Kittitians and Nevisians

PRONUNCIATION: Ki-TEE-shuns and ne-VEE-juns
LOCATION: St. Kitts and Nevis
POPULATION: 39,619 (2008 est.)
LANGUAGE:
English; English-based Creole dialect with West African and French elements
RELIGION: Anglicanism; other Protestant sects; Roman Catholicism

INTRODUCTION

The nation of St. Kitts and Nevis (pronounced NEE-vis) consists of two Caribbean islands separated by a narrow strait of water. Its official name was formerly St. Christopher and Nevis. St. Kitts, sometimes called "the mother colony of the West Indies," was the first British colony in the region. The islands have been linked administratively since colonial times, when they formed a three-member entity together with the island of Anguilla. The people of the two islands are called Kittitians (ki-TEE-shuns) and Nevisians (ne-VEE-shuns).

Columbus sighted St. Kitts and Nevis in 1493, calling Nevis Nuestra Señora de las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snows) because of the white clouds encircling its highest peak, and naming St. Christopher after both the patron saint of travelers and his own patron saint as well. Like most other islands in the Caribbean, St. Kitts and Nevis received little attention from the Spanish, and European colonization did not begin until the first British colony in the West Indies was established on St. Kitts in 1623. Five years later, the British officially settled Nevis, where Captain John Smith and his men had stopped for several days in 1607 on their way to what would become the colony of Virginia.

The French soon followed the British, and the two nations competed for control of the islands. First, however, they joined forces to exterminate the native Carib population, 2,000 of whom were slaughtered on St. Kitts in a massacre at Bloody Point in 1626, after which their presence on the island was effectively over. The contest for European control of the islands continued until both were ceded to the British under the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Two famous 18th-century figures associated with the island of Nevis were U.S. statesman Alexander Hamilton, who was born there, and British war hero Lord Horatio Nelson, who spent time there as a colonial administrator and married a woman born on the island.

Under the British, sugarcane plantations flourished on both islands, supported by the labor of slaves from West Africa. Typically, an aspiring plantation owner would purchase 20 slaves to clear his land, plant a variety of crops, and build their own huts. When the plantation had expanded sufficiently in terms of both land and numbers of slaves, all of the land would be turned over to sugar production. After 1834, when the British Empire abolished slavery, the sugar industry declined in spite of the introduction of indentured servants from East India and other countries. The increasing production of sugar from beets contributed to this trend.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the United States and Europe were producing almost all their own sugar, and the economies of St. Kitts and Nevis were floundering. In the1930s the British-appointed Moyne Commission investigated conditions in the region, but most of its recommendations were delayed by the onset of World War II. Both St. Kitts and Nevis sent soldiers to fight alongside the British and, in addition, raised funds for thepurchase of two Spitfires for Britain's Royal Air Force.

After several different administrative arrangements in the course of the 19th century, St. Kitts, Nevis, and Anguilla were united within a larger Leeward Islands Federation in 1882. From 1958 to 1962, the islands joined the short-lived Federation of the West Indies and in 1967 accepted associated state-hood from Britain. Eventually, Anguilla withdrew from the federation, and St. Kitts and Nevis achieved full independence on 19 September 1983. Nevis has its own legislative assembly and retains a constitutional right to secede from St. Kitts if the move is supported by a two-thirds majority in a public referendum.

Even though sugar production has been the historic cash-crop of the island, the government recently decided to close the majority of companies after decades of poor performances. Tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking are new areas of business and have been pivotal in the steady growth achieved in the early 2000s. As a result of governmental efforts to diversify the economy, in 2001 the industry sector grew to represent more than 25% of the national GDP, while the service realm accounted by an astonishing 70.7% and agriculture just 3.5%. As a result of the process of becoming a more diverse economy, a series of new products have been added to the national portfolio, such as rice, yams, vegetables, bananas, and fish. In the industry sphere the history is similar. Cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, and beverages are part of the new exports. In 2007, the economy grew 3.3%.

LOCATION AND HOMELAND

St. Kitts and Nevis belong to the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles. Separated from each other by a 3-km (2-mi) strait called The Narrows, they are 300 km (186 mi) southeast of Puerto Rico and 113 km (70 mi) south of Anguilla, with which they were formerly united politically. The country has a total land area of 269 sq km (104 sq mi), about 1.5 times the size of Washington, D.C. The oval island of St. Kitts, with its elongated southeast peninsula, and the small, rounded island of Nevis have often been compared to a cricket bat and ball, a reference to the island's national sport. Covering 168 sq km (65 sq mi), St. Kitts is the larger of the two islands and home to the capital city of Basseterre. It has a central mountain range with the country's highest elevation, Mt. Liamuiga, a dormant volcano that rises to 1,157 m (3,792 ft) above sea level. Rain forests are found on the higher mountains, while the fertile but drier lowlands along the coast mostly support sugarcane plantations. Erosion is a problem in certain areas due to faulty agricultural practices, including overgrazing, lack of crop rotation, and inadequate intercropping. Basseterre, the nation's capital city and chief port, is located on the southwestern coast of St. Kitts.

The southeast peninsula of St. Kitts is mostly scrub-covered and contains a large salt pond at its southern end. The former isolation of this area from the rest of the island was significantly reduced by the opening of the Dr. Kennedy Simmonds Highway in 1990. The nearly circular island of Nevis has as its most outstanding feature Nevis Peak, rising to 985 m (3,232 ft) at its center. Like St. Kitts, it has forested mountains in its interior and low-lying areas along the coast. Its soil isless fertile than that of St. Kitts and more badly damaged by erosion. Charlestown is Nevis's only town.

Population estimates for St. Kitts and Nevis is close to 40,000, of which 9,000 to 10,000 inhabitants are estimated to live on Nevis and the rest on St. Kitts. The country experienced negative population growth between 1985 and 1993 due to emigration. The population is mainly black, about 95% of the population is of African descent, with a small mulatto minority and other mixtures. There are also very small East Indian, European, and white groups.

LANGUAGE

The official language of St. Kitts and Nevis is English, which is spoken in its standard form with correct grammar in formal situations and with people one does not know well. Informally, however, most residents speak a local English-based Creole dialect with elements from West African languages and French. In common with other West Indian Creole languages, it interchanges subject and object pronouns and expresses past actions with present-tense verbs ("I tell she" for "I told her"). Also, the African-influenced "de" is used in place of "the."

FOLKLORE

Like other West Indians, Kittitians and Nevisians tend toward the superstitious, and some still fear the African-influenced black magic called obeah that is common to the Caribbean region.

RELIGION

Between 33% and 50% of the country's population is Anglican. Other Protestant groups include Methodists, Moravians, Baptists, Seventh-Day Adventists, the Church of God, and the Pilgrim Holiness Church. There is a Roman Catholic minority of about 10%, and the Baha'i religion is also represented.

MAJOR HOLIDAYS

Public holidays in St. Kitts and Nevis include New Year's Day (January 1), Good Friday, Labor Day (May 1), Whit Monday, Bank Holiday (first Monday in August), Independence Day (September 19), Prince of Wales's Birthday (November 14), Christmas (December 25), and Boxing Day (December 26). St. Kitts's annual Carnival celebration is held the last week of the year,from December 25 through January 2,with the masquerades, calypso and steel band music, and street dancing common to Carnival festivities in the Caribbean. Nevis's Carnival, called Culturama, is held in late July and early August and includes arts and crafts and talent shows in addition to the usual features.

During the month of August the emancipation of slaves from the British West Indies in 1834 is celebrated and during this holiday, most businesses and government offices are closed. September is the month of independence celebrations. This month-long celebration includes drama festivals and cultural activities. The festivities culminate on Independence Day with a military parade at Warner Park, followed by a traditional picnic at the beach.

RITES OF PASSAGE

Major life transitions, such as birth, marriage, and death, are marked by religious celebrations appropriate to each Kittitian's and Nevisian's faith community.

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS

There is a local handshake called a "bump," which consists of two people clenching their hands into fists and bumping them gently together. "Liming," a term used throughout the Caribbean to denote relaxing and "hanging out," is an especially popular pursuit in St. Kitts and Nevis, which is known for its easygoing lifestyle. The Kittitians and Nevisians have maintained a historic rivalry, a fact that gives a real edge to the annual cricket match, the national sport.

LIVING CONDITIONS

Until the 1970s, the typical islander's house was wooden with a corrugated metal roof, often painted red. The houses themselves were often painted in pastel colors. Today, most houses are built from concrete blocks and wood; roofs are still corrugated metal. It is becoming more common for islanders to own the land on which they live, and houses are no longer built on piles of stones in case they had to be moved.

St. Kitts and Nevis has a healthy climate with virtually no tropical disease. However, until the 1990s, high rates of malnutrition and infant mortality posed problems; in recent years, there has been a significant reduction in infant mortality rates. Sanitation conditions in the country are good, and the Pan American Health Organization reported that almost the entire population had access to safe water by 1983. There are three hospitals on St. Kitts and one on Nevis, and there is about 1 physician for every 1,000 people. The average life expectancy in 1993 was 68 years, but national efforts for improving the quality of life have yielded substantial fruits. A citizen born in 2008 had an average life expectancy of 72.93.

The country has a good road network with main roads circling each island. However, drainage ditches called ghauts pose an ongoing challenge to motorists, and "watch de ghaut" is a common expression on the islands. There is a state-run motorboat service between St. Kitts and Nevis. The capital city of Basseterre has a deep-water port that can accommodate cargo vessels and cruise ships. St. Kitts has an international airport, while Nevis's airstrip handles only small charter planes.

FAMILY LIFE

Family loyalty is strong, and it is not uncommon to find extended households including members of two or three generations.

CLOTHING

People on St. Kitts and Nevis take great pride in their appearance, wearing modern Western-style clothing that is generally spotless and in excellent condition. Even for casual wear, women wear mostly skirts or dresses and also avoid wearing pants in the workplace. Men wear jeans or casual slacks, and male business attire generally includes a shirt and tie or at least a button-down shirt, called a shirt jack. Fashion-consciousness on the islands is especially in evidence on weekends, which are considered occasions for dressing up rather than down. School children wear uniforms.

FOOD

Dietary staples include yams, plantains, rice and peas, saltfish, stuffed crab back, and a variety of soups, including pumpkin, bean, pepperpot, and fish soups and conch chowder. Lime juice is a common seasoning, and hot pepper sauce made from Scotch Bonnet peppers is a specialty on Nevis. Carib beer is a favorite beverage and sweet cassava bread—derived from the African bammie—is a popular dessert.

Cassava Bread

½ pound cassava, finely grated
3 to 4 ounces grated coconut
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Salt the grated cassava, wrap in a cloth, and twist to wring out the liquid. In a heavy baking pan, spread out half the cassava and top with brown sugar and grated coconut. Cover with the remaining cassava. Using both hands, push down on the mixture. Preheat oven to 350°f and bake for 20 minutes.

EDUCATION

Education was formerly provided by the islands' churches, whose generous funding and strict attendance requirements created high standards of schooling that were perpetuated by the government when it took over the educational system. Today, the adult literacy rate on St. Kitts and Nevis is 98%, among the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Primary education in St. Kitts and Nevis (ages 5 to 14) is free and compulsory. There are over 30 primary schools and 8 secondary schools.

There is no university on either island, but post-secondary education is offered at a teachers' training college, a technical college, a nursing school, and a one-year academic program whose completion allows enrollment as a second-year student at the University of the West Indies. The government of St. Kitts and Nevis has focused increasingly on vocational education to reduce the country's high unemployment rate and produce more effective and motivated workers.

CULTURAL HERITAGE

With the objective of promoting tourism, the government has initiated a strong campaign oriented to attract visitors to the islands. With this goal in mind, St. Kitts Music Festival, an event of popular music is held annually in June on the Caribbean islands of St. Kitts. The festival, originally called the Shak Shak Festival, was first held in 1996. Among the bands that performed in 2007 were Arrow, Nigel Lewis, Roy Cape Band, Krosfyah, Nu Vybes, and the Small Axe Band.

On Nevis, the Drama and Cultural Society sponsors an annual play and other cultural events. Nevis's best-known artist is Dame Eva Wilkin,now well over 80 years of age,who portrays the island's people and way of life in pastels and watercolors.

WORK

It is not unusual for islanders to have more than one source of income, including fishing, selling produce grown on small garden plots, and doing seasonal or part-time work in the sug-arcane fields or the tourist industry. Wages in the sugar industry are very low, and sugar producers have had to import labor from neighboring St. Vincent and Guyana because of the difficulty of finding enough local workers. Working in the sug-arcane fields under a tropical sun is also notoriously grueling. The jungle-like clumps of sugarcane, growing 3 m (10 ft) tall, may be infested with insects or rats. Laborers cut into the cane at its base using an implement called a machete. Then they must trim the tops, divide the stalks into smaller lengths, stack them, and clear the debris.

In the 1970s and 1980s, nearly 20% of the population emigrated every year—mostly to the United States, Canada, or Great Britain,in search of better employment opportunities. (The money sent home by emigrants has been a major source of income on the islands, and some experts speculate that it has surpassed the sum earned at home in wages and salaries.) One factor cited in connection with the country's high rate of unemployment is that much of the labor force lacks the employment skills to make the transition from agricultural work to better-paying jobs in the service sector.

SPORTS

Cricket is the national sport of St. Kitts and Nevis, and the whole country virtually shuts down for a major match, especially one between teams from the Windward and Leeward Islands. St. Kitts and Nevis has produced such world-class players as Elquemedo Willet, Derrick Parry, and Luther Kelly. The second-most-popular sports are horse-racing on Nevis, and football (soccer) on St. Kitts. Horse races are held on holidays, including New Year's Day and Labor Day, and even on the religious holidays of Easter Monday and Whit Monday. They are also part of the festivities during such special events as the country's annual Culturama.

ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION

Music is central to entertainment on St. Kitts and Nevis, and favorite bands become a focal point of conversation for days before and after an appearance on one of the islands. Steel drum, dance-hall, string band, and reggae music are all popular.

FOLK ART, CRAFTS, AND HOBBIES

St. Kitts's well-known folk dance troupe, Masquerades, performs a variety of traditional dances from the French-derived kwadril to African war dances. The islands' crafts include batiked clothing and wall hangings made from the sea island cotton that has traditionally been Nevis's principal export. Nevisian craftspeople are also known for their fine pottery.

SOCIAL PROBLEMS

The country's continued reliance on the sugar industry has made its economy vulnerable to the ups and downs of that volatile commodity, upon which both the agricultural and manufacturing sectors rely for a large percentage of their earnings. However, this reality has changed dramatically thanks to the national efforts for diversifying the national economy.

GENDER ISSUES

The role of women in society is not restricted by law, but is circumscribed by culture and tradition. Even though there is no overt societal discrimination against women in employment, women do not yet occupy as many senior positions as men. While women outperform men in the education sphere, that same level of achievement is not translated into economic returns for women. Women still tend to be concentrated in jobs that paid the least, and many are solely responsible for the care of their children.

However, Kittitian and Nevisian women head about 43.9% of households in the country. Although female employment has increased from 1980 to 1991 by 10%, the high proportion of female-headed households and the significant unemployment rates of women have made pursuing gender equality a main goal for the government.

To protect the human rights of women, the government has passed a series of laws, including the Law Reform Act, which provides stiffer penalties for rape, incest, sodomy, indecent assault, or any offence involving children. There has also been significant law reform to support special measures to accelerate the equality between men and women. Before 1980, unmarried women who became pregnant while working in the public service were automatically dismissed. Government policy and the Constitution now safeguard the jobs of all women and give them greater legal protection in seeking child maintenance.

In addition, the Bureau of Women's Affairs, under the Ministry of Health and Women's Affairs, has been active in promoting change in the areas of domestic violence, poverty, health, institutional mechanisms to advance the status of women, and leadership positions for women. Since 1997 the Bureau has also focused on training the police and school guidance counselors on issues of domestic violence, sexual crimes, and child abuse.

Regarding politics, women in decision-making posts remain scarce. The first female parliamentarian was elected in 1984 and, as of 2008, only 13.3% of congressional members were women. In the executive cabinet only 10.7% of the ministers were women.

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—revised by C. Vergara