Nevis, the smaller island, lies to the south and is approximately 7 miles in diameter, covering a total of 36 square miles. The two islands support a population of about 46,, of whom about 35, live on the island of St. Kitts and 11, live on the island of Nevis. Both islands are volcanic in origin, with central mountain ranges that dominate the landscape and radiate downward to the coasts. Most flat or moderately sloped land occurs near the coast, and as a result, most urban and agricultural developments and settlements are established in that geographic area.
The official and business language is English. Kitts and Nevis is a well-functioning democracy based on the British parliamentary system. The country has a pleasant climate, particularly during the cooler months from December to March.
The island originally produced tobacco ; but it changed to sugar cane in , due to stiff competition from the colony of Virginia. The labour-intensive cultivation of sugar cane was the reason for the large-scale importation of African slaves. The importation began almost immediately upon the arrival of Europeans to the region. The purchasing of enslaved Africans was outlawed in the British Empire by an Act of Parliament in Slavery was abolished by an Act of Parliament which became law on August 1, This emancipation was followed by four years of apprenticeship, put in place to protect the planters from losing their labour force.
August the 1st is now celebrated as a public holiday and is called Emancipation Day. In , St. Kitts, Nevis , and Anguilla were all linked under one presidency, located on St. Kitts, to the dismay of the Nevisians and Anguillans. Anguilla eventually separated out of this arrangement, in Sugar production continued to dominate the local economy until , when, after years of having a mono-culture, the government closed the sugar industry.
This was due to huge losses and European Union plans to greatly cut sugar prices. The US dollar is almost as widely accepted as the Eastern Caribbean dollar. For hundreds of years, St. Kitts operated as a sugar monoculture , but due to decreasing profitability, the government closed the industry in Tourism is a major and growing source of income to the island, although the number and density of resorts is less than many other Caribbean islands.
Kitts is dependent on tourism to drive its economy. Tourism has been increasing since As tourism grows, the demand for vacation property increases in conjunction. Interested parties can acquire citizenship if they pass the government's strict background checks and make an investment into an approved real estate development. Tourism, offshore finance and service industries are important sources of income - more so since a centuries-old but loss-making sugar industry was wound down in with the loss of hundreds of jobs.
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor-general. Prime Minister: Timothy Harris. Timothy Harris took office as prime minister in February , succeeding Denzil Douglas, who governed the twin-island federation for 20 years.
The Team Unity coalition led by Mr Harris won seven of the 11 contested seats in the National Assembly in the general elections. Mr Harris is only the third prime minister since the country gained independence from Britain in The government operates national television and radio networks. Freedom of expression is generally respected by the government, says Freedom House.
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