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HISTORY
This 36-square-mile island lies near the top of the Lesser Antilles archipelago, about 200 miles south of Puerto Rico, and just west of Antigua. This island jewel is approximately 7 miles long and 5 miles wide, with natural vegetation that is unparalleled.
Green and serene, Nevis is truly one of the remaining unspoilt places and proudly carries the name, "Queen of the Caribees." From the top of the 3,232-foot Nevis Peak to the depths of the clear waters offshore, there is a world of flora and fauna to be explored. In the hills, the comical green vervet monkeys chatter and scamper; in the sea, the whales cruise by. Stroll around and see the architecture of eras gone by: churches, windmills, and refurbished Great Houses. Heading south on the main island road from Charlestown, one first reaches Montpelier Plantation Inn, very British in style and demeanor. This elegant hotel was created from the ruins of the Montpelier Plantation, and part of the Great House and the windmill are on the grounds of the hotel.
The written history of Nevis begins with the account recorded by Columbus when he sailed by Nevis in 1493. The name Nevis is derived from "Nuestra Senora de Las Nieves" which means "Our Lady of the Snows," because of the cloud capped mountain reminding Columbus of snow.
Prior to the Columbus saga, Nevis was named Dulcina "Sweet Island" by the Arawaks and later Oualie "land of beautiful waters" by the Caribs. Later in the 18th century Nevis became known as "Queen of the Caribees." Evidence of pre-ceramic people abounds with finely crafted stone tools and intricately coloured pottery found.
Over the years Nevis has made a number of significant contributions to the Caribbean and the World. Two men who played part in international history were Alexander Hamilton and Lord Horatio Nelson. Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of America and its first Secretary of the Treasury was born on Nevis on January 11, 1757. Nelson, Britains most famous admiral, used Nevis as a base of operations in the mid 1780's and married a Nevisian, Frances Nisbet in 1787.
Nevis continued to be part of the British colonial holdings until 1967 when it achieved Associated Statehood with St. Kitts. On September 19, 1983, Nevis became part of an independent nation and form part of the sovereign democratic state of St.Christopher and Nevis. It has the unique constitutional arrangement of being part of the Federal Parliament while having a separate parliament and its own Nevis Island Administration headed by a Premier.
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