SAINT CHRISTOPHER AND NEVIS, also St Christopher-Nevis, St Kitts and Nevis, St Kitts-Nevis. A Caribbean country and member of the COMMONWEALTH, consisting of St Christopher/Kitts, Nevis, and Sombrero. Languages: English, CREOLE. St Kitts became the first English colony in the Caribbean. Britain and France disputed control of the islands until in 1783 they became British under the Treaty of Versailles. They were united by the Federal Act of 1882 along with Anguilla. In 1980, Anguilla chose to remain a British dependency and in 1983 the other islands became independent. See CARIBBEAN ENGLISH.

St Christopher and Nevis are part of the Leeward Islands in the eastern Caribbean and form an independent republic within the Commonwealth. The islands were visited by Columbus and for some time disputed between Spain, France, and Britain. They were confirmed as a British colony at Utrecht in 1714. The principal resources are sugar and tourism.

J. A. Cannon