Key Facts

  • Saint Kitts and Nevis gained independence from the United Kingdom on September 19, 1983, making it the newest independent state in the Caribbean.

  • It is the smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere, both in area and population.

  • The country consists of two islands: Saint Kitts (formally Saint Christopher) and Nevis, separated by a 3-kilometer channel called "The Narrows."

  • The official language is English.

  • Basseterre, located on Saint Kitts, is the capital city.

  • The federation was once known as the "Gibraltar of the West Indies" due to its strategic importance in colonial times.

  • The country was among the first Caribbean islands to be settled by both the British (1623) and French.

  • Sugar production dominated the islands' economy for over 350 years until its closure in 2005.

  • Features a unique mix of monkeys - the green vervet monkeys, brought by the French in the 17th century, now outnumber humans.

  • Is one of the few places in the world where you can hike through rainforest in the morning and dive coral reefs in the afternoon.

  • Has Mount Liamuiga, a dormant volcano on Saint Kitts with a crater lake nicknamed "Giant's Salad Bowl."

  • Was the first Caribbean island to formally allow citizenship by investment, a program started in 1984.

Did You Know That.......

  • Has the oldest functioning Anglican church in the Caribbean - St. Thomas Anglican Church (built in 1643) on Nevis.

  • Features Brimstone Hill Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as the "Gibraltar of the West Indies" and built over a 100-year period.

  • Was the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, one of America's Founding Fathers, who was born on Nevis in 1755.

  • Has the only scenic railway in the Caribbean, originally built to transport sugar cane but now used for tourism.

  • Is home to Nevis Peak, a potentially active volcano that is almost perpetually crowned by clouds, giving Nevis its Spanish name ("Nuestra Señora de las Nieves" - Our Lady of the Snows).

  • Has the oldest British settlement in the Caribbean (Old Road Town, St. Kitts, established 1624).

  • Houses one of the oldest synagogue ruins in the Caribbean on Nevis, dating back to the 1680s.

  • Was the site where Horatio Nelson, then a young captain, met and married Frances Nisbet in 1787 on Nevis.

  • Has the unique Black Rocks formation on Saint Kitts, created by volcanic activity where huge boulders of black andesite were pushed up from the sea.

  • Boasts the Romney Manor Estate, home to the famous Caribelle Batik factory and once owned by Sam Jefferson II, great-great-great-grandfather of Thomas Jefferson.