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| Location | |
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| Ensign | |
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| Basic information | |
| Capital | Basseterre |
| Goverment | constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament |
| Currency | East Caribbean Dollar (XCD) |
| Area | 261 sq km |
| Population | 38,958 (July 2006 est.) |
| Language | English |
| Religion | Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic |
| Phone number | 1 869 |
| Internet TLD | .kn |
| time zone | UTC -4 |
Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (also: Union of Saint Christopher and Nevis) is an island nation in the Leeward Islands, Western Indies. It is the smallest island nation on both lists of USA: List of countries by area and List of countries by population. Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in Central America.
overview
The capital city and headquarters of the Federal government was located on the island of Saint Kitts (In the opinion of many, the present name of the island is derived from the English language). Spain ("San Cristóbal") given by Christopher Columbus. The State of Nevis, also known as "Nuestra Señora de las Nieves" (roughly translated "Our Snow Lady"), is the smallest state of this island nation; it covers an area about 2 miles (3 km) east-south of Saint Kitts, crossing the canal called "The Narrows". According to historical records, Anguilla, a British colonial colony. , was once part of the Union, but later became known as the territory of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla as it is today.Saint Kitts and Nevis is a geographical territory in the Leeward Islands; bordered by Saint Eustatius, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Martin to the north and northeast; borders Antigua and Barbuda to the northeast; in the southeast, bordering the small, uninhabited island nation of Redonda, and the island of Montserrat, an area frequented by large volcanic eruptions.
History
Battle between the British and the Caribbean In 1493, Cristoforo Colombo landed on the island of St. Kitts, named the island after his patron saint, Cristoforo (Saint Christopher), but English settlers (1623) shortened the name to St. Kitts. The island became a British colony, the Aborigines were driven out and Black slaves were brought in from Africa. The word Nevis comes from the snow-like clouds around the island's summit (Spanish, las nieves for snow). These islands were occupied by British colonists in the 17th century, became British colonies in 1783 (Treaty of Versailles).
The federation consists of three islands: St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla were formed in 1967, but Anguilla later withdrew from the union. The country gained self-governance in 1967 and became an independent state in the British Commonwealth in 1983.
Falling world sugar prices hurt the economy in the mid-1980s. The government sought to reduce the island nation's reliance on sugar production, diversify the economy, and encourage the development of financial tourism. main. In 1990, the governor of Nevis announced his intention to separate the island from the British Commonwealth in 1992, but local elections (June 1992) delayed this intention. In August 1998, 62% of the population voted for the secession of Nevis Island, but did not obtain 2/3 of the required votes.
Geography
The federal country consists of two islands of St.Kitts (176 km2) and Nevis island (93 km2) in the Lesser Antilles, Central America with an area of 269 km2. St.Kitts Island is roughly oval in shape, except for a long, narrow peninsula in the southeast; The highest peak is Mount Liamuiga (1,156 m). Nevis Island is a mountain (Nevis Peak, 985 m) surrounded by coral reefs. A strait about 3 km separates these two islands.
Politics[edit]The country is a member of the British Commonwealth with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, represented in St. Kitts and Nevis are a Governor-General. The Prime Minister is the elected head of government when the prime minister's party has a majority in the House of Commons.
St Kitts and Nevis has a unicameral legislature, known as the Parliament. It consists of 14 members: 11 elected representatives (three Nevis islands) and three senators, who are appointed by the Governor-General. Two of the senators are appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, and one on the recommendation of the leaders of the opposition. Unlike in other countries, senators are not representatives of a separate Senate. All members of the National Assembly have five-year terms. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are accountable to Parliament.
Saint Kitts and Nevis is a full member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organization of the Eastern Caribbean (OECS).
Economy
Saint Kitts and Nevis is an island federation with a well-developed tourist economy, and relatively well-developed agricultural and other manufacturing industries. Sugar has been exported mainly from local cane farms, but rising production costs, low world market prices, and government efforts to reduce reliance on it have resulted in a diversity growing urbanization of the agricultural sector. In 2005, the government decided to close the state-owned sugar company, whose economic losses contributed significantly to the budget deficit. Old sugarcane plantations still dominate the island's landscape, however many sugarcane plantations are being burned to make way for land development, particularly on the north side of the island, in the parishes of Saint John Capisterre and Christchurch. Agriculture, tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking sectors are being developed and are now taking a larger role in the country's economy. The growth of tourism has become the main source of foreign exchange for Saint Kitts and Nevis. The country has also developed a successful apparel and assembly industry and one of the largest electronics assembly industries in the Caribbean.
St Kitts depends on tourism to drive its economy. Island tourism has been expanding since 1978. In 2009, there were 587,479 visitors to Saint Kitts compared to 379,473 in 2007. This growth represents an increase of just under 40% over a two-year period.
Region
City
- Basseterre
- Cayon
- Charlestown (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
- Dieppe Bay Town
- Gingerland
- Newcastle
- Old Road Town
- Sandy Point Town
Other destinations
Arrive
Citizens of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organization of American States (except the Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and the following countries do not require a visa: Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Ai Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Korea, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Kingdom of the Netherlands *, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain , Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
Includes Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten outside the Netherlands in Europe. Visa applications must be emailed to the Embassy in Washington, DC. Your application must include the original completed application form (you cannot copy the forms and send them), your passport (valid for at least 6 months after your visit to Saint Kitts and Nevis, 2 photographs of size projection and visa fee ($50).You must also include the mailing fee.The normal fee is $5, but if you want express overnight postage, the fee is $15.75.
By air
Daily flights are available from San Juan, PR on American Eagle, as well as through the British Virgin Islands / Tortola. American Airlines flies three times a week from Miami (many flights during the tourist season. American Airlines now flies twice a week to New York. Beginning February 2008 Delta Airlines will offer non-stop service to St Kitts from Atlanta. US Airways has direct flights from Charlotte American Airlines has also offered direct charter flights from Dallas/Ft. Worth on 767.From the UK, British Airways started direct flights from London Gatwick in January 2009. Flights will be once a week, on Saturdays. From Canada, there is a direct charter flight from Toronto to St Kitts early December 19 through April with Skyservice.Leeward Islands Air Transport (Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, St Croix, St Kitts & Nevis, St Thomas, San Juan, Tortola) DHC8-100, 300
By boat
Go
By train
Have a scenic rail tour [1] which passes through sections of the narrow gauge railway formerly used for sugar mills. If many large cruise ships visit the island, cruise ship organizations can fill the ship.
By car
Taxis and buses outnumber those who need them in St Kitts. Be sure to negotiate the cost of the trip upfront, especially paying attention if the fare is in US and EC dollars. Temporary driver licenses are available, as are some car rental agencies. .
There are many popular tour guides in St Kitts that will give you a tour of the island. One such guide is Thenford Gray Island Tours or Grey's Island Tours [2].
Bus
Minibuses form the island's public transport system. Tickets are much cheaper than taxis and can be flagged down while in the route. If they have enough drivers will light up and join the discussion above. Service generally does not extend to Frigate Bay or the southern peninsula. That's the taxi sector. Taxis and buses use the same format of minibuses, the difference is that taxis have a yellow license plate and start with a letter T and buses have a green color that begins with an H. buses Fares vary but in 2005 were between 1.25 EC and 5 EC depending on the length of the trip.