St Kitts and Nevis
/kɪts
/
A country in the Caribbean consisting of two adjoining islands of the Leeward Islands; population 40,100 (est. 2009); languages, English (official), Creole; capital, Basseterre (on St Kitts). Official name Federation of St Christopher and Nevis.
St Kitts was visited in 1493 by Christopher Columbus. The islands were colonized by English settlers from 1623, becoming the first successful English colony in the West Indies. A self-governing union between St Kitts and Nevis (and briefly Anguilla) was created in 1967 and became a fully independent member of the Commonwealth in 1983
Origin
St Kitts, alteration (by settlers) of St Christopher, a name given to the island by Columbus; Nevis from Spanish las nieves 'the snows' (because of the ‘snowy’ clouds surrounding the peak).