Nevis

Nevis Queen of the Caribees
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Nevis in Saint Kitts and Nevis and among the Leeward Islands.
Capital and largest city	Charlestown 17°20′N 62°45′W / 17.333°N 62.750°W / 17.333; -62.750
Official languages	English
Demonym(s)	Nevisian
Government	Parliamentary democracy under a federal constitutional monarchy
• Monarch	Charles III
• Deputy Governor-General[1]	Hyleta Liburd
• Premier	Mark Brantley
• Assembly President	Farrel Smithen
Legislature	Nevis Island Assembly
Area
• Total	93 km2 (36 sq mi) (207th)
Population
• 2011 census	12,277[2]
• Density	130/km2 (336.7/sq mi) (not ranked)
GDP (PPP)	2009 estimate
• Total	$726 million[3]
• Per capita	$13,429[3]
GDP (nominal)	2009 estimate
• Total	$557 million[3]
• Per capita	$10,315[3]
HDI (2007)	0.825 very high (54th)
Currency	Eastern Caribbean dollar ($) (XCD)
Time zone	UTC−4 (−4)
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy (CE)
Driving side	left
Calling code	+1 869
Internet TLD	.kn

Nevis (/ˈniːvɪs/ NEE-viss) is an island in the Caribbean Sea that forms part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies. Nevis and the neighbouring island of Saint Kitts constitute the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, a singular nation state. Nevis is located near the northern end of the Lesser Antilles archipelago about 350 kilometres (220 mi) east-southeast of Puerto Rico and 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of Antigua. Its area is 93 square kilometres (36 sq mi) and the capital is Charlestown.^[4]

Saint Kitts and Nevis are separated by The Narrows, a shallow 3-kilometre (2 mi) channel. Nevis is roughly conical in shape with a volcano, Nevis Peak, at its centre. The island is fringed on its western and northern coastlines by sandy beaches composed of a mixture of white coral sand with brown and black sand eroded and washed down from the volcanic rocks that make up the island. The gently-sloping coastal plain (1 km (0.62 mi) wide) has natural freshwater springs as well as non-potable volcanic hot springs, especially along the western coast.^{[citation needed]}

The island was named Oualie, translated as "land of beautiful waters", by the Kalinago and Dulcina ("Sweet Island") by the early British settlers. The name Nevis is derived from the Spanish phrase Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, which translates as Our Lady of the Snows; the name was given by its Spanish discoverers and first appeared on maps in the 16th century.^[5] Nevis is also known by the sobriquet "Queen of the Caribees", which it earned in the 18th century because of its many sugar plantations.^[6]

Nevis is both geographically smaller and less populous than Saint Kitts. It maintains significant autonomy within the federation, including a separate government headed by the premier of Nevis and a separate legislature. Nevis has twice voted – in 1977 and 1998 – to secede from the federation, but neither attempt succeeded.^[7]

The majority of the approximately 12,000 Nevisians are of primarily African descent, with notable British, Portuguese, and Lebanese minority communities. English is the official language,^[8] and its literacy rate of 98 per cent is one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere.