SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS, FLAG OF

national flag consisting of a green triangle and a red triangle separated by a diagonal black stripe with yellow fimbriations (narrow borders); included in the stripe are two white stars. The flag has a width-to-length ratio of approximately 2 to 3. Saint Christopher (Saint Kitts), Nevis, and Anguilla were united as a single British colony in 1882, and from 1958 until 1962 they formed a unit of the (British) Federation of the West Indies. The associated state of Saint ChristopherNevisAnguilla was formed on February 27, 1967, but Anguilla ejected government authorities on May 30 and officially proclaimed independence in July because Anguillans felt that their small population would suffer discrimination in the local parliament. The flag of Saint ChristopherNevisAnguilla, consisting of vertical stripes of green-yellow-blue with a central black palm tree having three roots and three fronds, was thereafter no longer appropriate for the federation. At midnight September 1819, 1983, when the federation received its independence from Britain, the renamed Saint Kitts and Nevis hoisted a new national flag, which it continues to use. Designed by Edrice Lewis, the flag has a green triangle for the fertility of the islands and a red triangle for the years of struggle against slavery and colonialism. Running diagonally through the centre is a black stripe reflecting the African heritage of the people. Narrow yellow borders flanking the stripe refer to the brilliant sunshine of the islands. The stripe bears two white stars, one for each island, as symbols of hope and liberty. The flag was submitted in a competition, and the design was approved by the College of Arms of England, which is the heraldic authority for many Commonwealth nations. Whitney Smith History Early settlement Christopher Columbus visited Saint Kitts on his second voyage in 1493 and found it inhabited by warlike Caribs. He named it Saint Christopher for his patron saint. The name was shortened to Saint Kitts by settlers under Sir Thomas Warner, who, arriving from England in 1623, established the first successful English colony in the West Indies at Old Road on the west coast. The French also settled on the island in 1627 under Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc. Divided during the 17th century between warring French and English colonists, Saint Kitts was given to Britain by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 and remained in British possession despite the capture in 1782 of Brimstone Hill by the French. The island was restored to Great Britain by the Treaty of Versailles in 1783. Nevis was also sighted by Columbus in 1493. The island's name derives from Columbus' description of the clouds atop Nevis peak as las nieves, or the snows, when he sighted the island. It was settled by the English in 1628 and soon became one of the most prosperous of the Antilles. Although it suffered from French and Spanish attacks in the 17th and 18th centuries, it maintained a sound economic position until the mid-19th century. Federation and independence movements The islands of St. Kitts, Nevis, and Anguilla were united by federal act in 1882 and became an independent state in association with the United Kingdom on Feb. 27, 1967. The islands were granted full internal self-government, with the United Kingdom retaining responsibility for defense and foreign affairs. After the islands had assumed the status of associated states, Anguilla complained of domination by the Saint Kitts administration. In May 1967 the Anguillans ejected the Saint Kitts police and established their own council. In July of the same year, they proclaimed their independence. After unsuccessful negotiations, the Anguilla Act of July 1971 placed Anguilla directly under British control. On Feb. 10, 1976, Anguilla was granted a constitution and its union with Saint Kitts and Nevis was formally severed in 1980. A constitutional conference was held in London in 1982, and, in spite of disagreement over special provisions for Nevis, Saint Kitts and Nevis became independent on Sept. 19, 1983. A drop in world sugar prices hurt the nation's economy through the mid-1980s, and the government sought to reduce the islands' dependence on sugar production and to diversify the economy. Gladstone E.M. Mills Janet D. Momsen