St. Kitts Nevis

The Federation of St. Kitts-Nevis, situated at the northern end of the Leeward Islands chain, cherishes a rich and varied history. Originally known as 'Liamuiga' ('fertile isle') to the Amerindians, the larger of the islands was renamed St. Christopher, or St. Kitts, by Columbus in 1493. Nevis was one of the most prosperous islands of the Antilles during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and was administered jointly with St. Kitts from 1816 onwards. The two islands became an independent federation and a member of the Commonwealth in 1983.