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Language: English
Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar
Temperature: Average 72-76°F winter, 74-84°F summer
Square Miles: 68
Approx. Population: 44,000
St Kitts is short for St Christopher, the name Christopher Columbus gave the island when he and the colonial world first discovered St Kitts in 1493. From about 1623 on, the economy of St Kitts and Nevis developed around their many sugar plantations and slaves. The British defeated the French for control of the two islands in 1783. The Brimstone Hill Fortress, an English fort built in 1690, still remains on St Kitts.
Today, tourism is replacing sugar as the driving force of the islands' economy. The train that once circled St Kitts to pick up and deliver sugar cane to the factory is now the St Kitts Scenic Railway, providing tourists with an easy way to tour the beautiful island. In addition, the plantation houses have been converted into plantation inns, where tourists may opt to reside during their vacations. Other accomodations include the large Marriott resort on St Kitts, offering a casino, spa, and golf course, and Four Seasons Resort Nevis, also offering a golf course. Beautiful white sand beaches on St Kitts, the Nevis Equestrian Center, and the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton on Nevis also attract visitors each year.
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