Cruising in Saint Kitts and NevisBackgroundFirst settled by the British in 1623, the islands became an associated state with full internal autonomy in 1967. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. Saint Kitts and Nevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority needed. Nevis continues in its efforts to try and separate from Saint Kitts. GeographyLocation: Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way
from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago Coastline135 km Maritime claimsTerritorial sea: 12 nm ClimateTropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November) TerrainVolcanic with mountainous interiors Elevation extremesLowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m EconomySugar was the traditional mainstay of the Saint Kitts economy until the 1970s. Although the crop still dominates the agricultural sector, activities such as tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking have assumed larger roles in the economy. Tourism revenues are now the chief source of the islands' foreign exchange; about 40,000 tourist visited Nevis during the 2003-2004 season. Additional tourist facilities, including a second cruise ship pier, hotels, and golf courses are under construction. TransportationAirports: 2 (2005) Merchant marineTotal: 34 ships (1000 GRT or over) 143,627 GRT/202,477 DWT Sailing Specifics: Ports and terminalsBasseterre, Charlestown Other Sailing Destinations in the RegionAnguilla - Antigua and Barbuda - Aruba - Bahamas - Barbados - British Virgin Islands - Cayman Islands - Cuba - Dominica - Dominican Republic - Grenada - Guadeloupe - Haiti - Jamaica - St. Kitts and Nevis - St. Lucia - Martinique - Montserrat - Netherlands Antilles - Puerto Rico - Trinidad and Tobago - Turks and Caicos - St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Virgin Islands (USA) Further Reading |
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