Bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south-west and the Atlantic Ocean to the north-east, the twin-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis lies in the northern Caribbean, about 2,100 km south-east of Miami. Granted independence from Britain on September 19, 1993, the Federation bears the distinction of being the smallest nation in the Americas in both population and land area.  St. Kitts, given the full name of St. Christopher by Christopher Columbus, is the larger of the two islands, covering an area of just 168 sq km. It is separated from its sister island of Nevis by a 3 km wide channel. Nevis itself is 93 sq km. The combined population is 45,000, with approximately 39,000 residing in St. Kitts.

For many years the national economy was based on the sugar industry. When this closed in 2005 after more than 300 years, the Government boldly stepped in with plans for investment and an expansion of infrastructure in the services and tourism sectors. Since then, over US$ 150 million has been invested in construction across the island. The results of this have meant that the Airport and Seaports have been revitalised to become major players in the Caribbean region.