St Kitts / History, Population, Politics

History

It is likely that St Kitts gets its name from Christopher Columbus, who passed by the island on his second voyage to the New World in 1493. Some believe the explorer called it after St Christopher, his patron saint – a title that was later shortened to St Kitts by English settlers who established the Caribbean's first non-Spanish colony here in 1623. There is an alternative view that he gave it a different name and that St Christopher later became associated with the island due to confusions caused by the inexact mapping of the region.

Prior to the arrival of the Spanish, St Kitts was inhabited by Amerindians who originally came from South America. These included the peaceful Arawaks and later the more belligerent Caribs. In 1625 the French also settled here, and a year later the Europeans joined forces to massacre the native population at a site west of Basseterre now known as Bloody Point. Anglo-French rivalry, along with the island's fertile land and strategic position, prompted the British to start construction in 1690 of what became the colossal Brimstone Hill Fortress. Sugar provided the mainstay of the island economy, supported by the labour of slaves imported from West Africa. By 1775 there were 68 plantations on the island, bringing great wealth to their owners. Three years later the island fell under permanent British rule with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

Emancipation came in 1834, both here and on neighbouring Nevis - an island that has always had close historical ties to St Kitts. In 1882 the pair were united by the British with Anguilla, 64 miles (103km) to the north – an act of administrative parcelling up that many resented. In 1967 St Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla became an associated state of the United Kingdom, but the Anguillans rebelled a few months later and in 1971 their island was put under direct control from Britain. In 1983 all three islands gained independence and the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis was established. This uneasy union continues – in 1998 a referendum to decide if Nevis should split away failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority. Sugar production finally ended in 2005, and St Kitts is now largely dependent on its income from tourism and offshore finance.

Population

The population of St Kitts (without Nevis) is around 31,000, with most citizens resident in and around the capital, Basseterre. The Kittitians are predominantly of African origin with some European influence. English is the official language.

Politics

The Federation of St Kitts and Nevis is a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, who is represented on the islands by a Governor-General. It has been a member of the Commonwealth since 1983 and is governed by a 15-member National Assembly. Eleven of these seats are filled by direct popular elections with eight representatives coming from St Kitts and three from Nevis. The current Prime Minister, Hon. Denzil Douglas, is head of the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party which has been in power since 1995 - the next elections are due to take place by 2015.