Basseterre
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- Basseterre should not be confused with Basse-Terre on Guadeloupe.
The city of Basseterre, estimated population 15,500 (2000), is the capital of the federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies. Geographically, the Basseterre port is located at , on the south western coast of Saint Kitts Island, and it is one of the chief commercial depots of the Leeward Islands. The city lies within the parish of Saint George Basseterre and the southern part of the parish of Saint Peter Basseterre.
Basseterre is one of the oldest towns in the Eastern Caribbean.
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[edit] History
Basseterre was founded in 1627 by the French, under Sieur Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc. It served as capital of the French colony of St. Christophe, which consisted of the Northern and Southern extremities of the island of St. Kitts (the centre was yielded to Britain). When Phillipe de Longviliers de Poincy was made the French governor of St. Kitts in 1639, the town turned into a large, successful port, commanding Eastern Caribbean trade and colonisation. De Poincy then quickly made Basseterre capital of the entire French West Indies colony, which included the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, and remained so until his death in 1660. The city was made capital of the entire island of St. Kitts in 1713, following French expulsion from the island and full British control.
The city of Basseterre has one of the most tragic histories of any Caribbean capital, destroyed many times by colonial wars, fire, earthquakes, floods, riots and hurricanes. Despite all of this, a large number of well-restored buildings still exist in downtown Basseterre, handsomely kept.
Basseterre is the main commercial and industrial centre of St. Kitts. It is also the country's main port of entry, for both sea and air travel, as well as the road and rail transportational hub. It houses the government buildings for the island of St. Kitts (those for the island of Nevis are in Charlestown). It also houses the headquarters of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, as well as the headquarters for many other regional financial institutions.
Despite its small size, Basseterre has proven to be a city with capabilities matching that of any other in the Caribbean. The city played host to Carifesta VII (the Caribbean Festival of Arts) in 2000, outbidding rivals many times its size. The city was even able to outbid the world's most powerful nation, the United States of America, to host matches for the 2007 World Cricket Cup. The Warner Park Sporting Complex, site of the matches, is currently being upgraded in preparation for the games.
Basseterre and its environs are also home to many small, American-owned medical schools such as Windsor University, and also two prestigious medical institutions founded by Robert Ross, the Ross University School of Medicine and the International University of Nursing. The city houses four secondary schools, two government owned and two private.
[edit] Geographical Setting and Climate
The city of Basseterre skirts a 2-mile bay on the SouthWestern shore of St. Kitts, Basseterre Bay (locally known as Spawnapuss Bay). The city lies within the large Basseterre Valley, almost completely surrounded by lush green hills and mountains. It is primarily low-lying, which explains the name which the French gave unto it, as Basseterre translates to "low land" in English. The city is drained by the College River and the Westbourne River, which are locally known as "ghauts" and are dry most of the year. They even form streets in downtown Basseterre. This engineering folly has proven quite disastrous though, as College River has been the scene of many disastrous floods in Basseterre history. Port Zante, located in the centre of the bay, lies on 15 acres of land reclaimed from the sea in 1995.
Basseterre has a tropical marine climate, with temperatures around 27C year-round.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °C (°F) | 27 (80.6) | 27 (80.6) | 28 (82.4) | 28 (82.4) | 29 (84.2) | 31 (87.8) | 31 (87.8) | 31 (87.8) | 32 (89.6) | 31 (87.8) | 29 (84.2) | 28 (82.4) | 29 (84.2) |
| Avg low temperature °C (°F) | 24 (75.2) | 24 (75.2) | 24 (75.2) | 24 (75.2) | 26 (78.8) | 26 (78.8) | 26 (78.8) | 26 (78.8) | 26 (78.8) | 26 (78.8) | 25 (77) | 24 (75.2) | 25 (77) |
| Avg Sunlight (hours) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Rainfall in. (mm) | 4.8 (122) | 4.4 (112) | 4.4 (112) | 3.5 (89) | 3.8 (97) | 4.4 (112) | 6.1 (155) | 7.2 (183) | 7.7 (196) | 7.7 (196) | 7.1 (180) | 5.5 (140) | 5.6 (142) |
| Source: [1] , BBC Weather | |||||||||||||
[edit] Around town
Basseterre is a very small town and very well laid out, in a grid-lock pattern. It has four main streets running West to East; The Bay Road, Liverpool Row, Central Street and Cayon Street; each street resting North of the former. The main street running North to South is Fort Street/Bank Street, home to the bulk of the island's main shops and banks. The city has 2 centres, at The Circus, which is geared towards tourism purposes, and the Independence Square, which contains the cathedral, courthouse and most of the older buildings.
[edit] The City
[edit] Landmarks/Points of Interest
- Independence Square (formerly Pall Mall Square)
- The Circus
- St. George's Anglican Church
- Basseterre Co-Cathedral of Immaculate Conception
- The Cenotaph
- St. Kitts Heritage Society
- National Museum
- Amina Craft Market
- Public Market
- St. Kitts Sugar Factory Museum (under construction using the grounds of the sugar factory which ceased production in 2005)
- Warner Park Sporting Complex
- Pelican Shopping Mall
- Queen Victoria Statue Roundabout
- Basseterre National Park (under construction)
- Fort Thomas
[edit] Religion
There are a large number of Christian churches in the city for its size. Most are Protestant, due to British colonization, but the cathedral in Basseterre is Catholic. The Anglican, also called the "Church of England" has the largest amount of members, followed by the Methodist. Other Protestant denominations include Moravian, Church of God, Baptist, Seventh-day Adventist, Jehova's Witness, Rivers of Living Water and Pentecostal. Afro-Christian syncretic cults are also widespread.
[edit] Economy
Main article: Economy of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Basseterre's main exports are rum, beer, foodstuffs and electronics. The once dominating sugar industry closed in 2005, due to overwhelming debts and further predicted hardships due to major price cuts planned by the EU.
The city of Basseterre is home to Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange, which lists securities for companies and corporations in the region.
[edit] Business / Specifics
Business: Banks are open 8am-2pm, Hours: Monday to Thursday, and 8am-4pm on Fridays.
The main banks are:
- Barclays Bank (see FirstCaribbean International Bank),
- Bank of Nova Scotia,
- St. Kitts Nevis Anguilla National Bank,
- Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and
- Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
Automatic Teller Machines are available.
Shops are open:
- 8am-4pm Mondays to Wednesdays
- 8 am-noon Thursdays
- 8 am-5pm Fridays and
- 8am-4pm Saturdays.
Payment cards are accepted only at major stores and shops.
Electricity: 230 volts AC, 60 cycles. Most places also have 110 AC.
Telecommunications: the international dialling code for Saint Kitts and Nevis is 1-869 followed by seven digits. On the islands, use the seven digits alone. When on the islands, to call anywhere in the United States or Canada simply dial 1+ (area code) + seven digit phone number.
Emergency Numbers: Police/Ambulance: 911 Fire: 333 JNF General Hospital: 465 2551
Time: GMT-4
[edit] Transportation
Main article: Transport in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Basseterre is hub for all major roads on the island of St. Kitts. Driving is done on the left. The speed limit in the city is 25 mph everywhere, with special caution to be taken around school zones.
[edit] Public Buses
Public Buses have a Green license plate starting with the letter "H" There are 5 main bus routes on St. Kitts:
- Basseterre to Sandy Point travelling West, starting at the Ferry Terminal,
- Basseterre to Capesterre travelling West, starting at the Ferry Terminal,
- Basseterre to St. Peter's travelling North, starting at College Street Ghaut,
- Basseterre to Molyneux travelling East, starting at Baker's Corner and
- Basseterre to Saddler's travelling East, starting at Baker's Corner.
All bus fees are $2.00 for a trip 4 miles and under, $2.50 for a trip 4 to 8 miles, and $3.00 for a trip over 8 miles. (EC dollars. 1 US = 2.7 EC)
No public buses travel southwards to the main resort areas in Frigate Bay and the South East Peninsula.
[edit] Taxis
Taxis have yellow license plates starting with the letter "T" The taxi station in Basseterre is located at the Circus (466 6999). The taxis will take you just about anywhere for a pre-calculated price.
[edit] Harbour
The Deep Water Harbour in Basseterre is capable of both hosting and berthing of cruise ships or the handling of cargos. It is located to the extreme East of Basseterre Bay.
Port Zante, in the centre of the Bay, is for use of docking cruise ships only. The Port can accommodate the largest cruise ships in the world. It also has a marina facility.
The bay is also home to the bustling ferry operation which takes place between Basseterre and Charlestown. There are about 4 trips daily.
[edit] Airport
The Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport serves the city of Basseterre, and is located in the city's most North Easternly area. It has direct flights to London and Miami and seasonal flights to other major cities in the U.S.A. and Canada during the tourist season.
[edit] Railway
St. Kitts' 58km of narrow(0.762m)-gauge railway centre in Basseterre, and swoop the island in a circular pattern. The railway lines, originally built to transport sugar cane to the central sugar factory in Basseterre, are now used to transport tourists via the "St. Kitts Scenic Railway Train" which currently runs from Basseterre to Sandy Point, travelling East.
[edit] Prominent people
Famous people born in Basseterre include:
- Kim Collins (1976-) world famous sprinter.
- Desai Williams (1959-) Olympic bronze medalist, (4*100m relay, 1984, for Canada.)
