Saint Kitts and Nevis: flag, capital, currency and history

Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Download the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis as a scalable SVG or as a PNG in three sizes. The flag emoji is 🇰🇳.

History of Saint Kitts and Nevis

The islands were inhabited by Amerindian peoples, later the Kalinago, before Christopher Columbus sighted them in 1493. English settlers established a colony on Saint Kitts in 1624, and French settlers arrived in 1625. Nevis was settled by the English in 1628. The islands' economy depended on sugar plantations worked by enslaved Africans until the abolition of slavery in the British Empire in the 1830s. Britain gained full control under the 1783 Treaty of Paris. They became a self-governing associated state in 1967 and fully independent in 1983. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas.

Key dates

1. 1493Christopher Columbus sights the islands on his second voyage.
2. 1624English settlers establish a colony on Saint Kitts, the first English colony in the Caribbean.
3. 1628English settlers colonise Nevis.
4. 1783The Treaty of Paris confirms British control of the islands.
5. 1834Slavery is abolished across the British Empire, including the islands.
6. 1967The islands become a self-governing associated state of the United Kingdom.
7. 1983Saint Kitts and Nevis becomes independent on 19 September.

A short overview, not a full history. Dates are given for well-documented events only.

Currency of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis uses the Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD, $). Use our free currency converter to check exchange rates.

Frequently asked questions

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