This twin-island nation is more than just year-round sunshine, palm-fringed white sand beaches, and opulent hotels. For example, did you know it is the Western Hemisphere's smallest sovereign state? I didn't think so. From the birthplace of a founding father to French-imported monkeys, here are a few interesting facts about St Kitts and Nevis that may surprise you.
Facts Worth Knowing About St. Kitts and Nevis.
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| St. Kitts And Nevis |
1. St. Kitts and Nevis is the smallest country in the Americas, both in terms of land area and population. The federation's total area is only a little over 104 square miles (269 sq. km). Around 45,000 individuals live there. The bigger of the two islands is St. Kitts.
The two-mile-long "narrows" of the ocean separate the two islands. On a five-minute water taxi ride, you can travel between the two islands. For the Chanel Swim, which attracts hundreds each year, kayaks and fishing boats are also present to keep an eye out for sharks.
2. Green vervet monkeys can be found in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Some of the most popular island subjects for photographs are the green vervet monkeys of St. Kitts. According to estimates, the island is home to thousands of charismatic creatures who have had a significant impact on it. You can find them everywhere, from walks up Monkey Hill to rum punch concoctions at The Monkey Bar.
In truth, none of them are island natives. In the 17th century, French colonists introduced them to the islands and kept them as exotic pets.
3. Alexander Hamilton was born in Nevis.
Alexander Hamilton, a founding father, was born on Nevis, as was the lead character in Lin Manuel-popular Miranda's Broadway production. He was on the lovely island of Nevis long before he wrote the Federalist Papers, served as the nation's first Treasury secretary, and won the Revolutionary War.
His affluent adoptive parents brought him to New York as a youngster to continue his education. Here, he met Frances "Fanny" Nisbet, whom he later married.
4. One of the wealthiest islands in the West Indies at one point was St. Kitts.
St. Kitts was once the richest island in the Caribbean. The lucrative sugar trade flourished here because of the region's fertile volcanic soil and favourable climate. By 1775, there were 68 sugar plantations per square mile, which were managed by wealthy absentee landowners.
When slavery was outlawed across all British colonies, St. Kitts' sugar sector suffered. Due to this and the expansion of beet sugar in Europe, market prices fell, and plantations quickly went out of business. The last surviving sugar plants and cane farms on the island were shut down by the government in 2005.
5. Mangoes are their obsession.
Although St. Kitts no longer has a significant sugar industry, it still produces some of the greatest mangoes in the world. All around the island are thousands of mango trees. There is such an abundance that locals are not even required to purchase them. Mangoes are reportedly grown in 44 different varieties on the island, although local experts can attest that there are likely 200 or more.
6. St. Kitts and Nevis wasn't always a single nation
In actuality, the nations didn't come together until 1882. Saint Kitts, Nevis, and Anguilla were united by the federal act to form an independent state alongside the United Kingdom. However, the English had already arrived long before that and had started to settle around 1623. In actuality, St. Kitts was the region's first British colony.
Up until 1967, it was a British colony. Following Anguilla's secession in 1980, the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis became independent on September 19, 1983.
7. In St. Kitts and Nevis, you can see three different kinds of turtles.
Numerous sea turtles arrive to nest on St. Kitts and Nevis' coastline from June to October. These include a number of the most critically endangered species in the world, such as hawksbill, leatherback, and green turtles. To deposit the eggs for the following generation of sea turtles, they travel hundreds of miles to the same location where they initially hatched.
Organizations like the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network (SKSTMN) are committed to safeguarding the survival of these magnificent creatures by monitoring populations and pushing for stronger sea turtle protection regulations.
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