The most interesting facts about Saint Kitts and Nevis, from the home of US founding father Alexander Hamilton to a local stew known as “goat water”.
Fast facts
Official name: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Population: 54,488
Area: 261 sq km
Capital city: Basseterre
Major languages: English
Major religions: Christianity (mainly Protestant)
Time zone: UTC-4 (Atlantic Time Zone)
– Source: CIA World Fact Book
Interesting facts about Saint Kitts and Nevis
1. Saint Kitts and Nevis is an island nation located in the West Indies of the Caribbean, mainly consisting of the two main islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
– Source: Britannica
2. The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis have probably been inhabited since around 2,900 BC, but the Siboney people’s lack of pottery makes it difficult to verify. The Siboney were followed by Arawak Indians, or Taino, who arrived between 500 and 600 AD.
– Source: Hubbard, Vincent (2002) A History of St. Kitts. Macmillan Caribbean: London
3. In 1493, Christopher Columbus became the first European to land on the islands. He named Saint Kitts after his patron saint, Christopher.
– Source: BBC News
4. By population, Saint Kitts and Nevis is the smallest sovereign state in the Caribbean and the world’s eighth smallest.
– Source: World Bank
5. Saint Kitts and Nevis is also the smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere both in terms of area and population.
– Source: World Bank1, World Bank2
6. The flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis is green and red with a diagonal black stripe with yellow borders featuring two white stars running between. Green depicts the fertility of the islands; red the struggle against slavery and colonialism; black the African heritage of the people; yellow the sun; and the two white stars represent the two islands as well as hope and liberty.
– Source: Britannica
7. Britain first established a colony on Saint Kitts in 1623 and on Nevis in 1628. Britain took official control of both islands in 1783 when France relinquished its claims on Saint Kitts.
– Source: BBC News
8. In 1983, Saint Kitts and Nevis jointly gained independence from the United Kingdom with Kennedy Simmonds as prime minister.
– Source: New York Times
9. Saint Kitts and Nevis has one UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park. The well-preserved fortress was built designed by the British and built by African slave labour during the 17th and 18th centuries.
– Source: UNESCO
10. The fortress was known as the “Gibraltar of the West Indies” due to its similarities with the British Overseas Territory on tip of the Iberian Peninsula.
– Source: The Telegraph
11. Established to run the sugar plantations initially on Saint Kitts and then later on Nevis, slavery has played a major role in the nation’s history with thousands of slaves trafficked from Africa to work on tobacco and sugar plantations before the practice was abolished in 1834.
– Source: Hubbard, Vincent (2002) A History of St. Kitts. Macmillan Caribbean: London
12. Nevis got its name after Columbus sighted the island in 1493 and mistook the clouds surrounding its highest peak, Nevis Peak, as snow. He named it las nieves or “the snows”.
– Source: Britannica
13. In 1998, an independence referendum was held on Nevis. However, the vote narrowly failed to achieve the two-thirds majority required for the island to secede from Saint Kitts.
– Source: The Guardian
14. People from Saint Kitts are Kittitians, and those from Nevis are Nevisians.
– Source: The Telegraph
15. The Broadway musical Hamilton is based on the life of US founding father Alexander Hamilton who was born on the island of Nevis in 1755.
– Source: Smithsonian
16. As a result of the musical’s success, in 2016 Nevis island reported a boost in tourism as fans of the show visited. Some attractions received a 30% increase in visitors and some hotels are now offering Hamilton-themed packages as a result.
– Source: The Guardian
17. The British naval commander and war hero, Horatio Nelson, spent time on Nevis as a colonial administrator and married a local widow, Fanny Nisbet in 1787. There is a museum in his honour on the island.
– Source: Lonely Planet
18. One of the most famous landmarks in Saint Kitts and Nevis is the Wingfield Estate. Founded in 1625, the sugar plantation was operated until the 1920s. Today it’s a picturesque ruin with partly restored original buildings and structures.
– Source: Lonely Planet
19. Saint Kitts and Nevis have one of the world’s highest murder rates. It has the world’s ninth-highest rate at 34.2 intentional homicides per 100,000 people.
– Source: World Bank
20. The islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis are both volcanic islands. On Saint Kitts is Mount Liamuiga, a dormant volcano that is the island’s highest peak at 1,156m (3,792ft). The island of Nevis could be considered one enormous dormant volcano with the central Nevis Peak its highest point at 985m (3,232ft).
– Source: Encyclopedia.com
21 The country’s capital city, Basseterre, means “low land” in French. The reference is to the city’s low-lying location within a valley and that it’s located on the leeward (downwind) side of the island and is, therefore, a sheltered anchorage.
– Source: CIA World Fact Book
22. The national bird of Saint Kitts and Nevis is the brown pelican, Pelecanus Occidentalis.
– Source: Consulate of Saint Kitts and Nevis
23. “Limin” is the local phrase for hanging out, chilling on island time or having a good time.
– Source: Saint Kitts Tourism Authority
24. A popular dish on the islands is “goat water” a stew usually made from the bones and meat of goats.
– Source: Afar Magazine
Every effort has been made to verify these facts about Saint Kitts and Nevis using primary sources. However, if you find an error or have any questions, please contact us.