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Basseterre

Capital of Saint Kitts and NevisSpread along a bay about 3 km long, Basseterre is on the south-western coast of Saint Kitts, the larger of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, in the Leeward Islands of the eastern Caribbean.

Why it's the capital

French settlers led by Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc founded Basseterre in 1627, and it grew into a large trading port. After the French were expelled and Britain took full control of Saint Kitts, the town was made the island's capital in 1727.

Fun facts

  1. Basseterre means 'low land' in French, a good fit for its low-lying ground.
  2. Under the French governor de Poincy, Basseterre was for a time the capital of all the French West Indies, including Guadeloupe and Martinique, until his death in 1660.
  3. The Circus, one of the town's two centres, was modelled on Piccadilly Circus in London, and its memorial fountain was built in 1883.

Finding it on the globe

Look for two small islands in the Leeward Islands, with Nevis about 3 km south-east of Saint Kitts. Tap the south-west coast of Saint Kitts, the bigger island.

Easy to mix up

Do not mix it up with Basse-Terre, written with a hyphen, which is the capital of Guadeloupe, a French overseas region further south-east in the Caribbean.

Sources: Wikipedia: Basseterre, Wikipedia: Saint Kitts and Nevis, Wikipedia: Basse-Terre, Wikipedia: Guadeloupe