Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Ne·vis

S0029300 (kĭts; nē′vĭs, nĕv′ĭs) also Saint Chris·to·pher-Ne·vis (krĭs′tə-fər-nē′vĭs, -nĕv′ĭs) An island country in the Leeward Islands of the West Indies east-southeast of Puerto Rico comprising Saint Kitts and the smaller island of Nevis. The islands were visited by Columbus in 1493 and settled by the English and the French in the early 1600s, being officially awarded to Great Britain by the 1783 Treaty of Paris. They were part of the West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962 and in 1967 joined in a short-lived association with Anguilla. St. Kitts and Nevis became independent in 1983. Basseterre, on St. Kitts, is the capital.

Thesaurus

Noun

Saint Kitts and Nevis - a country on several of the Leeward Islands; located to the east southeast of Puerto Rico; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1983Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Christopher-Nevis, St. Christopher-Nevis, St. Kitts and NevisOAS, Organization of American States - an association including most countries in the western hemisphere; created in 1948 to promote military and economic and social and cultural cooperationCaribbean - region including the Caribbean IslandsLeeward Islands - a group of islands in the eastern West IndiesSaint Kitts, St. Kitts, Saint Christopher, St. Christopher - the largest of the islands comprising Saint Christopher-NevisBasseterre - the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis on the island of Saint ChristopherNevis - one of the islands of Saint Christopher-NevisSombrero - one of the islands of Saint Christopher-Nevis

Translations

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts–Nevis

(nē`vĭs, nĕv`ĭs), officially Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, island nation (2015 est. pop. 52,000), 120 sq mi (311 sq km), West Indies, in the Leeward IslandsLeeward Islands
, northern group of the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies, extending SE from Puerto Rico to the Windward Islands. The principal islands are the American Virgin Islands; the French island and overseas dept.
..... Click the link for more information. . The nation consists of the islands of Saint Kitts, also called Saint Christopher (68 sq mi/176 sq km), Nevis (50 sq mi/130 sq km), and Sombrero (2 sq mi/5.2 sq km). The capital is BasseterreBasseterre,
town (1990 est. pop. 15,500), capital of St. Kitts and Nevis, on St. Kitts island, West Indies. It is one of the chief commercial depots of the Leeward Islands. Sugar refining is the leading industry. Basseterre was founded by the French in 1627.
..... Click the link for more information. on Saint Kitts. The chief settlement on Nevis is Charlestown, the birthplace of Alexander HamiltonHamilton, Alexander,
1755–1804, American statesman, b. Nevis, in the West Indies. Early Career

He was the illegitimate son of James Hamilton (of a prominent Scottish family) and Rachel Faucett Lavien (daughter of a doctor-planter on Nevis and the estranged
..... Click the link for more information. . There has been strong sentiment on Nevis for independence from the larger, more populous Saint Kitts, and in a 1998 referendum more than 60% of Nevisian voters approved separation; a two-thirds majority, however, was required.

A narrow strait separates the two larger islands, which are volcanic in origin, mountainous, and renowned for their scenery. The vast majority of the population are descendants of Africans originally brought to the islands as slaves. English is spoken and Anglicanism is the main religion.

Tourism, manufacturing, and a growing offshore financial industry are important to the economy, and cotton and salt are produced. Machinery, food, electronics, beverages, and tobacco are the main exports. Sugar and molasses were also historically important exports, but financial losses led the government to end sugar production and processing in 2005. Machinery, manufactures, food, and fuel are imported. The United States is the main trading partner.

The country is a federal parliamentary democracy governed under the constitution of 1983. There is a unicameral, 14-seat legislature, the National Assembly, whose members serve five-year terms; the government is headed by the prime minister. The monarch of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, represented by a governor-general, is the head of state. Administratively, the country is divided into 14 parishes. Nevis has its own unicameral legislature and a separate government led by a premier, as well as a large degree of political autonomy with respect to its own internal affairs and the constitutional right to separate from St. Kitts by a two-thirds vote in a referendum.

History

Saint Kitts and Nevis were visited by Columbus in 1493, but European settlement did not begin until the British arrived on St. Kitts in 1623. French settlers came to the island two years later. Nevis was first settled by the British in 1628. The Treaty of Paris of 1783 granted the islands to Britain. They were part of the colony of the Leeward Islands (1871–1956) and of the West Indies Federation (1958–62). In 1967, together with AnguillaAnguilla
, island and British dependency (2015 est. pop. 15,000) 35 sq mi (91 sq km), West Indies, northernmost of the Leeward Islands. The capital is the town of The Valley. The population, which is mainly of African descent, speaks English, the official language.
..... Click the link for more information. , they became a self-governing state in association with Great Britain. Anguilla seceded later that year; it later was placed under direct control of Great Britain and was formally separated from Saint Kitts and Nevis in 1980. In 1983 the two islands gained full independence. Kennedy Simmonds of the People's Action Movement served as prime minister until 1995, when the opposition Labour party won in the general elections and Denzil DouglasDouglas, Denzil Llewellyn,
1953–, Kittian political leader, grad. Univ. of the West Indies (B.S. 1977, M.D. 1984). A member of the Labour party, in 1989 he was elected to the Saint Kitts and Nevis national assembly and became leader of the opposition.
..... Click the link for more information. became prime minister. Douglas and Labour were returned to power in the 2000, 2004, and 2010 elections, but in 2015 the Team Unity opposition coalition, led by Timothy Harris of the People's Labour party, won a majority.

Saint Kitts and Nevis