The capital city of St Kitts and Nevis is Basseterre which had an estimated population of 15,500 in 2000. It is on the south-western coast of St Kitts and was founded in 1627 by the French. At the time the French colony was called Saint Christophe and consisted of just the northern and southern most parts of the island, while the centre belonged to the British.
Under French command the town quickly became a successful port and remains one of the chief commercial depots in the Leeward Islands. It still has a considerable number of historic buildings in the downtown area.
The city is also home to 2 prestigious American medical institutions which are the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and the International University of Nursing. There is also the American owned medical school, Windsor University.
Basseterre is a financial centre within the Eastern Caribbean and the headquarters of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange are located here. It has the distinction of being a major Eastern Caribbean industrial centre which exports locally mined salt, electronics, their fridges and apparel. The harbour in the city is capable of handling cargo ships and cruise ships; Port Zante is used exclusively for cruise ships and is capable of accommodating the largest cruise ships in the world.
Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport is located in the north eastern part of the city and has direct flights to New York, London and Miami as well as a large number of seasonal flights to other major cities in the USA and Canada.
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