Labor Union of St. Kitts and Nevis "Labor Spokesman" (6 thousand, published twice a week) are published.
Education system. School education is free and compulsory for children aged 5 to 16 years. In the early 1990s, there were 10.3 thousand students in public schools (23 primary and 7 secondary). In addition, 1.3 thousand studied in private schools. The country has a branch of the University of the West Indies, technical and teacher training colleges.
Story. The original inhabitants of St. Kitts were Caribbean Indians. Christopher Columbus landed on this island during his second voyage to the New World in 1493 and named it “San Cristobal” (English name “St. Christopher”), but Europeans settled there only in the early 17th century. The first English settlement in the West Indies appeared in 1623 on the island of St. Kitts, and the French founded a settlement on this island the following year. Soon the local population was forced out of the island.
Initially, tobacco plantations were created on the island of St. Kitts, but later their owners switched to growing high-quality sugar cane, which brings large profits. Throughout the 17th–18th centuries. Between Great Britain and France there was a struggle for possession of the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis. From 1625 they were part of the English colony, but in 1664–1689 and 1782–1783 they came under the control of France. However, according to the Treaty of Versailles in 1783, the French had to cede these islands to the British. Since 1871, they were part of the English colony of the Leeward Islands (in 1882 the island of Anguilla, or Anguilla, was annexed to them), and in 1958–1967 - the West Indies Federation. In 1967, Saint Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla received the status of a “state associated with Great Britain” with internal self-government. Issues of foreign policy and defense remained within the competence of Great Britain. In 1980, Anguilla left the three-island federation. On September 19, 1983, the independent state of Saint Kitts and Nevis was proclaimed as part of the Commonwealth, led by Great Britain. Nevis has the constitutional right to secede from St. Kitts if more than two-thirds of the island's population agrees to this act. However, in a referendum in 1998, only 62% of Nevis residents voted for independence.
The Labor Party was the leading party in the country until 1980, when a coalition of the People's Action Movement and the Nevis Reform Party won a majority of seats in parliament. They held power until July 1995, when the Labor Party again won the elections. The government she formed set a course to stop the transit of drugs and prevent related crime. In addition, the revival of the sugar industry, the development of tourism and the growth of export manufacturing industries were envisaged. The Labor Party retained its influence after the 2000 parliamentary elections.

Encyclopedia Around the World. 2008 .

SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS

FEDERATION OF SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
A country in the eastern Caribbean Sea, consisting of two islands in the Leeward Islands group: Saint Kitts (Saint Christopher) and Nevis. The island of St. Kitts is crossed by a mountain range, the highest point of which is Mount Lamiuga (1315 m). The country's area is about 267 km2.
The country's population (estimated for 1998) is about 42,300 people. Ethnic groups: Africans - 90%, Europeans. Language: English (state), Patois (local dialect based on French). Religion: Anglicans, Catholics. The capital is Basseterre. Largest cities: Basseterre (18,500 people), Chalston (1,250 people). The government system is a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, represented by Governor General Sir Clement Athelston Errindell (in office since September 19, 1983). The head of government is Prime Minister D. Dugdas (in office since 1995). The currency is the East Caribbean dollar. Average life expectancy (as of 1998): 64 years for men, 70 years for women. The birth rate (per 1000 people) is 22.9. The mortality rate (per 1000 people) is 8.5.
Christopher Columbus landed on the islands in 1493 and named one of them Saint Christopher - in honor of his patron saint. In 1623 and 1628 the islands came into the possession of Great Britain. Several times in the 17th and 18th centuries, the island of St. Kitts was captured by France and only in 1783, according to the Treaty of Paris, came into full possession of Great Britain. In 1967, the state received the right to self-government in the Commonwealth of Nations. On September 19, 1983, the country's independence was declared. Saint Kitts and Nevis is a member of the UN, IMF, FAO, WHO, UNESCO, Organization of American States, British Commonwealth of Nations.
Tourists are attracted by the picturesque nature of the islands and beaches of the Caribbean coast.

Encyclopedia: cities and countries. 2008 .

The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis or the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis is a state in the West Indies located on the islands of Saint Kitts (Saint Christopher) and Nevis. The total area of the state is 261.6 sq. km, including the area of the island of St. Kitts (St. Christopher) 168.4 sq. km. The country's population is 42.3 thousand people, mainly of African origin (86%). The official language is English. The islands are dominated by Protestantism (Anglicanism and Methodism). The capital is the city of Basseterre on the island of St. Kitts.
Saint Kitts and Nevis is part of the British Commonwealth. According to the 1982 constitution, the Queen of Great Britain is considered the head of state. (cm. Great Britain) Elizabeth the Second, represented by the Governor General. Legislative power in the country is exercised by the National Assembly, consisting of 11 deputies elected for a period of five years. Residents of the island of Nevis elect their local government, the Nevis Island Assembly. Executive power in the state is exercised by the government, which has been headed by Prime Minister D. Douglas since 1995.
The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis are of volcanic origin, mountainous (height up to 1155 m). The climate is tropical and hot. Fluctuations in average monthly temperatures are insignificant - 18-24 °C. Precipitation will range from 700 to 1200 mm per year. The islands were discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493. Since the beginning of the seventeenth century, France and England tried to take possession of St. Kitts and Nevis. In 1623, the first English settlement in the West Indies was founded on St. Kitts, and in 1624 a French outpost appeared on the island. For the British and French, this island became the base for the colonization of the West Indies, for which it is called the cradle of the Caribbean. Formally, in 1625, St. Kitts was annexed to the British crown. In 1628, the British captured Nevis. The Indians were driven out of the islands by 1629, and the colonialists began to import blacks from Africa to work on the plantations. France twice established its control over St. Kitts, and only in 1783 the islands were finally assigned to Great Britain. Since September 19, 1983, Saint Kitts and Nevis has been an independent state.
The basis of the islands' economy is agriculture and serving foreign tourists. The area of cultivated land is 8 thousand hectares. A third of the cultivated land is occupied by sugar cane; on the island of Nevis, cotton, coconut palms, and pineapples are grown. The population traditionally engages in fishing. Saint Kitts and Nevis is only half provided with its own food. Industry is represented by small enterprises processing agricultural products, producing alcoholic beverages, textiles, footwear, clothing, medicines, and assembling electrical equipment. Ten percent of the working population is unemployed. The length of roads on the islands is 198 km; on St. Kitts, a narrow-gauge railway 58 km long was built to serve sugar cane plantations. Golden Rock International Airport is located three kilometers from Basseterre. The country exports sugar and molasses (40% of exports, mainly to the UK and Canada (cm.

Capital: Buster.

Geography: The state of Saint Kitts and Nevis is located on the territory of the islands of the same name, lying in the northern part of the Leeward Islands group. It borders on Antigua and Barbuda to the east, Montserrat to the southeast, the Netherlands Antilles (St. Eustatius) to the northwest, and Saint Barthelemy, which is part of French Guadeloupe, to the north (all borders are maritime).

Time: In summer, time lags behind Moscow by 8 hours, in winter - by 7 hours (GMT/UTC -4).

Nature: The islands differ markedly from each other both in shape and nature, but have the same volcanic origin and are quite mountainous.

The island of St. Christopher (St. Kitts) is shaped like an oar or a baseball bat with dimensions of 37 km by 11 km and is formed by the slopes of the powerful volcanic massif Liamuiga (Liamviga or Misery, 1156 m), which occupies almost the entire northern part of it, and is also flat as a table the southeastern peninsula, replete with salt lakes (there are only a few “hilly” areas with a height of no more than 22 m).

The vegetation covering the central mountainous part of the island is a lush tropical forest, covering the slopes almost to the top. The foothills, especially in the north, are gently undulating hills occupied by plantations of sugar cane and other crops. The southern slopes are steeper and mostly covered with dense forests and orchards. Numerous rivers running down the mountain slopes abundantly irrigate its entire central part. The southeastern peninsula is dry and covered with thickets of bushes and grasses.

Just 3 km south of St. Christopher, beyond the Narrows, lies the round green island of Nevis, almost 2 times smaller in size than its neighbor. The dormant Nevis volcano (985 m) and its side vents (Saddle Hill and Hurricane Hill), lying in the very center of the island, are its “builders” - almost the entire Nevis massif is formed by volcanic rocks of ancient eruptions. On the western slopes there are rows of palm trees, forming a real coconut forest. The eastern slopes retain more natural forms of native vegetation and are mostly occupied by tropical forests, bushland and relatively small farmland.

The coastline of both islands is framed by a series of small coral reefs (the most extensive along the northern and western coasts), and between them and the coast there is a shallow strip of lagoons.

Climate: Tropical trade wind, hot and very smooth. Fluctuations in average monthly temperatures are insignificant - from +18 C to +24 C, and the air temperature in summer rarely drops below +27 C even at night and rarely exceeds +30 C during the day.

Precipitation ranges from 700 to 1200 mm per year. The pattern of rain distribution directly depends on the altitude of a place above sea level and its geographical location. Maximum rain falls between May and October-November, and during this period, up to 70% of the annual precipitation can fall on the northeastern slopes of the mountains (in some years - up to 2000 mm), and on the southern slopes the weather differs little from the rest of the year . The relatively dry season lasts from December to April.

Like the other Leeward Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis is in the path of severe tropical storms, which are most likely to occur between August and October.

Political system: The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (formerly the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis) is a democratic parliamentary state within the British Commonwealth. Independence from Great Britain was gained on September 19, 1983. According to the Constitution, the head of state is the Queen of Great Britain, represented by the Governor General. The head of government is the prime minister, who becomes the leader of the party or majority coalition that won the last election. Cabinet members are appointed by the Governor-General after consultation with the Prime Minister.

Legislative power in the country is exercised by a unicameral National Assembly (14 seats: 3 deputies are appointed by the Governor-General, 11 are elected in districts for a five-year term). The island of Nevis has its own parliament and the right to secede from the federation.

Administrative division: Administratively, the country is divided into 14 districts - 9 on the island of St. Kitts and 5 on the island of Nevis.

Population: About 39.1 thousand people. The bulk of the population (about 86%) are descendants of people from the African continent, brought to work on plantations in the 17th-19th centuries. Also living in the country are representatives of European peoples (the British, Portuguese, Spaniards, etc.) and people from the Middle East and Hindustan.

The vast majority of the islands' population lives in the low-lying coastal areas and in the capital.

Language: The official language of the country is English.

Religion: Christianity, mainly Protestants (Anglicans and Methodists), but also Catholics.

Economy: The two traditional industries of St. Kitts and Nevis are agriculture and tourism. The main agricultural crop is sugar cane (one third of cultivated land). On about. Nevis grows cotton, coconut palms, and pineapples. They also cultivate coffee trees, bananas, pineapples, peanuts, yams, and rice. Livestock farming is developed - goats and sheep are raised. Fishing is also one of the traditional industries. However, agricultural production provides no more than half of domestic food needs.

Due to the decline in world sugar prices in recent years, tourism (about 250 thousand tourists visit the country annually), the production of some export industrial goods and offshore banking services have begun to play a large role in the country's economy. According to estimates, the total GDP in 1998 amounted to 244 million dollars, and per capita - 5.7 thousand dollars. The structure of GDP is dominated by the service sector (more than 70%), the share of industry is more than 20%, agriculture - about 6%.

The industry is mainly engaged in the processing of agricultural raw materials: the food industry produces raw sugar, molasses, cottonseed and coconut oils, and copra. There are also small enterprises in the light and pharmaceutical industries. Recently, the electrical engineering and electronics industry has begun to develop.

According to the IMF, the economy grew by 5% in 2003 and 6% in 2004, and GDP exceeded $8,000 per capita.

In 1993, 39% of the territory was used for arable land, 3% was occupied by pastures, and 17% was forested.

The foreign trade balance is negative (exports are almost 4 times lower than imports). The deficit is covered by servicing tourists and transfers of workers abroad.

Export: sugar, molasses, cotton, cottonseed and coconut oil, drinks, tobacco products, fruits (to the USA, Great Britain, Caribbean Community countries).

Import: equipment, petroleum products, food, industrial products (from the USA, Great Britain, countries of the Caribbean Community).

In 2006, the Eastern Caribbean states, including Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, announced their intention to form their own economic union , along with membership in the Single Caribbean Economy.

Currency: East Caribbean dollar (XCD or EC$), equal to 100 cents. In circulation there are banknotes in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 dollars and coins in denominations of 1 dollar, 50, 25, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cent. The East Caribbean dollar is pegged to the US dollar and the exchange rate has not changed since 1976 (EC$2.7 = US$1).

Main attractions: The islands known today as St. Kitts and Nevis were settled by Indians from South America long before the new millennium. Columbus discovered them for Europeans in 1493, and from the beginning of the 17th century they became the arena of confrontation between Great Britain and France, with some participation of the Spanish crown. In 1628, the British colonized the island of Nevis, and in 1783 - St. Christopher (St. Kitts), thereby becoming the first British colony in the West Indies. The French settlements that also existed on the islands were either removed from the islands or brought under British jurisdiction by the Treaty of Paris in 1783, and by the early 19th century the islands had become a thriving center for the sugar industry in the eastern Caribbean. In 1816, Saint Kitts and Nevis became part of a single colony with Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands, forming a powerful center of influence of the metropolis on the countries of the region. In 1958, Great Britain attempted to unite St. Kitts and Nevis with other islands into the Federation of the West Indies, but failed - the population of Anguilla categorically opposed such a merger, and after numerous attempts to restore the unity of the three islands, lasting almost two decades, on September 19, 1983 The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis gained independence.

These days, these two small islands are perhaps one of the most quiet and bucolic places in the region, being one of the few places in the West Indies where agriculture still dominates tourism and commerce retreats under the pressure of tradition. The calm and relaxed way of life of the local residents remains virtually unspoiled by the influence of civilization, and the beauty of nature is only emphasized by the pristine beaches, sea, sunlight and fantastically abundant vegetation.

The small and unremarkable capital of the islands lies on the shores of a wide bay surrounded by green hills, being home to almost half the population of St. Christopher (this is the traditional name of the island itself, which is part of the Federation under the name St. Kitts, although local residents use these names interchangeably proportions). The town's name, meaning "lowland" or "lowland", is one of the few remaining traces of the French presence in the islands. The dominant European influence in Basseterre is unmistakably British, reflected in the buildings and even the layout of the city's streets. Basseterre is surrounded by the Szekes ring road, but even with the naked eye you can see that the place in front of the bronze clock of the Berkeley Memorial is copied from Piccadilly, and even the traffic jams seem to be the same (only older cars, and no traditional London smog). Although most of Basseterre's historic buildings were destroyed in a fire in 1867, a number of stone Victorian buildings remain, with second floors made of wood and decorated with intricate latticework or graceful, curvaceous stucco. Many of these houses were built with a certain amount of imagination and ingenuity, most evident on Fort Street, where old fortress walls were simply incorporated into the designs of the houses during construction. Some buildings seem very ancient, but this impression is deceptive, since they were erected at the end of the 19th century from sooty stones left over from a city devastated by fire.

The center of the city is Independence Square - a small public park with a fountain in the center, previously used as a slave market (1790), and now as a reminder of the island's colonial past. Topped with a statue of a maiden, the fountain was a gift from Queen Elizabeth II on Independence Day (1983) and marks the former site of the largest slave market in the Antilles. The front facing the square is the two-domed Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (1927). The French parish of Notre Dame (1670), which originally stood on this site, was burned by the British in 1706, and in its place in 1856-1859 an Anglican church was built, from which only the Gothic window openings on the ground floor of the modern cathedral have survived .

Part of the city's history is presented in the St. Christopher Heritage Museum, which contains a large collection of historical photographs, shell tools and pottery shards from the Carib Indians who inhabited the islands before the arrival of Europeans. The domed colonial Treasury building dominates the coastline, a reminder of the importance of the island's sugar industry in the past (St. Christopher was the largest supplier of sugar and tobacco to the European market in the 17th and 18th centuries). Almost the entire trade turnover of the island and, until recently, all its visitors passed through its arches.

Also noteworthy in the capital area are the House of Crafts, the Primate Research Center and the volcanic crater of Mount Liamuiga or Misery (1156 m). Liamuiga (“fertile land” is what the Carib Indians called this entire island) rises above the city blocks like a huge natural frame around a painter’s painting, and today the lush volcanic peak of this mountain serves as one of the favorite places for active recreation of the island’s inhabitants, there are many hiking trails, horse trails, cycling trails and easy climbing areas (however, access to its northern and northeastern slopes is limited by local environmental legislation).

The entire northern part of St. Christopher is bordered by Circle Island Road, which can be driven, and in some places walked, in just a day. The narrow-gauge railway running next to the road, the ancient “sugar trains” that still tow cargo from the nearby cane plantations, as well as numerous fields and factories (more like “factories”) form a rather impressive landscape for which the areas adjacent to Cycle Island Road are famous .

The old town (more like a seaside village) of Old Road Town, lying just a few kilometers west of Basseterre, is considered one of the best historical and natural attractions of St. Christopher. The town grew up on the very spot where the first British settlers landed in 1623. Sir Thomas Warner, who led them, founded the first permanent European settlement in the Leeward Islands. Oddly enough, the inhabitants of the colony were able to establish good neighborly relations with the Caribs (although such friendship did not last long) and began to grow tobacco here, which created the wealth of the Warner clan and the island itself. Until 1727, Old Road Town served as the capital of St. Christopher, and after the transfer of capital functions to Basseterre, it became simply a beautiful and tranquil town, retaining much of its colonial charm, although all that remains of all its old buildings is the red brick and marble Government House the crypt of Sir Warner himself, lying in the old cemetery in the courtyard of the modest church of St. Thomas, 1.5 km north of the main road.

On the surrounding rocks there are numerous petroglyphs of the Carib Indians, who settled here long before the new era and already had a fairly developed and distinctive civilization by the 10th century. Batik, produced in Old Road Town, is also famous; here you can watch the process of creating the fabric, its design and painting, and also buy the finished product at the Caribel-Batik factory, located north of Old Road Town, in the suburb of Wingfield -Estate. Initially, the Romney Manor sugar plantation (XVII century), where the complex is now located, belonged to the great-grandfather of Thomas Jefferson, a prominent lawyer and third President of the United States. Around "Karibel-Batik" there is a small botanical garden, the main decoration of which is considered to be a 350-year-old adobe tree (the oldest on the island). And from the ruins of a sugar plantation that belonged to William Jefferson (brother of Thomas Jefferson) and its picturesque aqueduct (the only one in the entire Caribbean region), many excursions to the nearby tropical forests begin.

7 km north of Basseterre, between the capital and Old Road Town, lies the picturesque islet of Middle Island and the village of Challengers - the site of the brutal massacre of the Carib Indians in 1626. Here, among the green rocks, lie huge boulders and even entire sections stone walls, many of which bear ancient petroglyphs, widely known for their unique compositional structure - scientists believe that these are the first animations on Earth, in the sequence of signs of which some religious or historical events of Indian peoples are narrated.

Brimestone Hill Fortress National Park is located approximately 13 km north-west of Basseterre. The basis of the park was not forests or reefs, but a large and rather chaotic 18th-century fort of the same name, known in its time as the “Gibraltar of the West Indies.” The main British outpost in the region was built on top of a 244-meter ancient volcanic massif, and its walls are surrounded by sulfur sulfur outcrops, which apparently gave the fort additional impressiveness in the face of a potential enemy. Moreover, the fort was built for almost a hundred years - its foundation was made in 1690 and until its capture by French troops (the fort capitulated in 1782 after just one month of siege, however, a year later the French themselves abandoned both the island and the fortress) new walls were constantly erected here and bastions. After the catastrophic fire of 1867, which engulfed almost the entire vicinity of Basseterre, some of the fort’s structures were partially dismantled, and the stones were used to restore the capital. The main tower of the fortress, the Citadel, is equipped with 24 guns and provides an excellent panorama of St. Eustatius and Sandy Point. Inside the old Citadel Barracks there is now a Museum of Colonial History, which displays cannonballs, blades and other weapons and equipment from the period. There is also a small collection of Native American period objects, some pottery fragments, and recovered petroglyph fragments from Old Road Town. In 2000, the entire complex of fortifications was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The town of Sandy Point is the second largest town in St. Christopher. In the 17th century, Sandy Point was the largest tobacco trading center on the island, so its main attraction is considered to be the large tobacco warehouses built at the same time by the Dutch West India Company. There seems to be nothing more to see here, but the nearby coral reef is considered one of the best places on the island for diving. And the coastal strip between Newton Ground and Sandy Bay evokes associations with the era of colonization of the New World, with its windswept shores, fantastic ocean vistas, fields of wild sugar cane and ruins of plantations, many of which (surviving, of course) have been rebuilt today to inns. The island's northernmost bay, Dieppe Bay, marks the beginning of the Atlantic coast, and just to the south begins one of St. Christopher's main natural attractions, the Black Rocks. Black waves of solidified lava fall directly into the sea here, forming a chaotic and mesmerizing landscape.

The southeastern peninsula of St. Christopher stretches in a long, flat strip from the mountainous northern part of the island to Nevis. At the isthmus, the coast is sandwiched by Frigate Bay (or rather, four bays, each of which differs from its neighbor only by a prefix to its name, indicating its geographical location), and to the south it expands noticeably, forming a “blade” of the Parish of St. Thomas-Lowland. The peninsula is wild and strikingly beautiful. Dotted with barren salt ponds, grassy hills and sparse vegetation, it is inhabited, for the most part, only by vervet monkeys, flocks of which sometimes even manage to block the only major road here, deer and feral goats grazing on the hilly plain of the south-eastern region. The shores of the South East Peninsula until recently were difficult to reach, but the construction of the road brought some elements of civilization here, although the development of the region as a tourist attraction is artificially restrained by the country's authorities. The country has fairly strict environmental protection standards, so these snow-white shores and pristine reservoirs are planned to remain a natural reserve, developing tourism only within the framework of respect for nature (currently only 3 resort complexes are open here).

Frigate Bay, the main resort and beach area on the island, covers the northern end of the peninsula. Here are the best shores of the island - Turtle Beach (in addition to the most beautiful beach area, there is a colorful restaurant called Ash Turtle), the coast of Boobie Island (a great place for water activities), Cockleshell Beach, the modest white White House Beach -Bay (one of the best snorkeling spots on the island), North Fries Bay and South Fries Bay, the long beaches of Sand Bank Bay, and many others. The stunning pink saltwater pools found in this part of St. Christopher provide a vibrant alternative to the colorful seashores. The color of the water is determined by the myriads of tiny crustaceans that inhabit these “lakes.” This sheltered and little-visited area is also home to a huge number of tropical birds, white-tailed deer and monkeys.

The island of Nevis (area 93 sq. km) lies south of St. Christopher, approximately 350 km southeast of Puerto Rico and 80 km west of Antigua. The Indians called this island Wali ("Land of Beautiful Waters"), and the early British settlers called it Dulsina ("Sweet"). It received its modern name from the light hand of Christopher Columbus, who named it in 1493 Nuestra Señora de Las Nevis (“Virgin of the Snows” - Columbus believed that this cloud-hidden peak was covered with snow). Since the 18th century, the island of Nevis has been known as the “Queen of the Caribbean”, becoming one of the most fashionable resort areas on the planet over the past 100 years. The fertile soil and warm climate made it possible to form a rich plantation estate here, which, along with prosperity and peace, allowed the islanders to quite calmly survive the earthquake and tsunami of 1680, which almost completely destroyed its capital, Jamestown. Intensive clearing of forests for plantations led to the fact that many areas of the once green island were noticeably deserted (the east coast, for example, almost completely lost its forests and even part of the coral reefs), but with the decline of the sugar industry the island gradually began to regain its natural charm, becoming one of the most colorful places in the region. Moreover, unlike its northern neighbor, there is no farmland visible on the island, which further enhances its natural charm.

The largest city, educational and commercial center on the island, Charlestown lies in the very middle of the island's western coast, between Fort Charles and Fort Black Rocks. The city is famous as a real open-air museum of colonial architecture - many small but very well-preserved buildings of the 17th-19th centuries form its central part. Some of them have now been converted into museums, making Charlestown a good place to study local history. Numerous earthquakes, which repeatedly caused considerable damage to city blocks, led to the formation of a special architectural style here - most of the old houses in the city are built on a stone foundation, but with wooden structures on the upper floors - such a “composite” is much more resistant to seismic activity.

The city center is quite compact - most of the historic quarters are concentrated around Cotton Ginnery Mall, where most of Charlestown's shopping spots are located, and Main Street. Typically, all city tours begin with a visit to the Nevis Historical Museum, which occupies a Georgian-style building on the very site where American statesman Alexander Hamilton was born in 1757 (Hamilton's house itself was destroyed by the 1840 earthquake). In addition to Hamilton's portraits, the museum contains a collection of period photographs and a display of Nevisian cultural and history objects. Another very popular object among guests of the island, the Horatio Nelson Museum, lies in the southern part of the city, next to the Government House. The famous British admiral stayed on Nevis in the 80s of the 18th century, fell in love with the niece of the island's governor, Fanny Nisbet, and married her. The museum's collection largely consists of various pieces of tableware painted with portraits of the admiral, ceramic sculptures and several personal items of Nelson. However, it contains the largest collection of Nelson memorabilia in the Western Hemisphere, as well as a rather interesting exhibition on the influence of the "Mistress of the Seas" on the destinies of the Caribbean.

A short walk east of the town centre, on Government Road, lies the small and largely forgotten Jewish Cemetery, a simple grassy field dotted with horizontal gravestones with inscriptions in Hebrew, English and Portuguese. The oldest graves date from 1684-1768, when up to 25% of the free population on Nevis were Sephardic Jews. The path that runs around the cemetery, commonly known to locals as Jewish Walk, leads from the cemetery to a nearby gray stone building (built in 1684), which scholars believe was the site of the first synagogue in the Caribbean. The memorial square, located a little closer to the city center, was created in honor of the citizens of the island who died on the fronts of the world wars.

The Bath House, located a short walk south of downtown Charleston, is an old hotel dating back to 1778 (one of the oldest hotels in the Leeward Islands). The complex was built over a thermal spring, the healing qualities of whose mineral water were the main attraction of the island during the colonial years, when wealthy tourists came here even from Europe. Today, it is still operational, but in order to take a dip in the hot waters of Hot Springs, you need to bring your own towel and other accessories, since there are no facilities here at the moment. Situated between Market Road and the shores of Gallows Bay, Charlestown Market is a real commercial hub and is open from Tuesday to Thursday and on Saturday mornings, when it seems like everyone in the city flocks to it.

Also noteworthy are the Courthouse (1825), the luxuriously decorated interior of the Public Library building (XVIII century), the Alexandra Hospital building, the Nevis Philatelic Bureau (stamps issued on the island are widely known among collectors around the world), Eva Wilkin's studio, the Eden building -Brown Great House, Grave Park with its cricket fields, as well as Newcastle Pottery and a whole quarter of craft workshops south of Prince Charles Street. Some of the old plantation buildings that line almost the entire perimeter of the city have now been rebuilt into cozy boarding houses, of which the Nisbet Hotel is the most famous.

The chaotic landscape of the area, which has received the name Gingerland ("country of ginger") for obvious reasons, stretches south from the walls of Eden Brown Great House, skirting almost the entire southern coast of the island and even part of the western one. This area is famous for the largest concentration of old sugar plantations, the tranquil charm of green hills and gently sloping seashores. The main attractions here are the Fig Tree Church located north of the capital of the island (1680, the site of the wedding of Nelson and Fanny Nisbet), the Nevis Botanical Gardens (open Monday to Saturday from 9.00 to 16.30) near the Montpellier Hotel, where terraces of purple orchids are interspersed with groves tropical trees, as well as the once formidable Fort Charles (XVII-XIX centuries), which guarded the southwestern part of the island.

The coast north of Charleston is dotted with a string of small forts and fortified settlements, the largest of which is Fort Black Rocks, and the most colorful is Fort Ashby, which was built around 1702. It is Fort Ashby that is considered the only surviving site of the old capital of the island, Jamestown, which was washed out to sea by an earthquake and tidal wave in 1680. Situated almost on the very shore of the luxurious Pinni beach, it has retained several of its old guns and partially restored walls.

Historical sketch: The indigenous inhabitants of St. Kitts were Caribbean Indians. The islands were discovered by X. Columbus in 1493. In 1623, an English settlement was founded on St. Christopher (the old name of St. Kitts) (the first in the West Indies); in 1624 - French. Since 1625, together with Fr. Anguilla is a colony of Great Britain, which became a base for its conquest of other islands in the region, for which it is called the “cradle of the Caribbean.” Soon the local population was forced out of the island.

Since the 17th century, there was a struggle between Great Britain and France for the possession of the islands, until finally, according to the Treaty of Versailles in 1783, they finally came under the rule of the British. Since 1871 they were part of the English colony of the Leeward Islands, and since 1958 - of the West Indies Federation. In 1967, Saint Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla received the status of an "associated state with Great Britain" with internal self-government. Issues of foreign policy and defense remained within the competence of Great Britain. In 1980, Anguilla left the three-island federation. Since September 19, 1983 - an independent state, the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 1998, a referendum was held on the issue of the island of Nevis secession from the federation and the formation of an independent state on it. 62% of voters voted “for”, but the decision was not made, since for a positive decision, according to the law, at least 2/3 of voters must vote “for”.

National domain: .KN

Entry rules: For most foreign citizens, entry visas are not required; all you need to do is present your passport and confirm that you can purchase a return ticket. Russian citizens should obtain an entry visa from the British Embassy, which represents the country's interests in Russia. The consular department makes a decision on whether to issue a visa on the day the application is submitted; the passport can be received the next day. For processing the application, the embassy charges a consular fee (£36, payable in rubles) from all travel participants (including children), regardless of whether they have separate passports or are included in the passports of adults. The fee is charged specifically for processing the application, and not for issuing a visa, and is therefore not refundable under any circumstances.

Border control authorities refuse entry to tourists who have an “inappropriate appearance,” in particular those with hairstyles with many short braids (“dreadlocks”).

Customs regulations: The import of national and foreign currencies is not limited; declaration is required. The export of local and foreign currencies is limited to the amount declared in the entry declaration.

Persons over the age of 18 are allowed duty-free import of up to 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars, or 0.5 pounds (about 225 grams) of tobacco, as well as up to 0.95 liters of wine or other alcoholic products.

Weapons and drugs, some medicines and uncanned food are prohibited from being imported into the country. The export of objects and things of historical and artistic value, especially those found at the bottom of the sea, rare species of corals and products made from them, without special permission is prohibited.

Tourists leaving the island by air pay an airport tax of EC$41 and an environmental tax of EC$4. Transit passengers whose stay on the islands is less than 24 hours, as well as members of various international organizations and children under 12 years of age are exempt from paying the fee.

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	Official name:	Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
	Capital:	Buster
	The area of the land:	261.6 sq. km
	Total Population:	49.9 thousand people
	Population composition:	90% are Africans, 8% are Europeans.
	Official language:	English.
	Religion:	80% are Anglicans, 20% are Catholics.
	Internet domain:	.kn
	Mains voltage:	~230 V, 60 Hz
	Country dialing code:	+1-869
	Country barcode:

Climate

Tropical trade wind, hot and very smooth. Fluctuations in average monthly temperatures are insignificant - from +18 C to +24 C, and the air temperature in summer rarely drops below +27 C even at night and rarely exceeds +30 C during the day.

Like the other Leeward Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis is in the path of severe tropical storms, which are most likely to occur between August and October.

Geography

The state of Saint Kitts and Nevis is located on the territory of the islands of the same name, lying in the northern part of the Leeward Islands group. It borders on Antigua and Barbuda to the east, Montserrat to the southeast, the Netherlands Antilles (St. Eustatius) to the northwest, and Saint Barthelemy, which is part of French Guadeloupe, to the north (all borders are maritime). It is washed on all sides by the waters of the Caribbean Sea (the total length of the coastline is 135 km). The total area of the state is 261.6 square meters. km (Saint Christopher - 168 sq. km, Nevis - 93 sq. km). It is the smallest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Flora and fauna

Vegetable world. The slopes of the mountains are occupied by sugar cane and cotton plantations, and higher up there are shrubs and small mountain tropical forests.
The vegetation in the interior mountainous regions of the islands is represented by dense tropical rain forests (lianas, mangoes, breadfruit and cinnamon trees, tamarind, avocado, bananas, and papaya grow). At the tops of the mountains, forests give way to meadows, and in the lower parts they are cleared and replaced by plantations of sugar cane and other crops. They are especially common in the northern part of the island of St. Kitts, which consists of gently undulating hills. The southern slopes are steeper and mostly covered with dense forests and orchards.
On the western slopes of the island of Nevis, rows of palm trees rise, forming a real coconut forest. The eastern slopes retain more natural forms of native vegetation and are mostly occupied by tropical forests, bushland and relatively small farmland.

Animal world. The forests are home to numerous tropical birds and butterflies, and there are monkeys. Many seabirds, including pelicans, nest on the coast. The waters abound with fish.

Attractions

The islands known today as St. Kitts and Nevis were settled by Indians from South America long before the new millennium. Columbus discovered them for Europeans in 1493, and from the beginning of the 17th century they became the arena of confrontation between Great Britain and France, with some participation of the Spanish crown. In 1628, the British colonized the island of Nevis, and in 1783 - St. Christopher (St. Kitts), thereby becoming the first British colony in the West Indies. The French settlements that also existed on the islands were either removed from the islands or brought under British jurisdiction by the Treaty of Paris in 1783, and by the early 19th century the islands had become a thriving center for the sugar industry in the eastern Caribbean. In 1816, Saint Kitts and Nevis became part of a single colony with Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands, forming a powerful center of influence of the metropolis on the countries of the region. In 1958, Great Britain attempted to unite St. Kitts and Nevis with other islands into the Federation of the West Indies, but failed - the population of Anguilla categorically opposed such a merger, and after numerous attempts to restore the unity of the three islands, lasting almost two decades, on September 19, 1983 The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis gained independence.

Saint Christopher Island
Buster

Old Road Town

Brimstone Hill Fortress

South East Peninsula

Nevis Island

Charlestown

Banks and currency

Banks are open from Monday to Thursday from 8.00 to 14.00, on Fridays - from 8.00 to 13.00 and from 14.00 to 16.00-17.00, however, some banks stop working with individuals as early as 13.00. Some bank offices in airports and seaports are open from Monday to Friday from 07.00 to 17.00, and exchange offices - from 8.00 to 12.00 and from 15.00 to 17.00 on weekdays.

Currency can be exchanged at almost any bank in the country, with the best rates usually offered for US dollars and euros.

Credit cards (Eurocard, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, etc.) are accepted for payment in most restaurants, almost all hotels and many large stores. ATM machines can be found in most banks in the country.

Travel checks can be cashed almost everywhere - in bank offices, hotels and large stores. To avoid additional conversion costs, it is recommended to use traveler's checks in US dollars.

East Caribbean dollar (XCD or EC$), equal to 100 cents. In circulation there are banknotes in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 dollars and coins in denominations of 1 dollar, 50, 25, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cent. The East Caribbean dollar is pegged to the US dollar and the exchange rate has not changed since 1976 (EC$2.7 = US$1).

The US dollar is freely circulated on the islands; many prices are indicated both in American dollars and in East Caribbean dollars.

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Saint Kitts and Nevis or Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis- a state in the eastern Caribbean Sea, consisting of two islands - Saint Kitts (168 km²) and Nevis (93 km²). It borders on Antigua and Barbuda to the east, Montserrat to the southeast, the Netherlands Antilles (St. Eustatius) to the northwest, and Saint Barthélemy (an overseas community of France) to the north. The area of the country is 261 km². The capital Basseterre is located on the island of St. Kitts.

Saint Kitts and Nevis is a member of the British Commonwealth, headed by the Queen of Great Britain.

Both islands are of volcanic origin, mountainous and surrounded by coral reefs (most extensive on the northern and western coasts), and between them and the coast there is a shallow strip of lagoons.

The island of St. Kitts stretches for 37 km from northwest to southeast. In the same direction along its central axis stretch strongly dissected peaked mountains with the highest point of the country - the extinct volcano Liamiuga (1155 m), in the crater of which there is a lake. The southeast of the island is a flat peninsula (no more than 22 m high), replete with salt lakes, with an uneven coastline forming many bays with sandy beaches. The sand of some beaches is dark, almost black.

The island of Nevis lies 3 km south of St. Kitts and is separated from it by the Narrows Strait. The island has a rounded shape, almost the entire Nevis massif is formed by volcanic rocks of ancient eruptions, mainly from Nevis Volcano (the highest point of the island, 985 m), as well as its side vents - Saddle Hill and Hurricane Hill. A strip of sandy beaches stretches along the coast.

The vegetation in the interior mountainous regions of the islands is represented by dense tropical rain forests (lianas, mangoes, breadfruit and cinnamon trees, tamarind, avocado, bananas, and papaya grow). At the tops of the mountains, forests give way to meadows, and in the lower parts they are cleared and replaced by plantations of sugar cane and other crops. They are especially common in the northern part of the island of St. Kitts, which consists of gently undulating hills. On the western slopes of the island of Nevis, rows of palm trees rise, forming a real coconut forest.

The forests are home to numerous tropical birds and butterflies, and there are monkeys. Many seabirds, including pelicans, nest on the coast. The waters abound with fish.

Climate in Saint Kitts and Nevis

The tropical climate on the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis is formed under the influence of trade winds. The climate is humid and hot, average monthly temperatures are about +26 °C, occasionally dropping to +18 °C or increasing to +32 °C. Precipitation ranges from 1500 mm per year in the lowlands to 3700 mm in the mountains. Precipitation is distributed fairly evenly throughout the year. The rainy season (it does not rain often) is from May to November.

The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis are in the path of severe tropical storms, which are most likely between August and October and sometimes cause significant damage.

Last changes: 05/12/2013

Population

Population of Saint Kitts and Nevis- about 50 thousand people, of which 37 thousand live on the island of St. Kitts, 13 thousand on the island of Nevis (2010).

The population is dominated (about 90.4%) by blacks - descendants of African slaves brought in the 17th-19th centuries. for work on plantations. Also living in the country are mulattoes (5.0%), Indians (3.0%), others (1.6%) - whites (British, Portuguese, Spaniards, etc.).

Among the believers, Anglicans and Methodists predominate; there are Catholics.

The official language is English.

Last changes: 05/12/2013

About money

East Caribbean dollar(XCD or EC$) equal to 100 cents. In circulation there are banknotes in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 dollars and coins in denominations of 1 dollar, 50, 25, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cent.

The East Caribbean dollar is a currency used in 7 countries that are members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as island of Anguilla. Pegged to the US dollar, the exchange rate has not changed since 1976 (EC$2.7 = US$1).

Banks are usually open from Monday to Thursday from 8.00 to 14.00, on Fridays from 8.00 to 13.00 and from 14.00 to 16.00-17.00. Some bank offices in airports and seaports are open from Monday to Friday from 07.00 to 17.00.

Currency can be exchanged at almost any bank in the country, with the best rates usually offered for US dollars and euros.

Credit cards are accepted in most restaurants, almost all hotels and many large stores.

Travel checks can be cashed almost anywhere. To avoid additional conversion costs, it is recommended to use traveler's checks in US dollars.

Last changes: 05/12/2013

Communications

Telephone code: 1 - 869

Internet domain: .kn

How to call

To call from Russia to St. Kitts and Nevis, you need to dial: 8 - dial tone - 10 - 1 - 869 - subscriber number.

To call from Saint Kitts and Nevis to Russia, you need to dial: 011 - 7 - area code - subscriber number.

Landline communications

Payphones that allow international calls are located throughout the country and operate using coins and calling cards, which are sold at post offices, telephone company offices and supermarkets.

Calls from hotels are usually made through an operator (usually the cost of a call from a hotel room is 10-15% more expensive than from a pay phone).

International calls can also be made from the post office.

cellular

Cellular communication standards GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and TDMA. The coverage area covers almost all the islands (unstable reception is sometimes observed in mountainous areas).

You can rent handsets or purchase local SIM cards at the offices of local operators.

Local operators - Digicel (digicelstkittsandnevis.com), Chippie (chippie.an).

Internet

Internet can be found in many hotels, as well as in internet cafes located in tourist areas.

Sea and beaches

Some of the beaches on the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis have dark (almost black) volcanic sand. There are also beaches with white and golden sand.

Last changes: 05/12/2013

History of Saint Kitts and Nevis

The original inhabitants of the island of St. Kitts were the Carib Indians.

The islands were discovered by X. Columbus in 1493. The Spaniards did not colonize them.

In 1623, an English settlement was founded on St. Christopher (the old name of St. Kitts) (the first in the West Indies); in 1624 - French. Since 1625, together with the island of Anguilla, it has been a colony of Great Britain, which became its base for the conquest of other islands in the region, for which it was called “the mother of the English colonies in the West Indies.” In the north-west of the island, in the heights, is the well-preserved Brimstone Fortress, which is called the “Gibraltar of the Caribbean”.

In 1623, a joint French-English punitive force carried out a massacre of the local Indian population, killing up to 4,000 people in the valley of the river, called the Bloody River, along the waters of which bodies were carried out to sea within 3 days.

Since 1871 they were part of the English colony of the Leeward Islands, and since 1958 - of the West Indies Federation.

In 1967, Saint Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla received the status of an "associated state with Great Britain" with internal self-government. Issues of foreign policy and defense remained within the competence of Great Britain. In 1980, Anguilla left the three-island federation.

In 1998, a referendum was held on the issue of the island of Nevis secession from the federation and the formation of an independent state on it. 62% of voters voted “for”, but the decision was not made, since for a positive decision, according to the law, at least 2/3 of voters must vote “for”.

Last changes: 05/12/2013

Tap water is usually chlorinated and safe to drink, but bottled water is recommended.

The tidal currents off the Atlantic coast of the islands are so strong that even good swimmers should swim here with great caution.

During the local “peak” winter season (December to February), the islands are crowded with tourists, and prices are noticeably higher.

Last changes: 05/12/2013

How to get to Saint Kitts and Nevis

There are no direct flights between Russia and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The islands can be reached by transit through the UK (London) or the USA (Miami).

British Airways flies from the UK (London) to St. Kitts. Travel time is about 10 hours. In London, there is a change of airports, from Heathrow (you fly into it from Moscow) to Gatwick (you fly out of it to St. Kitts). You need to get an English visa.

American Airlines flies from the USA (Miami) to St. Kitts. Travel time - 3 hours. To fly through the United States, you need to obtain an American visa (even for transit passengers).

Last changes: 04/10/2017

Christopher Columbus first arrived in St. Kitts in 1493, but Europeans did not colonize the land for a long time. Only in 1623 did the British begin to explore the islands discovered by the Spaniards. The strategic location and sugar led to their rapid development. Amazingly beautiful nature, lots of sun, warm waters of the Caribbean Sea and snow-white beaches make St. Kitts and Nevis one of the best tourist destinations in the Caribbean.

Geography of Saint Kitts and Nevis

The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is an island nation located in the Caribbean Sea in the West Indies. It consists of the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, which belong to the Lesser Antilles. The total area of the country is 261 square meters. km.

The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis are of volcanic origin, so it is not surprising that most of their territory is covered with mountains and hills. The population lives mainly near the coast, where there are fewer mountains. The highest peak is the Liamiuga volcano, whose height reaches 1,156 meters.

Numerous rivers flow from the mountains of St. Kitts and Nevis, providing local residents with fresh water. There is also one small lake in St. Kitts.

From June to November, hurricanes sometimes sweep over these islands. Some of them are very destructive.

Capital

Basseterre is the capital of the state of Saint Kitts and Nevis. About 20 thousand people now live in it. Basseterre was founded by the French in 1627.

Official language of Saint Kitts and Nevis

The official language is English.

Religion

The majority of the population profess Christianity (they belong to the Anglican Church, Methodists and Catholics).

State structure

Saint Kitts and Nevis is a constitutional monarchy. Its head is the monarch of Great Britain. The country is governed by a Governor-General appointed by the English monarch.

The unicameral local parliament is called the National Assembly and consists of 14 deputies. True, only 11 of them are elected by the people, and the remaining three are appointed by the Governor General. By the way, the Governor General also appoints ministers. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers are responsible to Parliament.

The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is divided into 14 districts (nine on the island of Saint Kitts and the remaining five on the island of Nevis).

Climate and weather

The climate is tropical. The average daytime air temperature is +26C (lower temperatures prevail at higher elevations). Humidity is usually around 70%. Annual precipitation ranges from 100 to 300 mm. Winds predominantly blow from the east and rarely exceed 19 km/h (except for hurricane season, which begins in July and ends in November).

The peak holiday season is from December to April.

Sea in Saint Kitts and Nevis

The island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is located in the Caribbean Sea. Both of these islands are surrounded by beautiful coral reefs. The average annual sea temperature near the coast is +27C.

Culture

The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis are known for their wonderful culture. The inhabitants of these islands have great musical and dancing abilities. The most popular local holidays are carnivals, of which there are a lot.

In January there is the Grand New Year's Parade and the Las Lap National Carnival, in March - the Carifta Games, in June - the St Kitts Music Festival, in July - the Culturama (Nevis), in September - the Capisterre Festival, and in December - the Christmas festivities.

Each local carnival is accompanied by very colorful folk processions, music, dancing, yacht competitions, equestrian competitions, parades, etc.

Cuisine of Saint Kitts and Nevis

The cuisine on the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis is typical of the West Indies. The main foods are rice, fish and seafood (especially shrimp and lobster). Meat ludas are most often prepared from goat meat. Lots of fruits, especially mangoes, papaya and bananas.

Typical local dishes are goat stew in tomato sauce (with breadfruit and papaya), pelau (stew with chicken, salted or dried cod and vegetables, served with rice and peas), and roti (flatbread with vegetables, curry and meat or shrimp), etc.

Traditional soft drinks are coffee, tea and fruit juices.

The traditional alcoholic drink is rum (the most popular varieties are Belmont Estate and Brinley Gold).

Attractions

There are not very many attractions on the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis, however, tourists will still be interested there. So, in Basseterre, be sure to visit Independence Square (there was a slave market there in the Middle Ages) and see the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

In the vicinity of Old Road Town you can see petroglyphs of the Carib Indians, as well as the ruins of the ancient sugar plantation Romney Manor, founded in the 17th century.

On some parts of the coast of the island of Nevis, in particular, north of Charlestown, several medieval forts built by the British have survived to this day. The most famous of them is Fort Ashby, built at the beginning of the 18th century.

Cities and resorts

The largest city is Basseterre, which is home to about 20 thousand people. The rest of the local cities are even smaller. Thus, the population of Cayon is about 4 thousand people, Monkey Hill is about 4 thousand people, Sandy Point Town is about 3.5 thousand people, and Middle Island is 3 thousand people.

Tourists come to the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis to relax on their amazing beaches. Tourists' expectations are justified - some of the best beaches in the world await them there.

In the southeast of St. Kitts, tourists are recommended to visit beaches such as Turtle Beach, Sand Bank Bay and Frigate Bay. These beaches have very white sand and clear water. In the north of this island, numerous beaches consist of fine black volcanic sand. Of course, you need to see them, especially if you have never seen such beaches before.

The island of Nevis is famous for its long snow-white Pinney Beach, next to which coconut palms grow. Other famous beaches on this island are Oualie Beach, Cades Bay Beach, Nisbet Beach and Lovers' Beach.

The islands of St. Kitts and Nevis have excellent diving opportunities. More than 400 ships sank in the area between 1493 and 1825, but only about ten have been recovered so far. So amazing adventures await divers there.

Some of the most popular diving spots include Black Coral Reef, Blood Bay Reef, Booby Island, coral grottoes off the west coast of Nevis, Coconut Tree Reef, Monkey Reef and Nags Head.

Some of these sites are suitable for beginner divers. But there are also places (for example, Nags Head) where only experienced swimmers can dive.

Souvenirs/shopping

Tourists buy handicrafts, dolls in national costumes, batik fabric, clothes, bed linen, hot sauces, honey, and rum.

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Saint Christopher and Nevis on the map. Island of Nevis. How to get to Saint Kitts and Nevis