SAINT KITTS & NEVIS
SAINT KITTS & NEVIS
The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis (also the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis) maybe the smallest country in America but with a history that is no way dismal. Its past is pregnant with the “discovery” of Christopher Columbus for the Western World, the claiming for Spain, African slavery, massacres, and plenty other tumultuous events. While in Caribbean, the twin island of St. Kitts and Nevis is far from being a Caribbean cliché. The two-island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis is among the first islands in the Caribbean to be settled by Europeans.
There’s more to St. Kitts and Nevis besides the rum punches, rhythm and sound, and the beaches, although they do have these Caribbean qualities. Great variability is guaranteed in anything, even in the weather – one time calm, the next, mad. “Mad” to describe the weather is quite understated a word, unless you’ve met Hurricane Earl. And still, all is well in the intoxicating island retreat of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
GEOGRAPHY
St. Kitts and Nevis (17 20 N, 62 45 W) is the smallest territory and sovereign state in the Leeward Islands and in the entire Americas in both population and area. The two main islands have a total area of 261 km2, only 1.5 times as Washington DC, thereby, making it the 40th smallest country in the world. Being of volcanic origin, St. Kitts and Nevis has a generally mountainous landscape in thick forest cover where the highest elevation is 1,156 m above sea level – Mt. Liamuiga. Also, there are a few rivers and one small lake.
CLIMATE
Every time is a good time to visit St. Kitts and Nevis because of the favourable weather with little temperature variation. Yet, the best time to be in St. Kitts and Nevis are November and December. The climate is tropical moderated by constant sea breeze. There are hurricanes to avoid in between the months of July and October.
PEOPLE
The people of St. Kitts and Nevis are called Kittitians and Nevisians. The latest estimate for the population of the twin islands is 50,314 – the smallest population in the entire North and South America. There also are around 20,000 of Kittitians and Nevisians born in the UK of direct descent. The Kittitians and Nevisians are generally of African descent and mulattos, while some are of Portuguese, British, and Lebanese descent.
LANGUAGE
The number of individual languages listed for St. Kitts and Nevis is only 2. ENGLISH is the de facto official language and SAINT KITTS CREOLE ENGLISH is the other. NEVIS CREOLE ENGLISH is a dialect of the latter.
RELIGION
The Kittitians and Nevisians are devoutly religious. Christianity is the religion observed by the entirety of the Kittitians and Nevisians, in particular Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. Anglican is still practised by about half of the population. Others are Rastafarian, and Baha’i followers. An old Jewish cemetery at present is no more than a remnant of once a Jewish population in Nevis, but there is no active Jewish community at the present time.
ATTRACTIONS
Despite a past of turbulence and violence, the petite pair of islands in the Leeward perseveres wonderfully. You see it in the gold of the sun, the silver of the sand, the green of the trees, and the clear of the seas. Being in St. Kitts and Nevis is a truly relaxing experience wherever in the islands you go – to main resort areas like Frigate Bay or in Pinney’s Beach at Nevis. St. Kitts is the main island – the larger of the two. Nevis is the smaller island with one volcanic range and a handful of beaches.
The great thing about heading to these small islands is that you can roam an island in two hours, more or less. Bassetere, the capital and the exact point where the island is divided in two, is a historic and charming city, as are Charlestown and Brimstone Hill, and ideal too for getting to know St. Kitts in a deeper level. And what can be more historic than the once home of Sam Jefferson, the forefather of Thomas Jefferson, the Romney Manor. You can also go swimming, snorkelling, hiking, and horseback riding virtually anywhere.
FOOD
To add, food destinations are also an inch away from the other, and, here, the restaurants always come with great views like the beachside restaurant of the Nisbet Plantation. Tiny nation, huge cuisine – Kittititan and Nevisian cuisine has built up a reputation for fine cuisine with Western, Creole, Chinese, and Indian influences. The pelau, that’s rice, meat, and pigeon peas, like the paella, is a feature of this fusion. As goes with many Caribbean islands, seafood and alcohol are a speciality of the country like the conch cooked different ways from curried, soused, or in salad. There are also amazing Mexican restaurants. One will find plenty of dining options in St. Kitts and Nevis – about a hundred more or less. But in areas where there is not much around, a glass of punch and grilled seafood shared with the locals will just about do it.
Josh Boorman
Editor-in-chief
Backpacking Addictz
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