Kitts

Kitts is a term that most often refers to Saint Kitts, the larger of the two main islands that form the sovereign state of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean. The name Saint Kitts is an English adaptation of Saint Christopher, and the shortened form Kitts has been used since the colonial era. The word can also function as a surname.

Geography and administration: Saint Kitts lies in the Leeward Islands, northeast of Antigua and Barbuda, with an area of about 168 square kilometers. It is a volcanic, mountainous island, home to Mount Liamuiga, which rises to 1,156 meters. The coast features beaches, reefs, and mangroves, with Basseterre on the southwest coast serving as the capital and largest town. The island is part of the federal state of Saint Kitts and Nevis, a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth.

History: The island was explored by Europeans in the 15th and 16th centuries and became a focal point of British and French rivalries in the 17th and 18th centuries, shaped by plantation sugar economies and enslaved labor. Saint Kitts and Nevis gained independence from the United Kingdom on 19 September 1983.

Economy and society: The modern economy relies largely on tourism, alongside light manufacturing and financial services. Agriculture, once dominated by sugar, has diminished in prominence. The federation’s official language is English, and the currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar.