圣基茨和尼维斯

聖基茨和尼維斯 Saint Kitts and Nevis 首都:巴斯特爾國家代碼: kn

　　聖基茨和尼維斯聯邦，或稱為聖剋裏斯多福與尼維斯 (Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis或Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis）位於中美洲加勒比海地區小安地列斯群島北部，是一個由聖剋裏斯多福島（聖基茨島）與尼維斯島所組成的聯邦製島國。該國是在1983年9月19日時脫離英國獨立，首都為巴斯特爾。
　　
　　歷史
　　聖基茨和尼維斯原本的住民為加勒比人（Caribs）。1493年哥倫布在他的第二次航海中登上聖剋裏斯多福島（聖基茨島），並且以自己的守護聖人聖剋裏斯多福（西班牙文：San Cristóbal，英文：St. Christopher）命名該島。哥倫布也在同一次的航海中發現比較小的尼維斯島，其命名則是源自西班牙文裏的“雪”（Nieves），因為哥倫布認為該島狀似一座山頂頂着皚皚白雪的山頭。然而，哥倫布雖然發現了這兩座島，但它們一直到1623年至1624年間，纔開始有首批歐洲殖民者前來。英國人首先抵達，其次是法國人，英國人占領聖剋裏斯多福島後將其名稱簡化為聖基茨（St. Kitts，Kitts是Christopher的簡略稱法），建立起加勒比海地區第一個英國殖民地，並且以該島作為跳板，繼續擴張該國在加勒比海地區的殖民地版圖。
　　
　　地理
　　聖基茨和尼維斯的兩個主要島嶼均為火山島，島上中部地區叢林密佈，有數條河流自此發源流嚮大海，人跡罕至，居民多居住於沿海地區。
　　
　　行政區劃
　　聖基茨和尼維斯全國共劃分為14個教區（Parishes），其中9個在聖基茨島，5個在尼維斯島。首都巴斯特爾位於聖基茨島南部沿海。

　　The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis), located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign nation in the Americas, in both area and population.
　　
　　The capital city and headquarters of government for the federated state is Basseterre on the larger island of Saint Kitts. The smaller state of Nevis lies about 2 miles (3 km) southeast of Saint Kitts, across a shallow channel called "The Narrows".
　　
　　Historically, the British dependency of Anguilla was also a part of this union, which was then known collectively as Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla. Saint Kitts and Nevis are geographically part of the Leeward Islands. To the north-northwest lie the islands of Saint Eustatius, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten. To the east and northeast are Antigua and Barbuda, and to the southeast is the small uninhabited island of Redonda, and the island of Montserrat, which currently has an active volcano (see Soufrière Hills.)
　　
　　Saint Kitts and Nevis were amongst the first islands in the Caribbean to be settled by Europeans. Saint Kitts was home to the first British and French colonies in the Caribbean.

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