Even the most experienced tourists and travelers will not immediately answer the question of what Saint Kitts and Nevis are. A distant state, lost in the Caribbean, like over five hundred years ago when Columbus discovered the islands, remains a mystery to many. A secluded tropical paradise with plantations of fruits, cotton and sugarcane, meanwhile, lives mainly on tourism and agriculture.
Saint Kitts and Nevis: History
Small islands in the eastern Caribbean were discovered in 1493 by Christopher Columbus, but were not colonized by the Spaniards. In many ways, the reason lies in the indigenous people - the Caribbean, who had a belligerent disposition and limited the progress of Europeans. The first English settlement on the islands appeared on St. Kitts in 1623. Three years later, he joined the British colony with Barbados. It has become a kind of base for the conquest of other territories in this region. The colony was subsequently nicknamed "the mother of all the other English colonies." Resistance of the local population was active, in 1626, France and England jointly carried out a punitive operation, killing about 4,000 people.
Since the 17th century, St. Kitts and Nevis (the capital is Baster) has been a stumbling block between these two European powers. In the end, the Treaty of Versailles of 1783 finally legitimized the power and ownership of the British. The islands gained independence in 1983 on September 19.
Indigenous people
The total area of the two islands on which the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is located is 261 square meters. km For comparison, it is worth saying that these are approximately two of our cities in Ivanovo. The population, according to 2010, is only 50 thousand people. The indigenous inhabitants of the islands were the Caribbean (a group of Native American peoples). After many years under the rule of the English crown, the population was ethnically mixed. At the moment, 90% are Africans, descendants of imported slaves, 5% are mulattos, about 3% are Indians, the rest are Europeans and people from the Middle East. The state language is considered the English language and Patois (formed on the basis of the French local dialect).
The largest cities in Saint Kitts and Nevis are the capital Baster (about 11 thousand inhabitants) and Charlestown (1250 people). The average life expectancy is 69 years and 72 years for men and women, respectively. Fertility is several times higher than mortality. The literacy rate is quite high - 98%, mainly due to free school education.
Nevis Island
The state is formed by a pair of islands of volcanic origin that are part of the Windward Islands of the Caribbean . The total area is 261 square meters. km Of these, St. Kitts occupies 168 square meters. km, and Nevis - 93 square meters. km The terrain is mountainous, on both islands there are extinct volcanoes. They are separated by the The Narrows Strait.
Nevis is located 3 km south of the island with the capital and has, as can be seen on the map, a rounded shape. It is almost completely formed by volcanic rocks, the coast is represented by sandy beaches. The highest point is Nevis Volcano (985 m).
Both islands are surrounded by coral reefs, and between them and the sandy shore are shallow lagoons.
Island of st kitts
The island of St. Kitts has a length of 37 km, on its central axis are peaked, strongly dissected mountains. The highest point is an extinct volcano 1115 m high Lyamyuga with a lake in place of the crater. The southeastern part is more flat with an uneven coastline, many salt lakes, bays and sandy beaches, on some the sand is almost black. On this island is the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis - the city of Baster.
Climate of the islands
The formation of a warm tropical climate with high humidity occurs under the influence of trade winds. The islands are hot, the average monthly temperature during the year is + 26 ° C, rarely dropping to + 18 ° C or rising to + 32 ° C. Precipitation in the lowlands is 1,500 mm, and in mountainous - 3,700 mm. There is no pronounced rainy season. However, the islands fall into the lane of passage of the strongest tropical hurricanes, the probability of which is especially high between August and October. In particular, the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis (Basseterre) was repeatedly exposed to destructive elements, as well as earthquakes, floods and fires.
Fauna and flora
The slopes of the island mountains are almost completely occupied by sugarcane and cotton plantations, above them are shrubs and tropical rainforests represented by tamarind, avocado, bread and cinnamon trees, mango, papaya, banana thickets. The western slopes are completely covered with coconut trees. The fauna is represented by a rich variety of tropical birds and butterflies, insects. Mammals are not numerous, mainly primates and rodents. Seabirds, in particular pelicans, nest on the coast. The coastal ocean and sea waters are rich in fish.
Buster: A Short Essay
The long-suffering capital of St. Kitts and Nevis - Baster - is located on the south coast of the island. It has a rich history and is one of the oldest cities in the West Indies. Baster was founded by the French in 1627 and made it the capital of their colony St. Christoph. In 1639, it became a successful and large trading port, the most significant in the eastern Caribbean.
The city is famous for its very tragic history. For centuries, it was torn apart by colonial wars, destroyed by fires and earthquakes, severe hurricanes and floods, popular unrest and riots. But, in spite of everything, a significant part of colonial development has survived to this day.
It is important for tourists and travelers to know that at present the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis occupies the top lines in the world criminal chronicles, leading in the number of murders per 100 thousand people.
The city's attractions
If you decide to go to the distant islands in the Caribbean, then you will surely get to their capital. Rest here is by and large beach and exotic. However, in Baster, some architectural objects remained from the colonialists. We offer you several attractions of the capital.
- Independence Square is the central part of the city and one of the popular places for recreation and walks of local residents. In the 19th century, a beautiful fountain with a sculpture of the Virgin Mary was erected on it. During the last reconstruction for the anniversary of independence, for some reason she became black. Perhaps this is exactly what the local Creole population sees.
- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception - a beautiful church of the beginning of the 20th century gives an idea of how old the capital of St. Kitts and Nevis is. Previously, Notre Dame Cathedral towered in this place, it is easy to guess that it was built by the French.
- Berkeley Memorial. This attraction is evidence of the English period in the history of the islands. The previously functioning clock tower with a drinking fountain and four dials facing all parts of the world is now a historical monument. Time has really stopped here, and only rare cars and new electronics are reminiscent of the 21st century.
Nevis Attractions
Nevis Island is smaller in area than St. Kitts, but is also beautiful and amazing. Pristine nature, semi-empty sandy beaches, an abundance of fruit and a warm climate make it attractive for tourists. It is on it that stands the luxurious chain hotel Four Seasons Hotel Resort Nevis.
The largest settlement is the city of Charlestown (economic and political center), whose population is about one and a half thousand people. For tourists, colonial buildings are of interest, including the Court House (1825), the building of the first synagogue and the Jewish cemetery (1684), and the Historical Museum.
On the island there is another noteworthy object - Fort Ashby, located in the city of Jamestown, formerly the capital of Nevis. Estimated date of construction - 1702. Only a few walls of one of the first fortifications built by the British were preserved and partially restored.
How to get citizenship and passport of Saint Kitts and Nevis?
In order to stimulate economic development in the country, the so-called fund for diversification of the sugar industry was created, its main task is to improve agriculture, the main branch of the economy. This is a specialized organization, which, in plain language, "sells citizenship." To do this, it is enough to purchase real estate or make a contribution in the amount of 250 to 450 thousand dollars. The amount of payment depends on the quantitative composition of your family. It would seem, who especially needs the citizenship of the islands lost in the Caribbean? The secret lies in the political structure of the state of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Detailed information about the country allows us to understand that it, in fact, is still under the protectorate of Great Britain, officially being an independent member of the British Commonwealth. The head of state is the Queen of England, represented by the local governor general. Becoming a citizen of the islands, you get the opportunity to freely move around the European Union.
In 2014, information was published that Pavel Durov , the founder of Vkontakte (social network), received St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investing $ 250,000 in the development of the island industry.
The island state is a former colony of Great Britain, therefore, one of the attractive tourist destinations for St. Kitts and Nevis is the language. The sea and the sun, as you know, also do not happen much. Beaches in the country are everywhere, and more recently, infrastructure has been actively developing. Perhaps there are not so many entertainments on the islands, but they are not “spoiled” yet and are not exhausted by numerous tourists. A secluded corner of nature in the Caribbean is fraught with many interesting things.