Saint Kitts and Nevis

Background

Carib Indians occupied the islands before British and French settlers began arriving in 1623. During the 17th century, Saint Kitts became a base for British and French expansion into the Caribbean. The French ceded the territory to the UK in 1713. At the turn of the 18th century, the sugar trade brought wealth to Saint Kitts, then a British Crown Colony.

Saint Kitts and Nevis were viewed and governed as different states until the late-19th century. The British forcibly unified them with Anguilla in the late-19th century. In 1967, Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla became an associated state of the UK with full internal autonomy. Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. Saint Kitts and Nevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998, a referendum on Nevis to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the necessary majority.

Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person

Flag and symbols

Divided diagonally from lower left, the flag has a broad black band edged in yellow, with two five-pointed white stars; the upper triangle is green and the lower is red. Green stands for island's fertility; red, people's struggles from slavery; yellow, year-round sunshine; black, the people's African heritage; white stars stand for the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The brown pelican and royal poinciana (flamboyant) tree are national symbols.

Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person