Saint Kitts and Nevis

Basseterre is the chief town of St. Kitts (St. Christopher) island and the capital of St. Kitts and Nevis, a federated parliamentary state located in the eastern Caribbean. It lies on the island’s southwestern coast, 60 miles (100 km) west of St. John’s, Antigua. Founded in 1627 and rebuilt after being destroyed by fire (1867), it is St. Kitts’s chief port and serves as a depot distributing merchandise to neighboring islands. Sugar refining is the top industry, and there is a trade-in sugar, molasses, cotton, salt, and fruit. Places of interest include St. George’s Church, Government House, Independence Square, the Circus (a thoroughfare modeled on London’s Piccadilly Circus), and a botanical garden. Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport provides links with the Caribbean and other areas. Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park (a British fortress built by slave labor in the 17th–18th century), designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999, is 10 miles (16 km) northwest of the town.

The climate in St. Kitts and Nevis is tropical, hot and humid all year round, with a relatively cool, dry season from January to mid-April and a hot, humid and rainy season from mid-June to mid-November. 

English is the official language of Saint Kitts and Nevis. 

1. Both St. Kitts and Nevis are volcanic islands. Because of this, they have very dramatic central mountains and have had a somewhat unpredictable geologic history with lush tropical vegetation.
2. They have white beaches and black volcanic beaches, depending on what side of the island you are on. One side of the island has black beaches while the other has white beaches. For a comprehensive list of the many beaches in St. Kitts.
3. People on St. Kitts are called Kittitians, and on Nevis, they are called Nevisians.
4. It was considered the mother colony of the West Indies. When Christopher Columbus discovered the island, he named it after St. Christopher's patron saint. Later shorted it to St. Kitts, his nickname.
5. The islands are known for 'goat water,' a stew usually made from goats' neck bones and meat.
6. The English began to settle the islands in 1623, and St. Kitts was the first English colony in the Caribbean. Over the next several years, the English and the French would fight over the island. Eventually, the English took complete control.
   
   
   
   
   
   

• People usually live in towns and villages ranging from twenty to a few hundred residents in size. The villages often contain a general store and sometimes a post office and are characterized by groupings of houses that reflect kinship connections. Most of these village houses are pretty modest wood frame affairs, and the tropical clime obviates the need for complex insulation and weatherproofing. The most significant problem homeowners face is the hurricanes that appear late every summer.
• Sociability is a distinguishing characteristic of the islands and is often commented on by visitors. Socializing occurs easily and frequently at home and in public settings. House design usually includes a porch on which the occupants can observe passers. There is an expectation and pressure for sociability, and adults try to be accessible. Men generally meet on street corners or frequent small bars, rum shops, and pubs where they can socialize. Women confine their interactions typically to social visits, shopping, and church, though chance encounters are always welcome.
• Most coastal families maintain small gardens and a few chickens to round out the menu. Still, most people living along the more populated coast purchase their needs from general stores, and most of the goods are imported and expensive. Sugar production still accounts for a significant part of the income of Saint Kitts. Both islands produce a range of agricultural products for export, and Nevis has a small cattle stock, most of which are exported.
• Marriage is undertaken as both social responsibility and a sign of adulthood. The reasons for marriage emphasize love, though parents pressure children, especially females, who are old enough to marry but are not involved in socializing. Sexual experimentation is reluctantly accepted, resulting in 20 percent of Saint Kitts/Nevis children being born out of wedlock. A newly married couple may reside with either set of parents at first but prefer to live in their domicile, though usually close to other relatives. With the high percentage of educated citizens living abroad, there are an increasing number of mixed marriages. However, the kinship ties between off-islanders and residents continue to be strong.
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