St. Christopher (commonly called St. Kitts) and Nevis, separated by just two miles, are two islands in the north eastern Caribbean comprising 261 square kilometres with a population­ of 45,000. Despite their small size there is much natural diversity, ranging from forested volcanic mountains soaring to more than 1,000 meters, to coastal plains, dry scrub, golden beaches and vibrant coral reefs in the warm waters offshore.

This welcoming environment no doubt attracted­ the first settlers from the South American mainland nearly 5000 years ago and continues to attract settlers and visitors ever since. Christopher Columbus sailed by on his second voyage in 1493. Although he did not land, he bestowed his name on the islands: St. Christopher after his own patron saint, and Nieves or `Snows' suggested by the cloud-capped cone of Nevis.

Permanent­ European­ settlement was not made until the early 1600s when French Hugenots lived among the aboriginal Arawakan people and cultivated tobacco and food crops. In the 1620's more organised­ settlements were made in St.Kitts first by the English, followed­ shortly­ by the French who both shared the island between them after defeating­ the native people.

St. Kitts became a successful colony of England­ and France and served as a base and a model for the establishment of other English and French colonies in the Caribbean.
African people were brought to the islands from the 1630s to toil on the tobacco­, cotton and then sugar plantations. This infamous trade and exploitation of humans­ continued well into the 19th century.

The history of the islands, then, like the history­ of all peoples everywhere, was at times violent and brutal. Nevertheless despite­, and even as a result of the tensions created by slavery, colonialism­ and economic­ hardship, a rich culture­ combining elements from Africa, Europe­ and native America has evolved.

St. Christopher and Nevis is today an independent­ country with close historical, economic­ and institutional ties to other islands­ in the Caribbean. It is a democracy; and the major economic activities are agriculture­ (with sugar dominating­ in St.Kitts), tourism and light manufacturing.