Islands
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St.
Kitts is green and pleasant, with a dramatically steep central mountain
range rising 3,750 feet high. Much of it is covered in rainforest, which
is often shrouded in passing clouds. Up in these heights live many
thousands of African green vervet monkeys, descendents of a few originally
bought over by planters. The land between the mountains and the sea is
gently sloping and fertile, planted mainly in sugar cane. This lower land
is relatively flat and easy to drive on.
The
Caribs called St. Kitts "Liamuiga," which means "fertile
isle." Columbus renamed it after his patron saint, and nowadays it is
known either as St. Christopher or by the abbreviated St. Kitts. Sir
Thomas Warner landed here with a group of settlers in 1623, making it the
first British Caribbean colony. A French group joined them, and the two
nations teamed up to massacre the 2,000 Carib inhabitants before they fell
out between themselves. After 150 years of fighting and uncertainty, St.
Kitts, with its sister isle, Nevis, became British under the treaty of
Versailles in 1783. Today they are a fully independent, twin-island state
with a British tradition and about 50,000 inhabitants. In graciousness and
outstanding visual beauty, these islands have not changed too much from
the old plantation days. Most of the large estates have been converted to
small luxury hotels and restaurants. The economy is based on tourism and
agriculture, with sugar cane as the most important crop. Baron Edmond and
Rothschild Distilleries have even created a new cane sugar spirit, called
CSR, from the local sugar cane.

A
railway runs right round the island and is used for collecting the sugar
cane. It passes through the scenic heart of St. Kitts, and now you can
take a luxury train ride, which offers spectacular views. This is the only
surviving railway in the eastern Caribbean. St. Kitts Scenic Railway has
put on a double-decker train with air-conditioned comfort and rattan
seating in the lower part and a shaded but open gallery up top. The tour
includes both a train and a bus ride. Drinks are served as you ride and
are included in the price, which is $89. They are often packed with cruise
ship passengers, but they run about three trains a week on non-cruise ship
days, when anyone can join. Best stop by their office and make a
reservation; it is an easy walk from the marina.
Most of the island’s
sugar cane is government owned. The present government decided in 2005 to
get out of the sugar business. The cane is still around although no longer
harvested
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since July 05
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