Basseterre
Encyclopedia
Basseterre estimated population 15,500 in 2000, is the capital of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis , located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, in both area and population....

 in the West Indies
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

. Geographically, the Basseterre port is located at 17°18′N 62°44′W, on the south western coast of Saint Kitts
Saint Kitts
Saint Kitts Saint Kitts Saint Kitts (also known more formally as Saint Christopher Island (Saint-Christophe in French) is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean...

 Island, and it is one of the chief commercial depots of the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...

. The city lies within the parish of Saint George Basseterre
Saint George Basseterre Parish
Saint George Basseterre is one of 14 administrative parishes that make up Saint Kitts and Nevis. It is the largest parish on Saint Kitts and the second largest parish in Saint Kitts and Nevis . It is by far the most populous parish in the federation, holding nearly a third of the country's population...

 and the southern part of the parish of Saint Peter Basseterre
Saint Peter Basseterre Parish
Saint Peter Basseterre is one of 14 administrative parishes that make up Saint Kitts and Nevis. It is located on the main island of Saint Kitts and the parish capital is Monkey Hill.-Land:...

.

Basseterre is one of the oldest towns in the Eastern Caribbean
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...

.

History

Basseterre was founded in 1627 by the French, under Sieur Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc
Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc
thumb|220px|Pierre Belain d'EsnambucPierre Bélain, Sieur d'Esnambuc was a French trader and adventurer in the Caribbean, who established the first permanent French colony, Saint-Pierre, on the island of Martinique in 1635....

. It served as capital of the French colony of Saint-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
De Poincy
Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy was a French nobleman and Bailiff Grand Cross of the Knights of Malta.On 12 January 1638 de Poincy set sail for the Caribbean on board La Petite Europe On February 20 he took up his commission as Lieutenant Governor of the Isles of America and Captain general...

 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
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...

 and Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...

, and remained so until his death in 1660. The city was made capital of the entire island of St. Kitts in 1727, 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 considerable number of well-restored buildings still exist in downtown Basseterre.

Geography

The city of Basseterre skirts a 2 miles (3.2 km) bay on the southwestern shore of St. Kitts, Basseterre Bay. The city lies within the large Basseterre Valley
Basseterre Valley
The Basseterre Valley is a low-lying valley on the island of Saint Kitts, surrounded by the Canada Hills and Olivees Mountain. It contains Basseterre, the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The valley has two rivers or ghauts named Westbourne Ghaut and College Ghaut.The Basseterre Valley was...

, almost completely surrounded by lush green hills and mountains. It is primarily low-lying, which is one explanation for the name which the French gave unto it, as Basseterre translates to "low land" in English. However, the name Basseterre is also due to the fact that the island is on the lee of winds of the island, and is thus a safe anchorage. The name Capesterre, given to the region to the North, was dubbed so as it was facing the wind. Basseterre is surrounded by the Olivees Mountains to the north and the Conaree-Morne peaks to the east. 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 (60,702.9 m²) of land reclaimed from the sea in 1995.

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...

, Basseterre features a tropical rainforest climate
Tropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest climate, also known as an equatorial climate, is a tropical climate usually found along the equator...

. As is the characteristic of cities with this climate, temperatures remain constant throughout the course of the year, with temperatures averaging 27°C year-round. Basseterre has no dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...

; all 12 months on average see more than 60 mm of precipitation. On average, 1700 mm of rain falls on the city annually.

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) 66.6 (1692)
Source: http://www.weatherbase.com/weather, BBC Weather

Around town

Basseterre is a very small town which is laid out in a grid pattern. It has four main streets running west to east, and they are listed here in sequence from south to north: Bay Road, Liverpool Row, Central Street and Cayon Street. The main street running north to south is Fort Street/Bank Street, which is home to the bulk of the island's main shops and banks. The city has 2 centres, at The Circus
Berkeley Memorial, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
The Berkeley Memorial stands in the centre of the Circus in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis. The memorial features a drinking fountain as well as a clock. There are four clock faces, each one facing one of the four streets leading to the Circus. It was built in honour of Thomas B.H. Berkeley, a...

, which is geared towards tourism purposes, and the Independence Square
Independence Square, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
Independence Square was named on the occasion of St. Kitts & Nevis achieving political independence on September 19, 1983. Originally called Pall Mall Square, The Government first acquired it in 1750 and it rapidly became the administrative, commercial and social centre of Basseterre. The Square...

, which contains the cathedral, courthouse and most of the older buildings.

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 transport hub. It houses the administration buildings for the federal government (those for the island of Nevis are in Charlestown). It also houses the headquarters of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank is the monetary authority of a group of six independent Caribbean nations namely:* Antigua and Barbuda,* Grenada,* Saint Kitts and Nevis,* Commonwealth of Dominica,* Saint Lucia,* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...

, as well as the headquarters for many other regional financial institutions.

Despite its small size, Basseterre played host to Carifesta VII (the Caribbean Festival of Arts) in 2000, outbidding rivals many times its size. The city was able to outbid the United States of America, to host matches for the 2007 World Cricket Cup
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...

. The Warner Park Sporting Complex
Warner Park Sporting Complex
Warner Park Sporting Complex is an athletic facility in Basseterre, St. Kitts, St. Kitts and Nevis. It includes the Warner Park Stadium, which was one of the hosts for the 2007 Cricket World Cup....

 was the site of the allocated first round matches of the tournament. This made St. Kitts and Nevis the smallest country in the world ever to host a World Cup event.

Basseterre is home to two prestigious medical institutions founded by Robert Ross: the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine
Ross University
Ross University, founded in 1978, is a for-profit college offering degrees in Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. The School of Medicine is located in Dominica, in the West Indies, with clinical education centers in Miami, Florida, Saginaw, Michigan and Freeport, Bahamas. The...

 and the International University of Nursing
Ross University
Ross University, founded in 1978, is a for-profit college offering degrees in Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. The School of Medicine is located in Dominica, in the West Indies, with clinical education centers in Miami, Florida, Saginaw, Michigan and Freeport, Bahamas. The...

. The city has four secondary schools, two of which are government owned, and two are private schools.

Landmarks and points of interest

  • Independence Square
    Independence Square, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
    Independence Square was named on the occasion of St. Kitts & Nevis achieving political independence on September 19, 1983. Originally called Pall Mall Square, The Government first acquired it in 1750 and it rapidly became the administrative, commercial and social centre of Basseterre. The Square...

     (formerly Pall Mall Square)
  • The Circus
    Berkeley Memorial, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
    The Berkeley Memorial stands in the centre of the Circus in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis. The memorial features a drinking fountain as well as a clock. There are four clock faces, each one facing one of the four streets leading to the Circus. It was built in honour of Thomas B.H. Berkeley, a...

  • St. George's Anglican Church
  • Basseterre Co-Cathedral of Immaculate Conception
    Basseterre Co-Cathedral of Immaculate Conception
    The Basseterre Co-Cathedral of Immaculate Conception is a cathedral in the city of Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis.In the early stages of the French occupation of Basseterre, a Roman Catholic Church was erected in the town by the Jesuits and dedicated to Our Lady. Notre Dame was burnt to the ground...

  • 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
    Warner Park Sporting Complex
    Warner Park Sporting Complex is an athletic facility in Basseterre, St. Kitts, St. Kitts and Nevis. It includes the Warner Park Stadium, which was one of the hosts for the 2007 Cricket World Cup....

  • Pelican Shopping Mall
  • Queen Victoria Statue Roundabout
  • Basseterre National Park (under construction)
  • Fort Thomas
  • Springfield Cemetery and Chapel

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 Roman Catholic. The Anglican, also called the "Church of England" has the largest number of members, followed by the Methodist. Other Protestant denominations include Moravian, Church of God
Church of God
Church of God is a name used by numerous, mostly unrelated Christian denominational bodies, most of which descend from either Pentecostal/Holiness or Adventist traditions.-Pentecostal Movement:*Church of God...

, Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...

, Seventh-day Adventist
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...

, Jehovah's Witness, Rivers of Living Water and Pentecostal. Afro-Christian syncretic sects are also widespread.

Economy

The city of Basseterre has established itself as a financial centre in the Eastern Caribbean. It is home to the headquarters of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank is the monetary authority of a group of six independent Caribbean nations namely:* Antigua and Barbuda,* Grenada,* Saint Kitts and Nevis,* Commonwealth of Dominica,* Saint Lucia,* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...

, as well as the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange
Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange
The Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange is the first regional securities market in the Western Hemisphere and a regional Stock exchange, established by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank to serve the eight member territories of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint...

, which lists securities for companies and corporations in the region. The city is also headquarters for the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank, the largest bank in the Eastern Caribbean, in terms of assetts.

The city is also a major Eastern Caribbean industrial centre, its main exports being bass, electronics, beverages, apparel, and salt. The once dominating sugar industry closed in 2005. This was due to overwhelming debts and further predicted hardships from major price cuts planned by the EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

. There are specified industrial estates which carry out sub-sonic technology, food processing, light engineering, bass (instrument)
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...

 engineering and rum distilling.

Transport

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 mi/h everywhere, with special caution to be taken around school zones.

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 $2.50 for a trip 5 miles (8 km) and under, $3.00 for a trip 5 to 10 miles (16.1 km), and $3.75 for a trip over 10 miles (16.1 km). (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.

Taxis

Taxis have yellow license plates starting with the letter "T" or "TA". 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.

Harbour

The Deep Water Harbour in Basseterre is capable of both hosting and berthing of cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...

s or the handling of cargo. 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 numerous trips daily served by as much as 6 ferries. Ferry service between Basseterre and Oranjestad
Oranjestad, Sint Eustatius
Oranjestad is a small town of nearly 1,000 inhabitants, and is the capital of Sint Eustatius island in the Caribbean Netherlands.Oranjestad is a historic harbour town...

, Statia as well as to St. Maarten also exists, but the trips are irregular.

Airport

The Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport
Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport
Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport is an international airport located just northeast of Basseterre, on the island of Saint Kitts, serving the nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. It was named after the first Premier of St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla , Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw.A major renovation was...

 serves the city of Basseterre, and is located in the city's most North Easternly area. It has direct flights to London, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 and Miami and seasonal flights to Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

, Atlanta and Philadelphia in addition to other major cities in the U.S.A. and Canada during the tourist season.

Railway

St. Kitts' 58 km 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 Sandy Point to Basseterre, travelling East.

Prominent people

Famous people born in Basseterre include:
  • Bertil Fox
    Bertil Fox
    Bertil Fox on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Kitts is a British former IFBB professional bodybuilder. Fox immigrated to London, England, with his family when he was only one year old. He then moved to Northampton. He did not return to St. Kitts for more than 40 years. He once said, "I'm 100%...

     (1951-) professional bodybuilder.
  • Kim Collins
    Kim Collins
    Kim Collins is a track and field sprinter from the Caribbean nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 2003, he became the World Champion in the 100 m. He represented his country at the Summer Olympics on four occasions, from 1996 to 2008, and was the country's first athlete to ever reach an event...

     (1976-) world famous sprinter.
  • Desai Williams
    Desai Williams
    Desai Williams is a former sprinter from Canada, who won an Olympic bronze medal in 4 x 100 metres relay in Los Angeles 1984....

     (1959-) Olympic bronze medalist, (4*100m relay, 1984, for Canada.)
  • Erasmus James
    Erasmus James
    Erasmus James is an American football defensive end who is currently signed by the New Mexico Stars of the Indoor Football League . He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings 18th overall in the 2005 NFL Draft...

     (November 4, 1982-) Former NFL player for the Minnesota Vikings
    Minnesota Vikings
    The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...

    .
  • Dr. George Astaphan
    George Astaphan
    George Mario "Jamie" Sahely Chehin Astaphan, M.D., B.Sc. was a physician who became infamous for giving steroids to the sprinter Ben Johnson.Dr. Astaphan was born on the island of St. Kitts in the West Indies...

     (22 May 1946 - 18 August 2006) Famous physician accused of a doping scandal.
  • Kayamba Gumbs
    Keith Gumbs
    Keith "Kayamba" Gumbs is a St. Kitts and Nevis international football player who currently plays as a striker for the Indonesia Super League side Sriwijaya FC...

     (1972-) footballer
    Football (soccer)
    Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

    .
  • Joan Armatrading
    Joan Armatrading
    Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, MBE is a British singer, songwriter and guitarist. Armatrading is a three-time Grammy Award-nominee and has been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist...

    (1950-) singer.
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