A view of Nevis island from the southeastern peninsula of Saint Kitts. *Photo from Wikipedia
September 19 is Independence Day of Saint Kitts and Nevis, celebrates the independence of the two-island country from the United Kingdom in 1983.
The islands were discovered by the Europeans through a Spanish expedition under Columbus in 1493. In 1538, French Huguenots established a settlement on St. Kitts. The settlement was destroyed by the Spanish soon afterwards and the survivors were deported. In 1623, an English settlement was established. This was soon followed by French settlements, and the island being divided by an agreement between the colonists. In 1626, the Anglo-French settlers joined forces to massacre the Kalinago (Island Caribs). As Spanish power went into decline Saint Kitts became the premier base for English and French expansion into the Caribbean. During the late 17th century France and England battled for control over St Kitts. The French ceded the territory to Britain in 1713.
Saint Kitts and Nevis along with Anguilla, became an associated state (Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla) with full internal autonomy in 1967. Anguillians (People from Anguilla, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean) rebelled and separated from the others in 1977. St. Kitts and Nevis achieved independence in 1983. It is the newest sovereign state in the Americas.
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, is a two-island country in the West Indies, in the Caribbean.
*Reference: Wikipedia
