Saint Kitts is one of the historic
centers of the Caribbean
Saint Kitts (also known more formally as
Saint Christopher Island (Saint-Christophe in French) is an
island in the West Indies. The west side of the island
borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the
Atlantic Ocean. Together with the island of Nevis, Saint
Kitts constitutes one country: the Federation of Saint Kitts
and Nevis.
The island is situated at about 1,300 miles (2,100 km)
southeast of Miami, Florida, in the United States. It has a
land area of about 68 sq. miles (168 km?), being 18 by 5
miles (29 by 8 km).
Saint Kitts has a population of around 35,000, the majority
of whom are mainly of African descent. The primary language
is English, with a literacy rate of approximately 98%.
Residents call themselves Kittitians.
Saint Kitts is one of the historic centres of the Caribbean.
The first successful British colony in the West Indies was
founded on the island in 1624, and the island was
subsequently used as a base to settle most of the
neighbouring islands for Britain. It also became the site of
the first successful French colony in the West Indies (with
Britain and France splitting the island between them) in
1625, and was then used to settle other Caribbean
territories for France.
Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site is the largest fortress ever built in the
Eastern Caribbean. The island is also home to the Warner
Park Cricket Stadium, which was used to host 2007 Cricket
World Cup matches. This made St. Kitts and Nevis the
smallest nation on Earth to ever host a World Cup event.
The island is also an education centre, with the Ross
University School of Veterinary Medicine Windsor
University School of Medicine, and the International
University of Health Sciences IUHS).
The capital of the two-island nation, and
also its largest port, is the town of Basseterre on Saint
Kitts. There is a modern facility for handling large cruise
ships here. There is a ring road which goes around the
perimeter of the island; the interior of the island is too
steep for habitation
Arts & Culture Culture refers to the total way of life that is learnt and
shared by any society. It is the combination of the arts, customs,
beliefs and institutions created by a group of people at a
particular time and place which forms part of our cultural heritage.
Our cultural heritage includes everything that has been handed down
to us by our ancestors that continues to affect our patterns of
behaviour and the way we live. However, for a thought or action to
be considered cultural, it must be commonly shared by some
population or group of individuals. It includes the way we dance or
sing or play music. It is the way we speak, the expressions and the
languages we use. It is the special foods we cook, and the way they
are prepared. It is the stories that we tell or write about
ourselves and the land around us. It is the toys and handicrafts we
create, the way we build our homes and the traditional methods we
use to fish or farm. Our culture is made up of all these things, it
even includes the way we enjoy ourselves. A great aspect of our
culture is our folklore such as; Clowns, Moko-Jumbies, Masquerade,
Bull, and Actors. All come on display in the tremendous exuberance
at Christmas time during our carnival to entertain and educate the
community about our culture.
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Modern communities in Saint Kitts are helping improve the economy
and are helping to attract more tourists. Tourism levels between
2007 and 2008 increased by 9.4%. This growth is supported by new
quality destinations in Saint Kitts and some new communities have
focused on embracing the historic arts and culture of the Island to
create authentic growth. The planned Kittitian Hill community on
Saint Kitts will complete in 2012 and has focused on enhancing the
island art community. Because of this, these developers have
included A Postproduction Facility & multi-media lab, A Professional
Screening Room with 150 seats for film viewing, 12 Artist Studios
for local businesses to produce and sell their art and crafts within
the community, An Art Gallery that will curate several shows
throughout the year drawn from local, regional and international
talent, A Kittitian Hill Film Institute that is focused on giving
back to the community and enhancing the film industry in the
Caribbean, and to help complement the St. Kitts Music Festival,
Kittitian Hill will be home to the Island's own Film Festival,
expected to be on par with festivals such as the Sundance Film
festival, run by the telluride film festival team. Author Neil
Strauss recently gained citizenship with St. Kitts while writing his
book Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life.
