Islands of the Caribbean - St Kitts and Nevis

Modern St Kitts & Nevis (Lesser Antilles)
AD 1958 - Present Day
Incorporating Heads of State (1983-2022), British Colony (1958-1967), Associated State (1967-1983), & Independent Constitutional Monarchy (1983-On)

The two islands of St Kitts and Nevis form a combined state in the northern part of the Leeward Islands, within the Lesser Antilles chain. The islands sit to the south-east of Sint Eustatius (a possession of the Netherlands), to the west of Antigua & Barbuda, and to the north-west of Montserrat and Redonda. To the west and south-west is the large expanse of the Caribbean Sea. The area of the two islands amounts to just 269 square kilometres of land in the Americas.

As early as 2000 BC, the Sibonay group of Native Americans settled Nevis from Central America. They were followed by the Arawak, who reached both St Christopher and Nevis from around the Orinoco River in what is now Venezuela. Finally the Caribs reached the islands, also from South America. The Arawak and Caribs left evidence of settlements, pottery-making, and stone tools. The Caribs named the islands 'Liamuiga' (for St Christopher) and 'Oualie' (for Nevis).

Christopher Columbus was the first European to see St Christopher and Nevis, sailing there on behalf of the monarchy of Spain and arriving first in the Bahamas. Without stopping, he sailed by the islands in 1493 on his second voyage to the New World and the initial stages in forming the Spanish Colonies. He named St Christopher after his own patron saint.

The shortened name of 'St Kitts' has been used since the earliest English settlers arrived in 1623 and founded a colony, the first successful English colony in the West Indies. The name 'Nevis' comes from the Spanish 'las nieves', which refers to 'the snows' which Columbus spotted on top of Nevis Peak.

Two years later a French fleet arrived, crippled after battling against vessels of the Spanish empire. The English felt sorry for them and took them in. The French established a colony at a separate location, and the two exercised joint rule. After that the island of St Christopher alternated back and forth between sole French rule and joint English and French rule, making it the first French colony in the Caribbean.

The numerous European settlers alarmed the Caribs, who planned an attack. The colonists anticipated this and in the 'Kalinago Genocide' of 1626 massacred nearly all of the indigenous population. Those who survived were deported. Finally, in 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht made St Christopher an English colony. Nevis also became an English colony, in 1627, and remained so except for two brief periods of French occupation.

In 1824, Anguilla was joined to St Christopher and Nevis. It was not a happy union, with Anguilla at the far north of the Leeward Islands, separated from St Christopher and Nevis by St Martin, Saba, and Sint Eustatius. Anguilla once tried to declare independence and finally separated in 1980. By this time, the sugar industry, based on slavery, was flourishing. Even after the abolition of slavery in 1834 that industry continued to thrive.

St Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla were united with several other islands in 1833, into the British colony of the Leeward Islands. They remained part of the Leeward Islands until that union was dissolved in 1960. In the meantime, when an attempted union of all the British West Indian Islands was created in 1958, St Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla joined. The 'Federation of the West Indies' dissolved in 1962 though, returning the islands to the status of 'British Colony' in 1962-1967. Then St Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla became an 'Associated State' with the United Kingdom, a status which was autonomous.

Following the separation of Anguilla, St Christopher and Nevis became independent on 19 September 1983 under the officially shortened name of St Kitts and Nevis. Nevis received a measure of self-government. Today the islands form an 'Independent Constitutional Monarchy' with a democratic parliamentary form of government on the British model. The head of state remains the monarch of the United Kingdom, represented locally by a governor-general who is appointed by the monarch. It is the governor-general who appoints the prime minister. The 'National Assembly' is the legislative-forming body, while the state is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Emigration is a characteristic of the islands, with the number of people who leave the islands exceeding the natural increase only by a little, leaving the population fairly stable. Sugarcane, which used to be the main industry of St Kitts and Nevis, no longer exists due to a decline in foreign demand. Instead, the main industry now is tourism. The growing of coconuts also contributes to the economy.

The full list of islands which make up the Lesser Antilles chain includes Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Redonda, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago.

The Americas

Caribbean Islands

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