Saint Kitts and Nevis

Central America and the Caribbean

Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago.

17 20 N, 62 45 W

"Country Above Self"
Governor-General Sir Cuthbert Sebastian	Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas

Capital
Basseterre

Government
Parliamentary democracy and Federal constitutional monarchy

Religion
Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

Population
51,300

Ethnic group
Predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese

National Language                   
English
          
National Day
19 September 1983 from the United Kingdom

Anthem
"O Land of Beauty"

Currency
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Attractions
Brimstone Hill Fortress,  Catholic Church,  Dry Forest,  Frigate Bay - Atlantic,  Guavaberry Caribbean Offshore Race
 
Website       

Art & Cultural

The ICON

Brimstone Hill Fortress                     Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of St. Kitts in the Federation of St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis in the Eastern Caribbean. It was designed by British military engineers and built and maintained by African slaves. It is one of the best preserved historical fortifications in the Americas. Cannon were first mounted on Brimstone Hill in 1690, when the British used them to recapture Fort Charles  from the French. The French had not considered it possible to transport cannon up the steep and thickly wooded sides of Brimstone Hill. The construction of the fort then carried on intermittently for just over 100 years. In its heyday, the fort was known as 'The Gibraltar of the West Indies', in reference to its imposing height and seeming invulnerability. In 1782, the French, under Admiral Comte François Joseph Paul de Grasse laid siege to the fort. During the siege, the adjacent island of Nevis surrendered, and guns from Fort Charles and other small forts there were brought to St. Kitts for use against Brimstone Hill. British Admiral Hood could not dislodge de Grasse, and after a month of siege, the heavily outnumbered and cut-off British garrison surrendered. However, a year later, the Treaty of Paris (1783) restored St. Kitts and Brimstone Hill to British rule, along with the adjacent island of Nevis. Following these events, the British carried out a program to augment and strengthen the fortifications, and Brimstone Hill never again fell to an enemy force.