Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis,^[a] officially the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis,^[b][8][9] is an island country located in the Caribbean consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, in the Leeward Islands chain of the Lesser Antilles. With 261 square kilometres (101 sq mi) of territory, and roughly 48,000 inhabitants, it is the smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere, in both area and population, as well as the world's smallest sovereign federation.^[1] The country is a Commonwealth realm, with Charles III as king and head of state.^[1][10]

The capital city is Basseterre, located on the larger island of Saint Kitts.^[1] Basseterre is also the main port for passenger entry (via cruise ships) and cargo. The smaller island of Nevis lies approximately 3 km (2 mi) to the southeast of Saint Kitts, across a shallow channel called The Narrows.^[1]

The British dependency of Anguilla was historically also a part of this union, which was known collectively as Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla. However, Anguilla chose to secede from the union in 1967, and remains a British overseas territory.^[1]

Saint Kitts and Nevis were among the first islands in the Caribbean to be colonised by Europeans. Saint Kitts was home to the first British and French Caribbean colonies, and thus has also been titled "The Mother Colony of the West Indies".^[11] It is also the most recent British territory in the Caribbean to become independent, gaining independence in 1983.

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