Abstract
The islands of St Kitts (formerly St Christopher) and Nevis were discovered and named by Columbus in 1493. They were settled by Britain in 1623 and 1628, but ownership was disputed with France until 1783. In Feb. 1967 colonial status was replaced by an ‘association’ with Britain, giving the islands full internal self-government. St Kitts and Nevis became fully independent on 19 Sept. 1983. In Oct. 1997 the fve-person Nevis legislature voted to end the federation with St Kitts. However, in a referendum held on 10 Aug. 1998 voters rejected independence, only 62% voting for secession when a two-thirds vote in favour was needed. In Sept. 1998 Hurricane Georges caused devastation, leaving 25,000 people homeless, with some 80% of the houses in the islands damaged.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Further Reading
Statistics Division. National Accounts. Annual. St Kitts and Nevis Quarterly.
Moll, Verna Penn, St Kitts and Nevis. [Bibliography] ABC-Clio, Oxford and Santa Barbara (CA), 1995
National library: Public Library, Burdon St., Basseterre.
National Statistical Office: Statistics Division, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Development, Church St., Basseterre.
Editor information
Copyright information
© 2006 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Turner, B. (2006). St Kitts and Nevis. In: Turner, B. (eds) The Statesman’s Yearbook 2007. The Statesman’s Yearbook. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230271357_255
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230271357_255
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-4039-9276-5
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-27135-7
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)