Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis (in English Saint Kitts and Nevis), officially Saint Kitts and Nevis (official name in English Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis or also Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis; in Spanish Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis), is a country from the North Antilles, specifically from the Windward Islands, owing its name precisely to this pair of islands. Christopher Columbus colonized these islands on his second voyage to this continent, calling the largest San Cristóbal in honor of the colonizer of America and Nieves the second because of the snow on its summit (actually caused by clouds), alluding to a miracle. of the Virgin Mary with the dedication of Our Lady of the Snows and occurred on the Esquiline Hill, in Rome, in the IV centuryIV.

It is the smallest country in the American continent, both in size and population, which is why it is considered a microstate. Saint Kitts and Nevis have an area of 261 square kilometers (Saint Kitts 168 and Nevis 93) and a population of 54,961 inhabitants. Its capital and most populated city is Basseterre, in San Cristóbal.

The two islands are separated by the 3 km Narrows Strait. The highest peak of the islands is located in San Cristóbal, it is Mount Liamuiga with an altitude of 1156 m. Most of the population on the island are descendants of sub-Saharan African slaves. The two islands were home to the first British and French colonies in the Caribbean, which is why it has also been titled 'The Mother Colony of the West Indies'. In 1998 the majority of the inhabitants of the island of Nevis (Nevis) voted for independence from the Federation but did not reach the majority required by the Constitution.

Etymology

San Cristóbal was named "Liamuiga" by the Kalinago Indians who inhabited the island. This name, translated into Spanish means 'fertile land', which is a testament to the island's rich volcanic soil and high productivity. The pre-Columbian name for Nieves was "Oualie", which translates as "land of beautiful waters", presumably referring to the fresh water of the island, with many fountains and springs volcanic hots. Christopher Columbus, observing what is now called Nieves in 1498, gave the island the name of San Martín. However, confusion caused by the mischaracterization of numerous small islands in the Leeward chain, caused the name to end up being accidentally assigned to another island, the one now known as the French-Dutch island of Saint-Martin /Sint Maarten.

The English name Nevis derives from the Spanish name Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, through a process of abbreviation and transformation into English. It is not known who chose this name for the island, although it is a reference to a miracle of the Christian religion of the fourth century: a snowfall on the Esquiline Hill, in Rome. Presumably the white clouds that usually cover the top of Nevis Peak reminded someone of the story of a miraculous snowfall in hot weather. The first British settlement on the island of Nevis was known as Dulcina. The island's original Spanish name, Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, was retained, though it was soon shortened to Nieves.

There is some disagreement about the name Columbus gave to San Cristóbal. For many years it was thought that he named it San Cristóbal in honor of his patron saint Saint Christopher, patron saint of travelers. However, new studies suggest that Columbus named it the island of Sant Yago. The name San Cristóbal was apparently given by Columbus to the island now known as Saba, 20 kilometers to the northwest. It seems that San Cristóbal came to be applied to the island only as the result of an assignment error. Either way, the island was well documented as San Cristóbal in the 17th century. British colonists at first kept the English translation of this name, calling it St Christopher's Island. In the 17th century Kit, or Kitt, was an abbreviation common for Christopher's name, so he informally referred to the island as Saint Kitt's Island, which was further shortened to Saint Kitts.

Today the Constitution refers to the nation, in English, as both Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Christopher and Nevis, but the former is the more used.

History

Pre-Columbian Period

The first natives who lived on the islands, 3,000 years ago, were called Ciboney. However, the lack of ceramics makes its origin and chronology uncertain. They were followed by the Arawak or Taino peoples in AD 800. c.

Clouds covering the Pico Nevis on Snow Island, this phenomenon made the Spaniards give this name to the island

They were followed by the warlike island Caribs, who had already expanded north of San Cristóbal at the time of the Spanish conquest. The native population peak occurred between AD 500 and 600. C.

The first Europeans

The first Europeans to see and name the islands were the Spanish with Christopher Columbus, who sighted them on November 11 and 13, 1493 during his second voyage. He named San Cristóbal San Jorge and Nieves San Martín (sighted on Saint Martin's Day). In 1540, the Spanish used the name Nieves, an abbreviation for Santa María de las Nieves (“Our Lady of the Snows”), in reference to its snow-like cloud cover.

The privateer Francis Drake mentions having visited the island of San Cristóbal in 1585 during Christmas.

The next European encounter occurred in June 1603, when Bartholomew Gilbert picked up Lignum vitae in Nevis before stopping at St. Christopher. In 1607, Captain John Smith stopped at Nevis for five days on his way to founding the first successful settlement in Virginia. Smith documented the many hot springs on Nevis, whose waters had remarkable healing abilities against skin ailments and ill health. Robert Harcourt stopped at Nevis in 1608.

17th century

Old sugar cane boilers in Nieves. Since the centuryXVII and for 360 years Sugar production was the basis of the local economy

In 1620, Ralph Merifield and Sir Thomas Warner received a royal patent from King James I to colonize the Leeward Islands, but with general authority through James Hay, 1st Earl of Carlisle. Merifield and Warner formed the company Merwars Hope, which was renamed the Society of Adventurers, which merged with the Royal African Company in 1664. Warner arrived in San Cristóbal on January 28, 1623 with 15 colonists and came to terms with chief Caribbean Ouboutou Tegremante. There were already three Frenchmen on the island, Huguenot refugees, pirates, or shipwrecked. The hurricane of September 1623 wiped out their tobacco and vegetable crops, but the colony survived and grew. The Hopewells arrived in 1624, and among them was Warner's friend Colonel John Jaeffreson, who built Wingfield Manor. This Jaeffreson may have been an ancestor of Thomas Jefferson.

In 1625, a French captain, Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc, arrived in San Cristóbal aboard his brig with 14 guns and a crew of 40. He had escaped a three-hour battle with a 35-gun Spanish man-of-war near the Cayman Islands. In 1627, Warner and d'Esnambuc divided the island into four quarters, with the English controlling the central half and the French the last. Cardinal Richelieu formed the Compagnie de Saint-Christophe in 1626, and 40 slaves from Senegal were purchased. By 1635, the number of slaves on San Cristobal had risen to 500-600, and in 1665 the French West India Company replaced the Compagnie.

As the European population on San Cristobal continued to increase, Chief Tegremond became hostile to foreigners in 1626 and planned their removal with the help of other Caribs on the island. However, a native named Barbe informed Warner and d'Esnambuc of the plot and they decided to act. The Europeans acted by getting the Indians drunk at a party before returning to their village, where 120 were killed in their sleep. The next day, at a place now called Bloody Point, with a ravine known as the Bloody River, more than 2,000 Caribs were slaughtered. In 1640, the remaining non-enslaved Caribs on Saint Kitts, Nevis, and Antigua were removed to Dominica.

Recovery of San Cristobal Island by Fadrique Alvarez de Toledo Osorio (1629), by the painter Felix Castelo.

In 1628, Warner allowed Anthony Hilton to settle in Nevis, along with 80 other people from St. Kitts. Hilton had recently escaped the murder of his servant, and decided to sell his San Cristóbal plantation. Hilton's 80 were joined by another 100 settlers, originally bound for Barbuda.

The English colonization of 1629 was led by George Donne. Both powers then proceeded to colonize neighboring islands from their bases. The English colonized Nevis (1628), Antigua (1632), Montserrat (1632) and later Anguilla (1650) and Tortola (1672). The French colonized Martinique (1635), the Guadeloupe archipelago (1635), Saint Martin (1648), Saint Barthélemy (1648), and Saint Croix (1650).

San Cristóbal y Nieves suffered a strong Spanish incursion in 1629, led by Fadrique de Toledo, I Marqués de Villanueva de Valdueza. All the settlements were destroyed, nine hostages were taken to Spain, and 600 men were taken to work in the mines of Spanish America. Four ships were to carry the remainder back to England, but they returned to the islands shortly after the departure of the Spanish. This was the only Spanish attempt to keep the English and French out of the Leeward Islands.

During the Battle of La Higuera in 1635, the French forcibly expelled English settlers who had invaded the French part of San Cristóbal. The French used 250 armed slaves in the conflict.

The islands' first cash crop was tobacco, along with ginger and indigo dye. However, production from the Caribbean and North American colonies deflated the price, prompting an 18-month moratorium on tobacco cultivation in San Cristóbal in 1639. This boosted sugar cane production in San Cristóbal in 1643, and in Nieves in 1648. Windmills were built to crush the canes and extract the juice. The planters became prosperous and even wealthy, and Nevis became the wealthiest British colony in the Western Hemisphere in 1652. By 1776, Saint Christopher was the richest British colony per capita. Although indentured servants were common on the islands, less than half survived their servitude, and field work required African slaves. At the end of the 17th century there were twice as many slaves as Europeans in San Cristóbal. In 1675, the population of Nevis was about 8,000, half black. In 1780, the population of Nevis had grown to 10,000 inhabitants, 90% black. The living and working conditions of the slaves were very harsh, as they only lasted between eight and twelve years in the camps, and in the XVIII, two fifths died within a year of their arrival. About 22% died in the Middle Pass.

With the death of d'Esnambuc in 1635, Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy became Lieutenant General of the American Islands and Captain General of San Cristóbal on February 20, 1639. The King of France had sold the French part of the island to the Order of Saint John. Unhappy with de Poincy's independence, the King of France sent Noel de Patrocles de Thoisy to replace him. However, De Thoisy was repulsed, captured, and sent back to France, along with his allies the Capuchin monks. De Poincy began construction of his Château de la Montagne in 1642, where he resided until his death in 1650. He was succeeded by Governor de Sales.

In 1652, Prince Rupert's squadron visited Nevis and exchanged fire with the fort at Pelican Point, following the Royalist defeat in the English Civil War.

Nieves History Museum, built in 1680 is the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton one of the founding fathers of the United States

During the Second Anglo-Dutch War, relations between the French and English colonists soured as their home countries were at war. On April 21, 1666, French Governor Charles de Sales assembled 800 soldiers and 150-200 slaves at Palmetto Point. As the French advanced towards Sandy Point, where the English Governor William Watts was waiting, the French were ambushed by 400 English soldiers and de Sales was killed. Claude de Roux de Saint-Laurent assumed command and the French counter-attacked, forcing the English to withdraw. On April 22, during the battle of Sandy Point, 1,400 English soldiers under Governor Watts, including 260 Colonel Morgan's buccaneers, failed to stop 350 Frenchmen. Governor Watts was killed, and the English fired their cannon at Fort Charles before fleeing to Old Road Town. Many of the English then fled to Nevis while the French took control of San Cristóbal. The French then tried to take Nevis, but were repulsed by the English at Pinney's Beach. English reinforcements to Nevis did not arrive when Willoughby's fleet sank in the hurricane of 15 August 1666. The Armes d'Angleterre left Basseterre in April 1667 with Joseph-Antoine de La Barre on board. The French ship encountered HMS Winchester, the start of an English blockade, and engaged in a long battle before sinking her and returning to San Cristóbal. Finally, the English repulsed an attempted invasion of Nieves in May 1667 during the Battle of Nieves. However, the Treaty of Breda restored the status quo.

The Treaty of Madrid of 1670 led to the recognition of the English colonies in the Caribbean by Spain in exchange for a reduction in pirate attacks. As a consequence, England established the Admiralty Court at Nevis. Those guilty of piracy were hanged at Gallows Bay.

In 1689, during the War of the Grand Alliance, the French Governor de Salnave sent troops to plunder the English side, with Irish help, while the Comte de Blanc's fleet reached Basseterre with 1,200 soldiers. The French besieged English Governor Thomas Hill's troops at Fort Charles, forcing their surrender on August 15, 1689. The English were sent back to Nevis while the Irish took over their plantations. On June 24, 1690, the Governor of the Leeward Islands, Sir Christopher Codrington, and Sir Timothy Thornhill, operating from Nevis, landed an English force of 3,000 men on Saint Christopher. Operating from Timothy's Beach and Frigate Bay, they marched on Basseterre and then besieged the French at Fort Charles. The French surrendered on July 16 and were deported to Santo Domingo. The French had used cannon on Brimstone Hill in their 1689 siege, and in 1690 the British began building Brimstone Hill Fortress. The Treaty of Rijswijk of 1697 restored the status quo. An interesting fact is that Captain William Kidd's privateer Blessed William helped Codrington during this war.

In 1690, a great earthquake and tsunami destroyed the city of Jamestown, then the capital of Nevis. The damage was so great that the city was completely abandoned. The entire city is believed to have sunk into the sea, but since then, the land has shifted at least 100 yards (91 m) to the west. That means that all that remains of Jamestown would now be underground, near where Fort Ashby was built in 1701. The capital was moved south to the city of Charlestown.

18th century

French map of the Snows Island of 1764

Saint Kitts and Nevis would suffer further devastation during the War of the Spanish Succession, although the local impact of that conflict began with the French governor of Saint Kitts, Count Jean-Baptiste de Gennes, surrendering the island without a fight to Sir Christopher Codrington, Governor of the English Leeward Islands, and Colonel Walter Hamilton in 1702. The French inhabitants of San Cristóbal were peacefully transferred to other islands. The French retaliated in 1705 with a five-day bombardment of Nevis by Admiral Louis-Henri de Chavagnac before proceeding to Saint Christopher. There the French sacked the English quarter after landing in the Bay of Frigates, taking between 600 and 700 slaves. Then, on Good Friday 1706, the French under Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville attacked Nieves, capturing Fort Charles and then looting and burning Charlestown. Once again 3,400 slaves were taken, although several more escaped to Maroon Hill and formed a slave army, which effectively resisted the French attack. Before leaving, the French left Nevis in ruins, including its sugar factories. The 1707 hurricane caused further damage to Nieves. It took 80 years before sugar production in Nevis reached the level achieved in 1704. In 1713 the Treaty of Utrecht was signed, in which the French ceded their part of Saint Christopher to the British.

In 1720, the population of San Cristóbal exceeded that of Nevis for the first time. In 1724, the population of San Cristóbal consisted of 4,000 whites and 11,500 blacks, while Nevis had 1,100 whites and 4,400 blacks. In 1774, the population of San Cristóbal was 1,900 whites and 23,462 blacks, while Nevis had 1,000 whites and 10,000 blacks.

After gaining control of the entire island in 1713, the British soon moved the island's capital to the city of Basseterre in 1727, and St. Kitts quickly took off as a leading sugar producer in the Caribbean. While conditions in San Cristóbal improved, Nieves experienced a decline. The years of monoculture, as well as the strong erosion of the soil due to the steep slope of the island, caused its sugar production to continuously decrease.

Alexander Hamilton, the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, was born in Nevis; he spent his childhood there and on St. Croix (Danish Virgin Islands), then part of Denmark, and now one of the United States Virgin Islands.

James Ramsay (abolitionist) was ordained a priest in the parish of Saint John Capisterre in 1762. He continued his abolitionist activities and concern for the welfare of slaves until he left the island in 1781.

John Huggins built the first resort hotel in the Caribbean in 1778. The Bath Hotel was built on the site of one of the island's famous hot springs, Bath Spring. The island thus became the first place in America to officially practice tourism. Nevis's popularity as a destination grew, and it remained popular with the British upper classes, such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Nelson and Prince William Henry, until it closed in the 1870s. 1930, after being reformed by the Gillespie brothers. It housed the troops in World War II, and the Police Department and the Court of First Instance from 1995 to 1999.

By 1776, St. Kitts had become the richest British colony in the Caribbean, per capita. Attacks by the French continued throughout the 18th century, including the Siege of Brimstone Hill and the Battle of Saint Christopher in 1782. The consolidation of British rule was finally recognized in the Treaty of Versailles of 1783.

Brimstone Hill fortress, focus of the successful French invasion of 1782

On March 11, 1787, Captain Nelson married Frances Woolward Nisbet, niece of John Herbert, president of the Council of Nevis. They were married on the Montpelier plantation, with Prince William Henry as best man.

In 1799, the USS Constellation engaged the French merchant ship L'Insurgent off Nevis during the Quasi-War. The American ship scored a first victory for the United States Navy, bringing the captured French commerce raider back to San Cristóbal.

The Roman Catholic Church was brought by the French, and the Church of England by the English, although a Jewish synagogue had existed on Nevis since 1684. The Moravian Church was established on Saint Christopher in 1777, and numbered 2,500 by 1790. Bishop Thomas Coke made the first of his three visits to Nevis and Saint Christopher in 1788, establishing the Methodist Church on the island. The number of members increased to 1,800 in Nevis and 1,400 in Saint Kitts in 1789.

19th century

In 1804, French Admiral Édouard Thomas Burgues de Missiessy and General La Grange forced Nevis and St. Kitts to pay ransoms of £4,000 and £18,000 respectively. This was followed by Jérôme Bonaparte's raid in 1806.

In 1806, the Caribbean government of the Leeward Islands divided into two groups, with Antigua, Barbuda, Redonda, and Montserrat in one group, and Saint Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands in the other. However, the islands of the new grouping were able to maintain their large degrees of autonomy. The grouping split completely in 1816.

Lord Combermere purchased Russell's Rest Plantation following the defeat of France at the Battle of Waterloo. The town and school of Combermere are named after him.

In 1824, Cottle Church was established in Nevis, welcoming slaves and masters alike.

Hotel Bath on the Island of Nieves in the 19th century

The African slave trade ended in the British Empire in 1807, and slavery was outlawed in 1834. Each slave was followed by a period of "apprenticeship" of four years, in which they worked for their former owners in exchange for a salary. In Nevis 8,815 slaves were freed in this way, while in San Cristóbal 19,780 were freed.

The hurricane of 1835, followed by the drought of 1836-1838 and the fire of 1837, devastated Nevis. Sugar prices continued to fall due to production in other parts of the world where costs were cheaper, so that by 1842, Nieves saw its population dwindle as workers fled the island, if they were unwilling to stay and make a living sharing the less and less fertile soil of Nieves. The soil of San Cristóbal was not so depleted. Then there were several earthquakes in 1843, followed by a cholera epidemic in 1853-54, which killed more than 800 people on Nevis and 3,920 on Saint Kitts.

In 1872, San Cristóbal was connected to the international telegraph system. However, the connection was not extended to Nevis until 1925.

The Federation of the Leeward Islands Colony of 1871 spelled the end of elected Assemblies, rather they were appointed. In 1883, the governments of Saint Kitts, Nevis, and Anguilla were united in the Assembly of Saint Kitts. Of the ten seats in the Assembly, Nevis had two and Anguilla one.

Subsidized beet sugar production put wage pressure on the islands, sparking the Portuguese riots of 1896. Sailors from HMS Cordelia were needed to restore order. In 1900 there were 61 farms in Nevis that used the sharecropping system, while San Cristóbal only had 2.

The San Ciriaco hurricane of 1899 left 27 dead in Nevis and 2 in San Cristóbal. Nevis's hospital was destroyed and 8,000 people were left homeless.

20th century

Museum of History of San Cristobal, whose original building was built in 1894

The San Cristobal Sugar Producers Association built a central factory for sugar refining and a railway for its transportation in 1912. The London Electric Theater opened on San Cristobal in 1917. In 1896 a telephone system was built in Saint Kitts which included Nevis in 1913. Nevis's first automobile arrived in 1912, a Ford Model T.

United States President Theodore Roosevelt and his wife visited San Cristóbal in 1916.

Cotton production supplemented sugar during World War I, but declined in 1922 after the appearance of the boll weevil. The Great Depression caused the government to become the largest landowner in Nevis, as farms were abandoned or requisitioned for non-payment of taxes. Between 1900 and 1929, the population of San Cristóbal decreased by 43%, while that of Nevis did so by 9%.

In 1951, the islands were granted the right to vote, and the first elections were held in 1952.

Sugar production continued to dominate the life of the islanders. The domination by the owners of the farms of the only and very limited natural resource of the island, the land, and the exclusive application of this resource to a single industry prevented the development of a stable peasant class. In its place, the system produced a broad class of wage workers, generally resentful of foreign influence. The very nature of the sugar industry - the production of a non-staple and essentially non-nutritious product for a highly fluctuating world market - only served to deepen this hostility and to motivate local workers to seek more control over their working lives and their lives. political situation. The collapse in sugar prices caused by the Great Depression precipitated the birth of the organized labor movement in Saint Kitts and Nevis. The Workers' League, organized by Thomas Manchester of Sandy Point in 1932, tapped into the popular frustration that fueled the labor riots of 1935-36. Renamed the St. Kitts and Nevis Trades and Labor Union in 1940 and under the new leadership of Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw, the union created a political wing, the St. Kitts and Nevis Labor Party, which brought Bradshaw to the Legislative Council in 1946. The Labor Party would dominate the political life of the two-island state for more than thirty years.

Electricity first reached Nevis in 1954.

The islands remained in the Leeward Islands Federation until they joined the failed Federation of the West Indies from 1958 to 1962, in which Saint Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla was a self-governing state. Robert Bradshaw was the short-lived country's Finance Minister.

In 1967, the islands became an Associated State of the United Kingdom.

That same year, Anguilla suffered a major secession movement supported by San Cristóbal's political opposition party, the Popular Action Movement (PAM). Both forces, working together, invaded the island from an Anguilla base in an attempted coup. Anguilla managed to secede from the union in 1971.

In 1970 there was a serious maritime incident, the Christena disaster, the sinking of an overloaded ferry, with great loss of life.

During Bradshaw's long tenure, his government slowly shifted to a statist approach to economic development in 1972. All sugar land was purchased by the government, as well as the nationalization of the sugar factory in 1976.

Opposition to the Bradshaw government began to grow, especially from families and supporters of the former estate owners, who founded the People's Action Movement party in 1964 after frustration over a demonstration unsuccessful against an increase in electricity rates. Opposition was especially strong in Nevis, which felt that its island was being unfairly neglected and deprived of income, investment and services by its larger neighbor. Bradshaw ignored Nieves's complaints, but local disenchantment with the Labor Party turned out to be a key factor in the eventual fall of the party from power.

In 1978, Bradshaw died of prostate cancer. He was succeeded by his former deputy, Paul Southwell, but in 1979 Southwell himself died (under mysterious circumstances) in Saint Lucia. Accompanying the interim prime minister, Caleb Azariah Paul Southwell, was Lee Llewellyn Moore, attorney general and next-in-seniority of the St. Kitts Labor Party. The political organization ended up falling into a leadership crisis, but Lee Moore was elected. Despite this, many Labor supporters were suspicious of Southwell's death, and many chose to vote "PAM" the following year in the general elections.

Taking advantage of the confusion in the Labor Party, the PAM party was very successful in the 1980 elections, winning three seats in San Cristóbal, to the Labor Party's four. The Nevis Reform Party, under the leadership of Simeon Daniel, won two of the three seats in Nevis. PAM and the NRP then formed a coalition government, appointing Kennedy Simmonds, a doctor and one of the founders of PAM, as Prime Minister (Simmonds had won Bradshaw's old seat in a 1979 by-election). The change of government reduced Nieves' demand for secession.

Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of the country since 2022

Independence

In 1983, the federation became independent from Great Britain, with a constitution granting Nevis a large degree of autonomy, as well as the guaranteed right to secede. To take advantage of this milestone, early elections were called in 1984, in which the NRP won the three seats in Nevis, and the PAM party six seats in San Cristóbal, compared to the Labor Party's two, despite the fact that in general the Party Labor won the popular vote across the country. The new coalition government now had a solid 9-2 mandate in parliament.

San Cristóbal's economy improved as the PAM party shifted its focus from the sugar industry to tourism. However, much of the island's poorest population, mainly workers in the sugar sector, was left unserved. Opposition to PAM began to grow from this, as well as from the corruption allegations. In the 1993 elections, both PAM and Labor won four seats each, while in Nevis a new party, the Concerned Citizens' Movement, won two seats, beating the NRP by one. The stalemate in San Cristóbal became irresolvable when the Nevis MTC refused to form a coalition with the PAM. Riots soon broke out on the islands, which were finally resolved in a special election held in 1995, in which the Labor Party overwhelmingly defeated PAM, taking seven seats to one for PAM. Dr. Denzil Douglas became the federation's new premier, and in 2015 Timothy Harris became the premier.

On September 21, 1998, Hurricane Georges severely damaged the islands, causing nearly half a billion dollars in property damage. Georges was the worst hurricane to hit the region in the XX century. In August 1998 there was a referendum in Nevis to decide on the separation of San Cristóbal, which lacked the two-thirds necessary to reach the majority required by the constitution (66%), since it could only reach 61.7% of the favorable votes.

In 2005, San Cristóbal saw its sugar industry shut down, after 365 years of monoculture. This was explained by huge industry losses, as well as market threats from the European Union, which had plans to cut sugar prices heavily in the near future. Since then, tourism has been the main focus of the economy.

The 2015 general election in Saint Kitts and Nevis was won by Timothy Harris and his newly created People's Labor Party, supported by PAM and the Nevis-based Concerned Citizens' Movement under the banner of 'Team Unit''.

In June 2020, the incumbent government's Team Unity coalition, led by Prime Minister Timothy Harris, won the general election by defeating the St. Kitts and Nevis Labor Party (SKNLP).

Government and politics

Government Headquarters of San Cristobal and Nieves

The capital of the country is Basseterre, located on the island of San Cristóbal. Like 14 other Commonwealth countries, the islands' head of state remains the British monarch, who elects a resident Governor-General to represent him in local affairs. From January 1, 1996 to January 1, 2013 the Governor General of the islands was Cuthbert Montraville Sebastian. From that date until May 19, 2015, he was succeeded by Edmund Lawrence. The position is currently held on an interim basis by Samuel Weymouth Tapley Seaton. The head of government is the Prime Minister, currently Terrance Drew (Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party) who took office on August 6, 2022 and is one of the 14 members of the National Assembly.

Politics

King Charles III is the head of State of San Cristobal and Nieves, where he is known as King of San Cristobal and Snows (in English, King of Saint Christopher and Nevis).

The country is an independent state belonging to the Commonwealth of Nations, being a parliamentary monarchy, with the British monarch, currently King Charles III, as head of state, represented in Saint Kitts and Nevis by a Governor General, who acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The prime minister is the leader of the majority party in the House, and the cabinet conducts affairs of state.

Saint Kitts and Nevis has a single legislative chamber, known as the National Assembly. It is composed of fourteen members: eleven elected representatives (three from the island of Nevis) and three senators who are appointed by the Governor General. Two of the senators are appointed on the recommendation of the prime minister, and another on the advice of the leader of the opposition. Unlike other countries, senators do not constitute a separate chamber of the Senate or upper house of parliament, as they sit in the National Assembly, alongside representatives. All members serve a five-year term. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are accountable to Parliament.

Saint Kitts and Nevis is a full member with participation in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Inter-American Conference on Social Security (CISS).

Judicial Branch

Complex of Judicial and Legal Services Sir Lee L. Moore (Sir Lee L. Moore Judicial and Legal Services Complex)

The highest judicial authority in Saint Kitts is the Privy Council in London (Privy Council in London). As for regional jurisdiction, Saint Kitts and Nevis shares a common court with eight neighboring island states since 1967, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court), based in Castries, in Saint Lucia. It is made up of the High Court of Justice (High Court of Justice), which deals with constitutional and human rights issues, and the Court of Appeal. It is composed of a president of the court and four appellate judges at the seat and 19 high court judges residing in the nine member states. At the local level, there are magistrates' courts, which hear simple cases. The High Court is made up of a president and four appellate judges.

Foreign Relations

Saint Kitts and Nevis has no major international disputes. Saint Kitts and Nevis is a full member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

At a CARICOM meeting, the representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Kennedy Simmons, signed the Double Taxation Relief Treaty (CARICOM) on July 6, 1994.

Representatives of seven CARICOM countries signed similar agreements at the Sherbourne Conference Center, St. Michael, Barbados. Countries whose representatives signed the treaties in Barbados were: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. This treaty covered taxes, residence, tax jurisdictions, capital gains, business profits, interest, dividends, royalties, and other areas.

On June 30, 2014, Saint Kitts and Nevis signed a Model 1 agreement with the United States of America in relation to the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). As of April 28, 2016, the state of the agreement became "In force".

Defense

Naval exercises between the United States Coast Guard and that of San Cristobal and Nieves

Its military force is the Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force. The Caribbean country has a 300-strong defense force primarily dedicated to surveillance and interception of drug trafficking. The nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis has a defense force of 300 people, its main task being the fight against drug trafficking. The Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force is the defense force of Saint Kitts and Nevis. It currently consists of an infantry unit (the Saint Kitts and Nevis Regiment) and a maritime unit (the Saint Kitts and Nevis Coast Guard). Both units have regular and reserve military elements, all of which are under the command of Force Headquarters (FHQ, SKNDF). The current Commander of the SKNDF is Major J. Anthony Comrie. The SKNDF has an active force of 300 personnel and a cadet corps of 150.

The commander receives orders from the Minister of National Security.

The main mission of the ground force element is the internal security of Saint Kitts and Nevis, along with the local police, while the coast guard is responsible for policing the country's territorial waters. One of the main functions of the whole SKNDF is the interdiction of drug trafficking, which is often carried out in conjunction with local police and the British Royal Navy. The SKNDF is also used in the provision of relief after natural disasters and in peacekeeping functions abroad.

Human rights

In terms of human rights, regarding membership of the seven bodies of the International Bill of Human Rights, which include the Human Rights Committee (HRC), Saint Kitts and Nevis has signed or ratified:

Status of major international human rights instruments

San Cristóbal y Nieves	International treaties
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	CESCR	CESCR-OP	CCPR	CCPR-OP1	CCPR-OP2-DP			CEDAW	CEDAW-OP	CAT	CAT-OP	CRC	CRC-OP-AC	CRC-OP-SC		CRPD	CRPD-OP
Pertenence
Signed and ratified, signed, but not ratified, neither signed nor ratified, without information, it has agreed to sign and ratify the body concerned, but also recognizes the competence to receive and process individual communications from the competent bodies.

Political-administrative organization

Saint Kitts and Nevis is divided into fourteen parishes. Nine of them are located on the Island of San Cristóbal and the other five on the Island of Nieves.

1. Christ Church Nichola Town (San Cristóbal Island)
2. Saint Anne Sandy Point (San Cristobal Island)
3. Saint George Basseterre (San Cristobal Island)
4. Saint George Gingerland (Snow Island)
5. Saint James Windward (Snow Island)
6. Saint John Capisterre (San Cristóbal Island)
7. Saint John Figtree (Nieves Island)
8. Saint Mary Cayon (San Cristóbal Island)
9. Saint Paul Capisterre (San Cristóbal Island)
10. Saint Paul Charlestown (Nieves Island)
11. Saint Peter Basseterre (San Cristóbal Island)
12. Saint Thomas Lowland (Snow Island)
13. Saint Thomas Middle Island (San Cristóbal Island)
14. Trinity Palmetto Point (San Cristobal Island)

Geography

Map of San Cristobal and Nieves.

The two Antilles islands that make up the country are separated by the Narrows Strait, less than 3 km. Both islands are of volcanic origin with steep peaks in the interior. The highest peak is San Cristobal's, Mount Liamuiga at 1,156m. On the contrary, in the areas near the coast the relief is completely flat.

The climate of the islands is humid tropical with an average of 26.7 degrees throughout the year.

Capital

Panoramic view of the city.

On the coast, the landscape is flatter and has a tropical climate. Tourism is one of the most important activities due to the beaches. In recent years, the islands have received hotel investments, including high-class hotels with great infrastructure and comprehensive services.

The most populous city in the country is Basseterre, with 20,000 inhabitants, in the middle of a landscape marked by the San Cristóbal peak. Basseterre testifies to its colonial past with French and English influences in its architecture. It has museums, cathedrals, and fortifications from the English colonial era.

Geology and geomorphology

Saint Kitts and Nevis lies adjacent to the Lesser Antilles island chain on the eastern edge of the Caribbean Plate, in the subduction zone where the South American Plate is pushed under the Caribbean Plate by plate tectonics. Subduction has caused volcanic activity and earthquakes for millions of years, which still occur today. Like the entire island chain, Saint Kitts and Nevis were formed by volcanoes. Saint Christopher is relatively young, having formed in the Miocene about 50 million years ago, and Nevis is even younger, with a formation period presumed to be between the middle Pliocene (3.45 million years ago) and the Pleistocene. Like the other islands, they are the tops of seamounts formed by the accumulation of magma.

Kitts is made up almost entirely of volcanic rocks such as andesite and dacite. The island is made up of three volcanic groups separated by deep canyons. The highest mountain is Mount Liamuiga, 1,156 m high, formerly called Mount Misery. It is a dormant volcano, with basalt and andesite among other features, and last erupted in 1960.

A crab Ocypode quadrata on San Cristobal Island

Nieves is also made up of several eruptive centers. From a geological point of view, four zones can be distinguished: eruptive centers, volcanic rocks (pyroclasts, lahar), fluvial and lacustrine deposits, and beach terraces. The highest elevation on the island of Nieves is Pico Nieves, at 985 m, a dormant volcano that last erupted in the Holocene.

Economy

Saint Kitts and Nevis was the last place to practice sugar monoculture in the Lesser Antilles. But because the sugar industry found it increasingly difficult to make a profit, the government decided to carry out a diversification program for the agricultural sector and stimulation of development in other sectors of the economy, particularly tourism. The issuance of postage stamps, mainly for philatelic collecting, is also an important source of income for its economy.

The beaches, the coral reefs, the jungle vegetation, the historic buildings of the XVIII century, the hotels, the A tropical climate with temperatures ranging between 17 °C and 33 °C and the possibility of doing duty-free shopping make this island a place that receives tourism. By 1987, tourism had surpassed sugar as a source of foreign exchange earnings.

The government instituted an investment incentive program, encouraging both domestic and foreign private investment. Government policies included tax exemptions, duty-free importation of equipment and materials, and subsidies for training local personnel.

Royal Bank of Canada with the old Treasury building next door

The country's economy experienced strong growth through most of the 1990s, but the hurricanes of 1998 and 1999 contributed to a sharp decline in the economy. Real economic growth was 0.75% in 2002, after a decline of 4.3% in 2001. The economy experienced an uneven performance in 2002, with some sectors experiencing positive growth while others experienced variable levels of decline. The construction sector registered a 4.51% decline, the manufacturing industry, hotels and gastronomy also had significant decreases of 4.01% and 9.89% respectively, with sugar production falling by around 5.1%. Important investments in the tourism sector, as well as continued efforts from the government to diversify the economy, open an expectation to improve economic performance. Retail prices have grown marginally in recent years. The inflation rate was 3% to 4% for most of the decade from 1990.

The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank issues the Eastern Caribbean Dollar, which is a common currency for all the countries that are part of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union. The Central Bank also manages monetary policy and regulates and supervises the commercial banking activities of member countries.

Primary sector

Agriculture is practiced (according to 2022 data) on approximately 39% of the country's surface. The main product of San Cristóbal is sugar cane, with peanuts in second place. In Nieves, cotton and coconuts are the main crops. Sweet potatoes, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, and breadfruit are grown on both islands for the local market, mainly by smallholders. Several tens of thousands of hectares are used in the livestock sector.

Romney manor is a tourist attraction because Sam Jefferson II, the great-grandfather of President Thomas Jefferson bought the property in 1625.

The farm includes tens of thousands of sheep, goats, cows and pigs.

Fishing is done on a small scale and using traditional methods such as beach ring nets, fish traps and rods. In 2000, 257 tons of marine animals were caught (compared to 620 tons in 1990), such as lobster.

Forestry: Both islands have small tropical forests, including palms, flamingos, and fan palms. About 11% of the earth's surface is made up of forests. Forest products generated almost $1.8 million in 2000.

Secondary sector

The production of simple consumer goods predominates, such as textiles and footwear, and food processing. This sector contributes to 8-10% of GDP (according to 2022 data), provides more than 2,000 jobs, representing 8.54% of the active population, and contributes to exports.

The country has aimed to achieve a renewable energy share of 60% by 2017. According to IRENA, in 2018 the share of renewable energy in Saint Kitts and Nevis was 1%.

Tertiary sector

Some fish products (mainly lobster) are exported to the Netherlands Antilles and Puerto Rico, worth $245,000 as early as the year 2000. As their own catch does not meet local demand, large quantities of fish are imported dried, salted, smoked or frozen from Canada and the United States.

Smuggling: Saint Kitts and Nevis is, according to the CIA, a transshipment point for drug trafficking (cocaine, marijuana) between South America and North America, Europe and the rest of the Caribbean.

Tourism

Frigate Bay

The capital, Basseterre, has a cruise terminal, Port Zante, a short distance from the historic center. The cruise port is served by all known cruise lines. Cruise tourism grew from relatively low importance until the early 2000s, in some cases by leaps and bounds. Of course, the expansion of the port infrastructure also contributed to this. Most cruise ships dock first thing in the morning and stay until late afternoon, making them purely day visitors.

In 2018, the highest number of cruise passengers to date was registered, with 1.17 million on 540 ships. After a slightly worse start to 2020, all cruise calls were canceled in March, as a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure for cruise ships lasted until fall 2021.

Compared to cruise tourists, who usually stay in port for no more than 12 hours, the number of overnight tourists is quite low. The highest value was reached in 2005, with 148,851 tourists. Since then, this value has been decreasing. Also in this case, very low values were reached in 2020 and 2021 due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic (2021: 20,139).

Citizenship by Investment

The country allows foreigners to obtain St. Kitts and Nevis citizen status through a government-sponsored investment program called Citizenship by Investment. Established in 1984, the local citizenship program of its kind is the oldest of the world. However, while the program is the oldest in the world, it didn't catch on until 2006, when Henley & Partners, a global citizenship advisory firm, became involved in restructuring the program to incorporate donations to the country's sugar industry.

View from Timothy Hill - Resort Marriott and Casino The Royal Beach

Citizenship by investment programs have been criticized by some researchers due to the risks of corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. According to the official website of the San Cristóbal Citizenship by Investment Program, they offer multiple benefits: & #34;When you acquire citizenship under the St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship program, you and your family enjoy full citizenship for life, which can be passed down to future generations through descent. As citizens of Saint Kitts and Nevis, you and your family receive passports that allow visa-free travel to over 140 countries and territories around the world, including the entire EU. Of course, you have the right to establish your residence in Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as in most CARICOM member countries, at any time and for any period of time".

Each candidate must go through various legal steps and make a qualifying investment in the country and must complete certain legal requirements to qualify for citizenship under the investment program. The applicant must make at least a minimum investment in approved real estate, in the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SDIF) or in the Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF) in order to obtain economic citizenship of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

According to Henley & Partners, the requirements are as follows:

An investment in designated real estate with a minimum value of $400,000, plus payment of government and other fees and taxes.

A contribution to the Sugar Industry Diversification Fund of at least $250,000, including all government fees but excluding due diligence fees, which are the same for the real estate option.

According to Imperial & Legal, as of April 1, 2018 the government of Saint Kitts and Nevis implemented a new investment option - Contribution to the Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF). To qualify for St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship, applicants who choose to invest in the SGF will need to make a one-time non-refundable contribution of $150,000 plus due diligence fees.

Demographics

Demography of San Cristobal and Nieves. FAO data. Year 2005; Number of inhabitants in thousands

Saint Kitts and Nevis had 52,329 inhabitants in 2016. Emigration from these islands is very frequent. This can be affirmed because the population in 2007 was similar to that of 1961.

The population of the islands is made up mostly of black descendants of slaves brought from West Africa. You can also find Spanish, British, Portuguese and Lebanese.

Languages

English is the main language and the only official language, although Saint Kitts and Nevis Creole, also called Nevis Creole in Nevis, is also spoken, other minority languages include Spanish.

Saint Kitts Creole is a dialect of Caribbean Creole English in the Leeward Islands, spoken in Saint Kitts and Nevis by about 40,000 people. The Creole of San Cristóbal does not have official protection.

San Cristóbal Creole has a history much like other English Creoles in the West Indies. Its origin is in the enslaved West Africans in the XVII century, who, being taken to the islands to work on the plantations of sugar, they were forced to quickly learn British English because their work required it. His English was mixed with West African words and, in some cases, with the structure of the language. The French, who occupied the island from 1625 to 1713, had only a small impact on the creole spoken today, unlike the former French islands of Dominica and Saint Lucia, where a creole based in French and not in English.

St. Kitts Creole is spoken today on the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis (although people on Nevis refer to the language as "Nevisian" or "Nevis Creole& #34;), mainly in rural areas, and is spoken especially in Capesterre, that is, the east coast of San Cristóbal (Christ Church Nichola Town, Cayon), and Nevis. The current use of Creole implies a higher proportion of Standard English, possibly due to access to foreign media. In general, only residents in rural areas are heavy users of Creole, although the majority of the population uses mesolectal forms of the language. Jamaican popular culture and music have also played a role, as Jamaican idioms are increasingly used in St. Christopher Creole, as well as throughout the region.

School of Medicine University of Windsor (Windsor University School of Medicine), San Cristobal

The pronunciation of San Cristóbal is similar to that of the neighboring islands of Antigua and Montserrat, but with slight differences that are only perceptible to residents of the Leeward Islands.

Education

There are eight public schools in Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as several private schools. Education is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16.

Primarily, private institutions offer child care (0-3 years) and preschool education for children 3-5 years.

• Primary schools accept children from 5 to 12 years of age (2 years of preschool and 4 years of regular schools).
• Secondary schools support children for 5 years. The qualifications are approved in the Caribbean Economic Area.
• The College/University of Applied Sciences: the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) offers master's degree programs in arts, education, health, engineering, business administration and tourism. Other specializations are possible through cooperation with universities in the Caribbean region.

Religion

The Concatedral of the Immaculate Conception in Basseterre

Most of the inhabitants (82%) are followers of Christianity, mainly Anglicans, Methodists and other Protestant denominations, there are also adherents of the Catholic Church. Roman Catholics are pastorally cared for by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint John&# 39;s-Basseterre, while Anglicans for the Diocese of the Northeast Caribbean and Aruba.

Hinduism is the largest non-Christian religion, followed by 1.82% of the population.

The Ministry of Snow Affairs, Labour, Social Security and Ecclesiastical Affairs is in charge of registering religious groups. Religious groups are not required to register, but doing so provides the government with a database of contacts through which it disseminates information about government policy for religious groups. The registry also allows religious groups to act as charities and import religious items duty free.

The constitution allows religious groups to establish and maintain schools at their own expense. Public schools offer Christian religious instruction, daily prayers, and religious assemblies; students who do not want to attend are exempt from all religious activities. Public schools require vaccinations for children to attend school.

According to the 2011 census, 17 percent of the population is Anglican; 16 percent Methodist; 11 percent, Pentecostal; 7 percent, Church of God; 6 percent, Roman Catholic; 5 percent, Baptist, Moravian, Seventh-day Adventist, and Wesleyan Holiness; 4 percent, others; and 2 percent, brothers, evangelical Christians and Hindus.

Transportation

Transportation in Saint Kitts and Nevis (a federation of two islands) includes normal road traffic, public buses, taxis, ferries, airports, and a railway.

Basseterre is the center of the main highways of San Cristóbal. Charlestown (Nevis) is the equivalent center in Nevis. It drives on the left.

Tourist train from San Cristobal called St. Kitts Scenic Railway

The speed limit in populated areas is 40 km/h, with special caution in school zones. In rural areas, the speed limit is 60 km/h.

The total length of the highways of Saint Kitts and Nevis is 320 km. In 1999 it was estimated that 136 km were paved and 184 km were unpaved.

Public buses are privately owned vans, but licensed by the government. Sometimes they have a decorative name on the front, and all have a green license plate whose number begins with the letter "H" or "HA".

The bus can stop at any point in its route (not just at stops), and it will also stop at any point in its route (if requested) to drop off a passenger.

Bus fares (in Eastern Caribbean or EC dollars) are $2.50 for a trip of 5 miles or less, $3 for a trip of 5 to 10 miles, and $3.75 for one trip of more than 10 miles.

Terminal of San Cristobal International Airport

Destinations off the main route are usually possible on request, at the driver's discretion, against payment of a small surcharge.

Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport (IATA airport code SKB/TKPK) serves the city of Basseterre, and by extension the island of San Cristóbal. The airport is located in the south of the parish of Saint Peter Basseterre, on the north-eastern outskirts of the city of Basseterre. The airport, with an 800-foot runway, has direct flights to London, New York, and Miami, and seasonal flights to Charlotte, North Carolina, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as other major cities in the United States and Canada during the tourist season.

Vance W. Amory International Airport (IATA airport code NEV/TKPN) serves the island of Nevis. The airport runway is 4,002 feet long. Many flights connect from here with other Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico.

St. Kitts is served by 58km of 2ft (762mm) narrow gauge railway, which is centered on the capital, Basseterre, and encircles the island. The railway line was originally built between 1912 and 1926 to transport sugar cane to the central Basseterre sugar factory. The last shipment of sugarcane was delivered to the defunct factory in 2005, but since 2003 the railway has offered a circular tour of the island aboard double-decker carriages specially designed for tourists. The St. Kitts Scenic Railway train it currently runs from Sandy Point to Basseterre, heading east.

Culture

The culture as in other Caribbean islands has European and African influences.

Music and festivals

Saint Kitts and Nevis is known for a number of musical celebrations, such as Carnival (December 18 to January 3 in Saint Kitts). The last week of June hosts the St. Kitts Music Festival (St Kitts Music Festival), while the week-long Culturama takes place in Nevis from the end of July to early August.

Other festivals on San Cristóbal Island include the Inner City Fest, in February in Molineaux; the Green Valley Festival, usually around Whit Monday in the town of Cayon; Easterama, around Easter in the town of Sandy Point; Fest-Tab, in July or August in the town of Tabernacle; and The Capisterre festival, around the Independence Day of Saint Kitts and Nevis (September 19), in the Capisterre region. These celebrations often include parades, street dancing, and music such as salsa, jazz, soca, calypso, and steelpan.

The 1985 film Missing in Action 2: The Beginning was filmed in San Cristóbal.

Media

There are no public stations. Freedom of the press and the media is guaranteed by the Constitution.

The beginnings of commercial broadcasting date back to the 1930s. Program broadcasting was later taken over by the BBC, with the help of which the first regular ZIZ radio program (today ZIZ 96 FM) was launched, VHF since 1973) in 1961. Cooperation with the BBC enabled differentiated programming with information, education and entertainment to be offered. A sister station Big Wave 96.7 FM was established in 2004. West Indies News Network is an Internet portal and operator of the FM radio program WINN FM 98.9. 50 shareholders participate as owners, none of whom own more than 10% of the shares to avoid individual dominance. The operator sees itself as the leading media company. Trinity Broadcasting Network's Radio Paradise can be received via a local medium wave transmitter. In addition, there are numerous private radio stations with video and audio transmissions.

Sports

Cricket is common in Saint Kitts and Nevis. The best players go on to become part of the West Indies cricket team. Runako Morton a current batting middle on the main team, is from Nevis. Saint Kitts and Nevis is the smallest country on Earth to have ever hosted a World Cup event as it was one of the venues for the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

Stadium of Críquet Warner Park

The Saint Kitts and Nevis national soccer team, also known as the "Sugar Boyz," have experienced some international success in recent years, advancing to the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying Soccer Championship Germany 2006, and the Gold Cup. Led by Glence Glasgow, they defeated the US Virgin Islands and Barbados before they were bested by Mexico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.

The Saint Kitts and Nevis Billiards Federation (SKNBF), from its name in English, is the governing body for the reference sport on the two islands. The SKNBF is a member of the Caribbean Billiards Union (CBU), with SKNBF President Ste Williams serving as CBU Vice President.

Kim Collins is the nation's leading track and field athlete. He has won gold medals in the 100m at both the World Championships in Athletics and the Commonwealth Games, and at the 2000 Sydney Olympics he was the first athlete from the country to reach an Olympic final. He and three other athletes represented Saint Kitts and Nevis at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Writer and former figure skater and triathlete Kathryn Bertine was granted dual nationality in an attempt to get her to represent Saint Kitts and Nevis in cycling at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Her story is told online on ESPN.com as part of its E-Ticket feature titled "So She Wants to Be an Olympian?". She ultimately did not earn the points necessary for Olympic qualification. Saint Kitts and Nevis had two athletes at the 2010 Road Cycling World Championships, which were Reginald James Douglas and Weekes.