4 | St. Christopher Air & Sea Ports Authority
for Christopher). The early Kalinago tribes
that inhabited here knew the island better as
“Liamuiga” which means “fertile land.” The
Spanish, the French and English would all
capitalize, and occasionally clash, over these
assets in the years that followed Columbus’
arrival, all culminating to France ceding the
area over to English authorities. As for the
fertile land, it ultimately gave rise to one of
the most dynamic of ag-based economies,
particularly sweetened by the growing of
sugar cane.
A three-mile wide channel separates St.
Kitts from nearby Nevis, and collectively,
these islands are made home by more than
45,000 people. The vast majority of people
live on St. Kitts which is comprised by some
168 square-kilometers (Nevis encompasses
96 sq. km.). In the modern era, these two
islands joined with Anguilla to achieve au-
tonomy as an associated state. The Anguil-
lians later rebelled against that resolution,
separating from the two in 1971. St. Kitts
and Nevis went on to gain independence
in 1983. This marked a significant turning
point in enabling island authorities to take
control of their destiny, a move that garners
further recognition in that this Federation is
the youngest of sovereign states in the Amer-
icas.
