What is the capital of saint kitts and nevis. Nevis. History of Saint Kitts and Nevis

The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis consists of two islands - Saint Kitts and Nevis. The area of ​​the country is 261 sq. km.

Both islands are covered with small mountains with tropical forests. On the island of St. Kitts is the highest point in the country - an extinct volcano Lyamiuga (1155 m) with a lake in the crater. The island of Nevis lies three kilometers away south of the island Saint Kitts and is separated from it by the Narrows. The country has a lot of beaches with different types of sand. The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis are surrounded by coral reefs.

The climate of Saint Kitts and Nevis is tropical and very even. The average temperature is from +18 ˚С to +24, the air temperature in summer does not exceed +30. There is no rainy season here, precipitation is distributed evenly throughout the year.

Lianas, mangoes, breadfruit and cinnamon trees, tamarind, avocados, bananas, papaya, etc. grow on the islands. Monkeys, tropical birds and butterflies live in the forests.

State structure and population of the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis

The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis has one of the most stable political systems in the Caribbean. Since September 19, 1983, the state of Saint Kitts and Nevis has been an independent state, part of the British Commonwealth. The head of state is the Queen of Great Britain, represented by the Governor General. Executive power belongs to the government, headed by the prime minister, the leader of the party that won the last election. The legislature is the parliament (the island of Nevis has its own parliament).

The capital of the state - Baster - is located on the island of St. Kitts. Stone Victorian buildings, which are decorated with lattices and stucco, have been preserved here. The center of the city is the Independence Square. There is a fountain with a statue that was presented to the city by Queen Elizabeth II. The city is home to the headquarters of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and the Eastern Caribbean Stock Exchange.

The population of the country is about 50 thousand people, of which 80% live on the island of St. Kitts. The population is dominated by African Americans. The main religion is Christianity. The official language is English. The country's national currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, which is pegged to the US dollar (USD 1 = XCD 2.7).

Economic situation of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis

The economy of Saint Kitts and Nevis is successfully recovering from the 2009 crisis. Over the three years of the anti-crisis program (2011-2014), the country's financial stability has improved markedly - the public debt has decreased, the budget balance has increased, employment and wages have increased. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted the stable economic growth of St. Kitts and Nevis, which is primarily due to the rise in the tourism and construction sectors.

Every year, the number of visitors to the islands is increasing, due to the improvement of infrastructure and the emergence of a wide range of hotels and holiday apartments. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, in 2000 the number of tourists was 246,000 people, in 2013 this number increased to 691,000 people. Most vacationers come to the country from North America (65%), the Caribbean (24%) and Europe (9%).

The country has a well-developed transport system - there are Railway, 300 km of road, two airports, sea port. A new airport for private jets is currently under construction on the island of St. Kitts.

The main export products of Saint Kitts and Nevis are sugar, molasses, cotton and cottonseed oil, tobacco products, fruits. Imports are almost 4 times higher than exports; equipment, oil products, foodstuffs, industrial products are imported into the country. The main country for import and export is the USA.

An important role in the growth of the economy of Saint Kitts and Nevis is played by the Citizenship by Investment program, which replenished the country's budget with foreign investment. The government expects to further develop the program.

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SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS, The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, or the Federation of Saint Christopherie Nevis, is an island state in the West Indies, in the northern part of the Lesser Antilles. Includes the islands of St. Kitts (or St. Christopher, area 168 sq. km) and Nevis (93 sq. km). The capital is Baster (13 thousand people, 2009).

Nature.

The islands are of volcanic origin. The island of St. Kitts stretches for 37 km from the northwest to the southeast. In the same direction along its central axis, strongly dissected peaked mountains with highest point countries - an 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 forms a peninsula, which is a flat plain. Its coastline is uneven, forming many bays with sandy beaches. The island of Nevis, separated from St. Kitts by the Narrows Strait, approx. 3 km, has a rounded shape and is a mountain with the peak of Nevis (985 m), over which fog constantly rises. A strip stretches along the coast sandy beaches. The island is surrounded by coral reefs. Both islands are cut by numerous streams.

The tropical climate of the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis is formed under the influence of the 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 rainfall is 700–1400 mm, with more falling in the mountains. The islands are in the zone of passage of tropical typhoons, which sometimes cause significant damage.

The mountain slopes in the interior of the islands are covered with dense, intertwined lianas, tropical rainforests, which in the upper parts of the slopes are replaced by meadow vegetation, and in their lower parts they are flattened and replaced by plantations. There are many brightly flowering and fruit plants in the forests (mango, tamarind, avocado, bananas, papaya, breadfruit, etc.). There are groves of cinnamon and coconut palms. Plantations of sugar cane and other agricultural crops are widespread on the fertile soils of the lower parts of the slopes and on the plains. Numerous tropical birds and butterflies have found shelter in the forests, monkeys are found. Many seabirds nest on the coast, including pelicans. The waters abound with fish.

In general, natural and climatic conditions favor the creation of resorts and the development of the tourism business.

Population.

In 2012, 50.7 thousand people lived in the country, most of them on the island of St. Kitts. Children and adolescents under the age of 14 make up about 23% of the island's population, the age group from 15 to 64 years old - 69.6%, over 65 years old - 7.6%. The birth rate is estimated at 13.9 per 1000 population, the death rate is 7.08 per 1000, emigration is approx. 12 people per 1000. The population is dominated by the descendants of African slaves brought at the dawn of the colonial period to work on plantations. Among believers, Protestants (Anglicans and Methodists) predominate, there are Catholics. The official language is English.

State device.

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 elected by the population: 8 from St. Kitts and 3 from Nevis; 3 - appointed by the Governor General: 1 - on the recommendation of the leader of the opposition, 2 on the advice of the Prime Minister). All citizens of the country who have reached the age of 18 are endowed with the right to vote. The executive power is represented by the government, headed by the prime minister - a deputy of the National Assembly, who has the support of a majority in parliament, who is appointed by the governor general. Cabinet ministers are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Government is responsible to Parliament.

Nevis has a legislature, the Nevis Island Assembly. Five deputies are elected by the population, and three are appointed. In accordance with the constitution, Nevis has the right to secede from Saint Kitts.

The main political parties are the Labor Party, the Movement of Concerned Citizens (on the island of Nevis), the Reform Party of Nevis, the People's Action Movement (on the island of St. Kitts), the United National Movement (on the island of Nevis, advocates secession from St. Kitts). In the March 2000 elections, the Labor Party won the majority of seats in Parliament and formed the government.

Economy.

Traditionally, the main sectors of the economy were agriculture (focused mainly on the cultivation of sugar cane) and servicing foreign tourists. Due to the decrease in last years Since the world price of sugar in the country's economy, tourism has begun to play an important role (the country is visited by about 250 thousand tourists a year), the production of some export industrial goods and offshore banking services. According to estimates, the total GDP in 1998 amounted to 244 million dollars, and per capita - 6,000 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 agricultural crops on the island of St. Kitts are sugar cane and cotton, on the island of Nevis - cotton, coconut palm and sugar cane. Cultivated also, coffee tree, bananas, pineapples, peanuts, yams, rice. Animal husbandry is developed - goats and sheep are bred. Fishing is also a traditional occupation. 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, shoes, medicines, electrical equipment, and, in recent years, electronics.

After a poor harvest in 2005, the government phased out the sugar industry. To compensate for the loss of jobs, a program was launched to diversify the agricultural sector and stimulate other sectors of the economy, such as export-oriented manufacturing and offshore banking. Particular attention was paid to the tourism sector. Approximately 200,000 tourists visited the islands in 2009, but a decline in inbound tourism and foreign investment led to an economic downturn in 2009 and 2010. Like other tourist destinations in the Caribbean region, St. Kitts and Nevis is prone to damage from natural disasters and changes in the tourist demand. A post-mortem economic recovery began in 2011, but it is being held back by one of the world's highest public debt levels, equivalent to about 200% of GDP.

Transport links on the islands are well developed and provide for the tourism business and the needs of sugar production. The length of motor 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 sugarcane plantations with a sugar processing plant. The main seaports are Baster on St. Kitts and Charlestown on Nevis. There is no own merchant fleet. There are two airports in the country: international Golden Rock in the vicinity of the capital and Newcastle on the island of Nevis.

Imports are almost four times more valuable than exports. The trade deficit is covered by income from tourism and remittances from citizens working abroad. They export sugar, molasses, cotton, cotton and coconut oil, drinks, tobacco products, fruits. They import machinery, oil products, food, 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 People's Action Movement party's weekly "Democrat" (3,000 copies) and the newspaper of the Trade Union and Workers' Union of St. Kitts and Nevis "Labor Spokesman" (6,000, published twice a week) are published.

Education system.

School education is free and compulsory for children aged 5 to 16. 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 pedagogical 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 "Saint Christopher"), but Europeans settled there only at the beginning of the 17th century. The first English settlement in the West Indies appeared in 1623 on St. Kitts, and the French founded a settlement on this island the following year. Soon the local population was ousted from the island.

Initially, tobacco plantations were established on the island of St. Kitts, but later their owners switched to growing high-quality sugar cane that brings high incomes. During the 17th and 18th centuries between Great Britain and France there was a struggle for the possession of the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis. From 1625 they were part of the English colony, but in 1664-1689 and in 1782-1783 they came under the control of France. However, under the Versailles Treaty of 1783, the French had to cede these islands to the British. From 1871 they were part of the English colony of the Leeward Islands (in 1882 Anguilla, or Anguilla, was attached 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. Questions of foreign policy and defense remained within the competence of Great Britain. In 1980, Anguilla seceded from the federation of three islands. On September 19, 1983, the independent state of Saint Kitts and Nevis was proclaimed as part of the Commonwealth, led by Great Britain. Nevis is endowed with the constitutional right to secede from St. Kitts with the consent of more than two-thirds of the population of the island to this act. However, in a referendum in 1998, only 62% of the inhabitants of Nevis voted for independence.

The Labor Party was the leader in the country until 1980, when a coalition of the People's Action Movement and the Nevis Reform Party won the majority of seats in parliament. They held power until July 1995, when the Labor Party again won the election. The government she formed took 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.

Crime has increased dramatically in Saint Kitts and Nevis, as in other Caribbean states in recent years, in part due to a significant increase in drug trafficking. The Caribbean is a convenient transit area for cocaine from Colombia en route to the United States and Europe. As a deterrent, some Caribbean countries are in favor of the death penalty and have sentenced several convicted murderers to death. However, the British Privy Council, until recently the highest court of appeal for many Caribbean countries, has overturned death sentences in several cases.

Saint Kitts and Nevis in the 21st century

The leaders of the 14 countries that make up the Caribbean trade union signed an agreement in 2001 to create a transnational Supreme Court, which will replace the Privy Council of the Lords of Britain. In addition, the Supreme Court will become the final authority that will have the right to resolve trade disputes, which will allow the countries of the region to create their own common market.

In 2004, Denzil Douglas began his third term as prime minister after the Labor Party won 7 out of 11 seats in the general election. As the leader of the country, Denzil Douglas takes an active part in the work of international organizations in the region. Among them are the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Caribbean Development Bank, the Association of Caribbean States, and the Organization of American States.

On January 25, 2010, the next general elections were held. Denzil Douglas became Prime Minister again.

Saint Christopher (Saint Kitts) and Nevis- a state in the eastern part of the Caribbean Sea, consisting of two islands of the Leeward Islands group.

The name of the country comes from the name of St. Christopher and the Spanish nevis, which means "snow".

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

Administrative division: The state is divided into 14 districts.

Form of government: A constitutional monarchy.

Head of State: The Queen of Great Britain, represented by the Governor General.

Composition of the population: 90% - Africans, 8% - Europeans.

Official language: English.

Religion: 80% - Anglicans, 20% - Catholics.

Internet domain: .kn

Mains voltage: ~230 V, 60 Hz

Phone country code: +1-869

Climate

Tropical trade winds, hot and very even. 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 in the daytime.

Precipitation falls from 700 to 1200 mm per year. The nature of the distribution of rain directly depends on the height of the place above sea level and its geographical location. The maximum rain falls in the period from May to October-November, and during this period up to 70% of the annual rainfall can fall on the northeastern slopes of the mountains (in some years - up to 2000 mm), and in the south the weather differs little from the rest of the year . The relatively dry season runs from December to April.

Like other Leeward Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis is in the path of strong tropical hurricanes, which are most likely from August to 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. From the east they border on Antigua and Barbuda, from the southeast - from Montserrat, in the northwest - from the Netherlands Antilles (Sint Eustatius), in the north - from Saint Barthelemy, which is part of French Guadeloupe (all maritime borders).

From all sides it is washed 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 sq. 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 plantations of sugar cane and cotton, higher - shrubs and small mountain rainforests.

Vegetation in the inner mountainous regions of the islands is represented by dense tropical rainforests (lianas, mangoes, breadfruit and cinnamon trees, tamarind, avocados, bananas, papaya grow). On the tops of the mountains, forests give way to meadows, and in the lower parts they are reduced 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 is a 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 have retained more of the natural forms of native vegetation and are mostly occupied by tropical forests, scrublands and relatively little farmland.

Animal world

Numerous tropical birds and butterflies live in the forests, as well as monkeys. Many seabirds nest on the coast, including pelicans. The waters abound with fish.

Banks and 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 has not changed since 1976 (EC$2.7 = US$1).

The US dollar circulates freely on the islands, many prices are indicated both in US dollars and in East Caribbean dollars.

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 rate usually offered for US dollars and euros.

Credit cards (Eurocard, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, etc.) are accepted for payment in most restaurants, in almost all hotels and in 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.

Useful information for tourists

Hotels and restaurants add 7% tax and 10% service charge to bills. If the restaurant does not include payment for services, the tip is 10%, respectively.

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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
	Composition of the population:	90% are Africans, 8% are Europeans.
	Official language:	English.
	Religion:	80% - Anglicans, 20% - Catholics.
	Internet domain:	.kn
	Mains voltage:	~230 V, 60 Hz
	Phone country code:	+1-869
	Country barcode:

Climate

Tropical trade winds, hot and very even. 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 in the daytime.

Precipitation falls from 700 to 1200 mm per year. The nature of the distribution of rain directly depends on the height of the place above sea level and its geographical location. The maximum rain falls in the period from May to October-November, and during this period up to 70% of the annual rainfall can fall on the northeastern slopes of the mountains (in some years - up to 2000 mm), and in the south the weather differs little from the rest of the year . The relatively dry season runs from December to April.

Like other Leeward Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis is in the path of strong tropical hurricanes, which are most likely from August to 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. From the east they border on Antigua and Barbuda, from the southeast - from Montserrat, in the northwest - from the Netherlands Antilles (Sint Eustatius), in the north - from Saint Barthelemy, which is part of French Guadeloupe (all maritime borders). From all sides it is washed 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 sq. 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 plantations of sugar cane and cotton, higher - shrubs and small mountain rainforests.
Vegetation in the inner mountainous regions of the islands is represented by dense tropical rainforests (lianas, mangoes, breadfruit and cinnamon trees, tamarind, avocados, bananas, papaya grow). On the tops of the mountains, forests give way to meadows, and in the lower parts they are reduced 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 is a 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 have retained more of the natural forms of native vegetation and are mostly occupied by tropical forests, scrublands and relatively little farmland.

Animal world. Numerous tropical birds and butterflies live in the forests, as well as monkeys. Many seabirds nest on the coast, including pelicans. The waters abound with fish.

Attractions

The islands known today as Saint Kitts and Nevis were inhabited by Indians from South America long before the new millennium. For Europeans, they were discovered by Columbus in 1493, and since the beginning of the 17th century they have become an 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), thus becoming the first British colony in the West Indies. The French settlements that also existed on the islands were either withdrawn from the islands under the Treaty of Paris in 1783 or came under British jurisdiction, and by the beginning of the 19th century the islands had become a flourishing center of 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 metropolitan influence on the countries of the region. In 1958, Great Britain attempted to unite Saint 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, September 19, 1983 Saint Kitts and Nevis gained independence.

Today, these two small islands are perhaps one of the quietest and most pastoral places in the region, being one of the few places in the West Indies where agriculture still prevails over tourism, and commerce recedes under the pressure of tradition. Calm and relaxed lifestyle local residents remains practically unspoiled by the influence of civilization, and the beauty of nature is only emphasized by the pristine beaches, sea, sunlight and fantastically abundant vegetation.

Saint Christopher Island
Buster

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 for the island itself, which is part of the Federation under the name St. proportions). The city's name, meaning "lowland" or "lowland", is one of the few remaining traces of a French presence in the islands. The dominant European influence in Basseterre is unequivocally British, which is reflected in the buildings and even in the layout of the streets of the city. Buster is surrounded by the Sökes 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 seems to be the same (only older cars, but no traditional London smog). Although most of Buster's historic buildings were destroyed in the fire of 1867, a number of stone Victorian buildings survive, with second floors made of wood and adorned with intricate trellises or fine, lavish stucco work. Many of these houses were built with a certain amount of fantasy and ingenuity, most evident in Fort Street, where the old ramparts were simply incorporated into the structures of the houses during construction. Some buildings seem to be very ancient, but this impression is deceptive, since they were built at the end of the 19th century from sooty stones left over from the city ravaged by fire.

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

Part of the city's history is displayed in the St. Christopher Heritage Sisayeti Museum, which contains a large collection of historical photographs, shell tools and shards of pottery from the Carib Indians who inhabited these islands before the arrival of Europeans. The domed colonial building of the Treasury rises on the coastline as a reminder of the important place that the island's sugar industry occupied 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" - as the Carib Indians called this whole 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 is one of the favorite places for outdoor activities of the inhabitants of the island, there are many hiking trails, horse trails, bike trails and easy climbing areas (however, access to its northern and northeastern slopes is limited by local environmental laws).

Old Road Town

The northern part of St. Christopher is framed around the entire perimeter by the Shackle Island Road, which can be driven, and in some places even walked, in just a day. A narrow-gauge railway passing next to the road, old "sugar trains" still towing cargo from nearby cane plantations, as well as numerous fields and factories (rather "factories") form a rather impressive landscape for which the places adjacent to the Cycle Island Road are famous .

The old town (rather a seaside village) Old Road Town, which lies 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, established here 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 Buster, it became simply a beautiful and calm town that retained most of its colonial charm, although only the Red Brick and Marble Government House survived from all its old buildings. 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 an abundance of petroglyphs of the Carib Indians, who settled here long before the new era and had a fairly developed and original civilization by the 10th century. The batik produced in Old Road Town is also famous, here you can observe the process of creating a fabric, its design and painting, as well as buy a finished product at the Karibel Batik factory, located north of Old Road Town, in the suburb of Wingfield - Estate. Initially, the Romney Manor sugar plantation (XVII century), in which the complex is now located, belonged to the great-grandfather of Thomas Jefferson, a prominent lawyer and third US president. Around "Karibel-Batik" there is a small botanical garden, the main decoration of which is a 350-year-old adobe tree (the oldest on the island). And from the ruins of a sugar plantation owned by William Jefferson (Thomas Jefferson's brother) and its picturesque aqueduct (the only one in the entire Caribbean region), many excursions to the nearby rainforests begin.

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

Brimstone Hill Fortress

Brimestone Hill Fortress National Park is located approximately 13 km northwest of Basseterre. The basis of the park was not forests or reefs, but a large and rather chaotic eponymous fort of the 18th century, 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 sulfuric 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 - it was laid in 1690 and until the very capture of it by the French troops (the fort capitulated in 1782 after only one month of siege, however, a year later the French themselves left 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 neighborhood of Basseterre, some of the fort's structures were partially dismantled, and the stones were used to rebuild the capital. The main tower of the fortress - the Citadel is equipped with 24 guns and provides an excellent panorama of Sint Eustatius and Sandy Point. Inside the old barracks of the Citadel is now the Museum of Colonial History, which displays cannonballs, blades and other weapons and equipment from that period. There is also a small collection of Native American period items, a few pottery fragments, and recovered fragments of petroglyphs from Old Road Town. In 2000, the entire complex of fortifications was included in the List world heritage UNESCO.

The Township of Sandy Point is the second largest locality Saint Christopher. In the 17th century, Sandy Point was the largest center of the tobacco trade on the island, so its main attraction is the large warehouses for storing tobacco, 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 the era of colonization of the New World, with its shores not protected from the wind, fantastic ocean vistas, fields of wild sugar cane and plantation ruins, many of which (surviving, of course) have been rebuilt today to inns. The northernmost bay of the island - Dieppe Bay marks the beginning of the Atlantic coast, and a little to the south begins one of the main natural attractions of St. Christopher - Black Rocks. Black waves of solidified lava fall right into the sea here, forming a chaotic and bewitching landscape.

South East Peninsula

The southeastern peninsula of St. Christopher stretches in a long and flat strip from the mountainous northern part of the island to Nevis. At the isthmus, the coast is squeezed by Frigate Bay (or rather, four bays, each of which differs from its neighbor only by a prefix to the name denoting it geographical position), and to the south it expands noticeably, forming the "blade" of the St. Thomas Lowland district, strongly indented by bays and salty reservoirs. The peninsula is wild and strikingly beautiful. Dotted with barren salt pools, grassy hills and sparse vegetation, it is inhabited for the most part only by vervet monkeys, whose flocks sometimes even manage to block the only major road here, deer and feral goats grazing on the hilly plain of the southeastern region. The shores of the South East Peninsula were quite recently difficult to reach, but the construction of the road brought some elements of civilization here, although the development of the region as a tourist site is artificially restrained by the country's authorities. The country has rather strict environmental protection standards, so these snow-white shores and virgin reservoirs are planned to be left as a natural reserve, developing tourism only as part of a careful attitude to nature (now only 3 resort complexes are open here).

Frigate Bay, the main resort and beach area on the island, spans the northern end of the peninsula. Here are the best shores of the island - Turtle Beach (besides the most beautiful beach area, there is a colorful Ash Turtle restaurant), the coast of Booby Island (a great place for water activities), Cockleshell Beach, the modest white beach of White House -Bay (one of the best places for snorkeling on the island), enclosing the narrowest point of the peninsula, North Fries Bay and South Fries Bay, the long beaches of Sand Bank Bay and many others. Stunning pink saltwater pools, of which there are many in this part of St. Christopher, are a bright 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 vast numbers of tropical birds, white-tailed deer and monkeys.

Nevis Island

Nevis Island (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 first British settlers - Dulcina ("Sweet"). It received its modern name from the light hand of Christopher Columbus, who in 1493 named it Nuestra Señora de Las Nevis ("Virgin of the Snow" - Columbus considered that this peak, hidden by clouds, 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. Fertile soil and warm climate made it possible to form here the richest plantation estate, which, along with prosperity and peace, allowed the islanders to survive the earthquake and tsunami of 1680 quite calmly, 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 fading of the sugar industry, the island gradually began to regain its natural charm, turning into one of the most colorful places in the region. Moreover, unlike its northern neighbor, farmland is not visible on the island at all, which further enhances its natural charm.

Charlestown

The largest city, educational and commercial center on the island, Charlestown lies in the middle of the west coast of the island, between the forts of 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 are now turned into museums, making Charlestown 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 city's old houses 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 neighborhoods are concentrated around Cotton Ginnery Mall, which houses most of Charlestown's retail outlets, and Main Street. Usually, all city tours begin with a visit to the Nevis Historical Museum, which occupies a Georgian building on the very site where the American statesman Alexander Hamilton was born in 1757 (the Hamilton house itself was destroyed by an earthquake in 1840). In addition to Hamilton's portraits, the museum contains a collection of photographs from the period and displays of Nevis culture and history. Another object very popular with 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 XVIII century, fell in love with the niece of the governor of the island Fanny Nisbet and married her. The museum's collection largely consists of various utensils painted with portraits of the admiral, ceramic sculptures, and a few personal objects of Nelson. However, it contains the largest collection of Nelson memorabilia in the Western Hemisphere, as well as a rather interesting exhibition dedicated to the influence of the "Mistress of the Seas" on the fate of the Caribbean.

A short walk east of the city center, on Governmentment Road, is the small and largely forgotten Jewish Cemetery, which is a simple grassy field dotted with horizontal gravestones inscribed in Hebrew, English and Portuguese. The oldest graves date back to 1684-1768, when up to 25% of the free population on Nevis were Sephardic Jews. A path that runs around the cemetery, commonly known to locals as the Juish Walk, leads from the cemetery to a nearby gray stone building (built in 1684), which scientists believe was the site of the first synagogue in the Caribbean. The memorial square, which lies 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 Bat House, a short walk south of downtown Charleston, is an old hotel dating back to 1778 (one of the oldest inns in the Leeward Islands). The complex was erected over a thermal spring, the healing qualities of the mineral water of which were the main attraction of the island in the colonial years, when rich tourists came here even from Europe. Today, it is still in operation, however, in order to swim in the hot waters of Hot Springs, you need to bring your own towel and other accessories, since there are no facilities at the moment. Stretching between Market Road and the coast of Gallows Bay, Charlestown Market is a real commercial center and is open from Tuesday to Thursday and on Saturday mornings, when it seems that all the inhabitants of the city gather here.

Also noteworthy are the Court House (1825), the luxuriously finished building of the Public Library (XVIII century), the Alexandra Hospital building, the Nevis Philatelic Bureau (the stamps produced on the island are widely known among collectors all over 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 block of craft workshops south of Prince Charles Street. Some of the old plantation buildings, framing almost the entire perimeter of the city, have now been converted into cozy boarding houses, among which the Nisbet Hotel is the most famous.

The chaotic landscape of the area, which for obvious reasons received the name Gingerland ("country of ginger"), 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 greatest concentration of old sugar plantations, the calm charm of green hills and gently sloping seashores. The main attractions here are the Fig Tree Church (1680, the wedding place of Nelson and Fanny Nisbet), the Nevis Botanical Gardens (open from 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 adorned 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 tentatively in 1702. It is Fort Ashby that is considered the only surviving site of the old capital of the island - Jamestown, washed into the sea by an earthquake and tidal wave in 1680. Situated almost on the beach luxurious beach Pinney, he kept some of his old guns and partly restored walls.

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 rate usually offered for US dollars and euros.

Credit cards (Eurocard, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, etc.) are accepted for payment in most restaurants, in almost all hotels and in 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 has not changed since 1976 (EC$2.7 = US$1).

The US dollar circulates freely on the islands, many prices are indicated both in US dollars and in East Caribbean dollars.

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