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Saint Kitts and Nevis (Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis) is an independent state within the British Commonwealth. This country is located in the Caribbean, in the Lesser Antilles, between the Netherlands Antilles (Sint Eustatius), Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Barthelemy.
The country is made up of the islands of Saint Kitts (Saint Christopher, 176 sq km) and Nevis (93 sq km). The capital is the town of Basseterre located along the southwestern coast of the island of Saint Kitts. Both islands are volcanic in formation. Nevis Island is dominated by Nevis Peak (985 meters), but the highest peak is Mount Liamuiga (Mount Misery, 1,156 meters) on the island of Saint Kitts.
ISLANDS LONG DISPUTED BETWEEN FRANCE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM
In the 17th century, the first English and French colonies in the Caribbean were founded on the island of Saint Christopher. For several centuries the islands were disputed between France and the United Kingdom. It was only in 1783 that the islands became definitively a British colony. The islands were used for centuries for the cultivation of sugar cane, for this cultivation slaves from Africa were used.
This forced immigration from Africa meant that today the vast majority of the inhabitants of the two islands are of African origin (90%). The rest of the population is made up of mulattoes (5%), Asians (3%) and Europeans (1%). The country’s economy is based on agriculture (sugar cane, cotton, molasses, fruit, coconut palms and vegetables), fishing, financial activities and tourism.
The climate of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
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- Area: 269 sqkm. (Arable 39%, Pastures 3%, Forests and Woodlands 17%, Uncultivated and Unproductive 41%)
- Population: 52,000 (2019 data). Blacks 90%, Mulattos (descendants of European and African) 5%, Asian 3%, Whites 1%.
- State Capital: Basseterre (Saint Kitts).
- Language: Official language is English.
- Religion: Christian (Protestant 90%, Catholic 10%).
- Currency: East Caribbean Dollar (XCD)
- Time: UTC -4 hours.
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