Background:
Carib Indians occupied the islands for hundreds of years before the British began settlement in 1623. The islands became an associated state of the UK with full internal autonomy in 1967. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. Saint Kitts and Nevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority needed. Nevis continues in its efforts to separate from Saint Kitts.

NOTE: The information regarding Saint Kitts and Nevis on this page is re-published from the 2009 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Saint Kitts and Nevis Introduction 2009 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Saint Kitts and Nevis Introduction 2009 should be addressed to the CIA.