Nevis was discovered by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1493. Rich in both scenic beauty and history, it is one of the Lesser Antilles and was claimed by Spain but was not settled by Europeans until the English arrived in 1628. Nevis remained a British colony from 1628 until 1983, when it became independent and joined the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. The Federation is an active member of the British Commonwealth and the United Nations. Nevis is a vigorous democracy based upon the British Parliamentary system with an elected local assembly.
The largest expenditure by Government is for education and Nevis has achieved a literacy rate of 96%, possibly the highest in the Western Hemisphere.
An independent study has ranked the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis as one of the ten freest nations in the world for seven years running. Combined with a low crime rate, full employment and lack of drug-related difficulties, Nevis is politically stable. The political parties reflect this stability in that they are both centrist and do not have substantial ideological differences.
The Spanish name for Nevis was “Nuestra Senora de las Nievas” meaning “Our Lady of Snows,” and was anglicized to “Nevis.” Mount Nevis, in the center of the island, towers 3,265 feet (985 meters) and is usually enveloped in clouds which can sometimes appear as a snow cap, hence the origin of the name.
The Nevis climate is nearly perfect and the variation in altitude and soil conditions on this 36 square mile island creates a natural garden of tropical vegetation ranging from rain forest to near desert. Brilliant flowers and exotic fauna abound.
On the Caribbean side there is an unspoiled four mile long beach, a quarter mile of which is taken up by the 196 room Four Seasons Resort. It has an 18 hole Robert Trent Jones golf course, tennis courts and swimming pools in addition to the ocean frontage.
Other accommodations are ten unique small inns, most of them converted 18th century sugar plantations with original stone buildings and windmill towers. They possess an easygoing ambiance and attract upscale visitors, many of whom return year after year. The Nevis government has rejected mass tourism as official policy and requires that all tourist development be of a high standard.
The visitor attracted to Nevis usually appreciates the historical character of the island. The current population is approximately 11,000, about one-third of what it was when sugar was King and the value of exports from Nevis exceeded that of any single British colony in North America.
Alexander Hamilton, a founding father of the United States and first Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, was born in Charlestown in 1757. His home has been reconstructed and the lower level houses a museum and the upper level the meeting chamber for the Nevis Island Assembly. Admiral Lord Nelson was stationed in Nevis and married Frances Nisbet of Nevis at Montpelier Plantation in 1787.
The telecommunications system operated by Cable and Wireless of England is a state-of-the-art fiber optic digital system. Any part of the world may be direct dialed from Nevis without difficulty.
Nevis has connecting flights to Antigua for the USA and Britain; St. Kitts for the USA and Canada; and St. Martin for the USA, Holland and France. There is a daily ferry boat service to St. Kitts eleven miles away.
