<!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see WP:SDNONE -->

300px|thumb|right|Map of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis is a twin island country with a total landmass of just . The island of St. Kitts, the larger of the two, is in size and is located at latitude 17.30 N, and longitude 62.80 W. Nevis is and located at latitude 17.10 N, longitude 62.35 W, approximately 3&nbsp;km south-east of St. Kitts. The islands are about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago. The islands are volcanic and mountainous.

Geology

The island of St. Kitts is composed almost exclusively of volcanic rocks of andesite or dacite mineralogy. Its geology is similar to that of other volcanic islands in the Lesser Antillean Archipelago. The islands are the summits of a submerged mountain range which forms the eastern boundary of what is known as the Caribbean Tectonic Plate. St. Kitts is oriented northwest–southeast, about 80&nbsp;km long and 16&nbsp;km wide. The entire island archipelago is geologically young, having begun to form probably less than 50 million years ago, during the Miocene era. Volcanic activity occurred along the ridges of this arc during the Miocene era and has continued since.

Nevis is a volcanic island that began its formation in mid-Pliocene times (approximately 3.45 million years ago). However, the island comprises a number of discrete eruptive centers that range in age from mid-Pliocene to Pleistocene, these prevent any single model of the island's geological evolution. The geology of Nevis can be subdivided into four informal units: Volcanic of the eruptive centers, volcanogenic rocks - pyroclastics and lahars, fluviatile and lacustrine deposits, and raised beaches.

Statistics

thumb|An enlargeable, detailed map of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

<br/>total:

261&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (Saint Kitts 168&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>; Nevis 93&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)

<br/>land:

261&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>

<br/>water:

0&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>

Area - comparative:

two thirds the size of the island of Barbados

Coastline:

135&nbsp;km

Maritime claims:

<br/>continental shelf:

200 nautical miles (370&nbsp;km) or to the edge of the continental margin

<br/>territorial sea:

12 nautical miles (22&nbsp;km)

<br/>contiguous zone:

24 nautical miles (44&nbsp;km)

<br/>exclusive economic zone:

200 nautical miles (370&nbsp;km)

Climate:

tropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Extreme points:

Northernmost point: Unnamed headland at Dieppe Bay Town, Saint Kitts

Southernmost point: Devil's Cave, Saint John Figtree Parish, Nevis

Westernmost point: Western cape of Saint Kitts, Saint Anne Sandy Point Parish

Easternmost point: Eastern cape of Nevis, Saint James Windward Parish

lowest point:

Caribbean Sea 0 m

highest point:

Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m

Natural resources:

arable land

Land use:

<br/>arable land:

19.44%

<br/>permanent crops:

2.78%

<br/>other:

77.78% (2005)

Natural hazards:

hurricanes (July to October)

Environment - international agreements:

<br/>party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

Climate

By the Köppen climate classification, St. Kitts has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) and Nevis has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am). Mean monthly temperatures in Basseterre varies little from to . Yearly rainfall is approximately , although it has varied from to in the period 1901–2015.

| date=2015

</div>

<gallery>

File:Downtown Basseterre, St. Kitts.jpg|Downtown Basseterre

File:Downtown Basseterre, Island of St. Kitts.jpg|Downtown Basseterre

File:Fishing boat, Basseterre harbor, St. Kitts.jpg|Fishing boat, Basseterre harbor

File:Cyphoma gibbosum.jpg|Flamingo Tongue shell on a Sea Fan

File:Divers and anemone on the MV River Taw wreck, St. Kitts.jpg|Divers and anemone on the MV River Taw wreck

File:Juvenile French Angelfish near a sunken van, St. Kitts.jpg|Juvenile French Angelfish near a sunken van

File:Diver and fish, MV River Taw wreck, St. Kitts.jpg|Diver and fish, MV River Taw wreck

File:Diver and sponges, St. Kitts.jpg|Diver and sponges

File:3757 aquaimages.jpg|Royal Gramma or Fairy Basslet

</gallery>

See also

  • Saint Kitts and Nevis

References