Editing Geography of Saint Kitts and Nevis

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{{coord|17|20|N|62|45|W|display=title}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2019}}

[[File:Saint Kitts and Nevis, administrative divisions - en - monochrome.svg|300px|thumb|right|Map of Saint Kitts and Nevis]]

'''[[Saint Kitts and Nevis]]''' is a twin [[island country]] with a total landmass of just {{convert|104|sqmi|km2|order=flip}}. The island of [[St. Kitts]], the larger of the two, is {{convert|68|sqmi|km2|order=flip}} in size and is located at latitude 17.30 N, and longitude 62.80 W. [[Nevis]] is {{convert|36|sqmi|km2|order=flip}} and located at latitude 17.10 N, longitude 62.35 W, approximately 3&nbsp;km south-east of St. Kitts. The islands are about one-third of the way from [[Puerto Rico]] to [[Trinidad and Tobago]]. The islands are volcanic and mountainous.<ref>{{Citation |title=Saint Kitts and Nevis |date=2024-03-05 |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/saint-kitts-and-nevis/#geography |access-date=2024-03-22 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref>

==Geology==
{{main|Geology of Saint Kitts and Nevis}}
The island of [[St. Kitts]] is composed almost exclusively of [[volcanic]] rocks of [[andesite]] or [[dacite]] [[mineralogy]]. Its [[geology]] is similar to that of other volcanic islands in the [[Antilles|Lesser Antillean Archipelago]]. The islands are the summits of a submerged mountain range which forms the eastern boundary of what is known as the [[Caribbean Plate|Caribbean Tectonic Plate]]. St. Kitts is oriented northwest–southeast, about 80&nbsp;km long and 16&nbsp;km wide. The entire island archipelago is geologically young, having begun to form probably less than 50 million years ago, during the Miocene era. Volcanic activity occurred along the [[ridge]]s of this arc during the [[Miocene era]] and has continued since.

Nevis is a volcanic island that began its formation in mid-[[Pliocene]] times (approximately 3.45 million years ago). However, the island comprises a number of discrete eruptive centers that range in age from mid-Pliocene to [[Pleistocene]], these prevent any single model of the island's geological evolution. The geology of Nevis can be subdivided into four informal units: Volcanic of the eruptive centers, volcanigenic rocks - [[Pyroclastic rock|pyroclastic]]s and [[lahar]]s, [[fluviatile]] and [[Lake|lacustrine]] deposits, and [[raised beach]]es.

==Statistics==
[[File:SaintKittsAndNevis2021OSM.png|thumb|An enlargeable, detailed map of Saint Kitts and Nevis]]

'''Map references:'''
[[Central America]] and the Caribbean

'''Area:'''
<br/>''total:''
261&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (Saint Kitts 168&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>; Nevis 93&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)
<br/>''land:''
261&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>
<br/>''water:''
0&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>

'''Area - comparative:'''
two thirds the size of the island of [[Barbados]]

'''Coastline:'''
135&nbsp;km

'''Maritime claims:'''
<br/>''continental shelf:''
200 nautical miles (370&nbsp;km) or to the edge of the continental margin
<br/>''territorial sea:''
12 nautical miles (22&nbsp;km)
<br/>''contiguous zone:''
24 nautical miles (44&nbsp;km)
<br/>''exclusive economic zone:''
200 nautical miles (370&nbsp;km)

'''Climate:'''
tropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

'''Extreme points:'''

Northernmost point: Unnamed headland at [[Dieppe Bay Town]], [[Saint Kitts]]

Southernmost point: Devil's Cave, [[Saint John Figtree Parish]], [[Nevis]]

Westernmost point: Western cape of [[Saint Kitts]], [[Saint Anne Sandy Point Parish]]

Easternmost point: Eastern cape of [[Nevis]], [[Saint James Windward Parish]]

lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m

highest point:
[[Mount Liamuiga]] 1,156 m

'''Natural resources:'''
arable land

'''Land use:'''
<br/>''arable land:''
19.44%
<br/>''permanent crops:''
2.78%
<br/>''other:''
77.78% (2005)

'''Natural hazards:'''
hurricanes (July to October)

'''Environment - international agreements:'''
<br/>''party to:''
[[Biodiversity]], [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|Climate Change]], [[Desertification]], [[Endangered Species]], [[Hazardous Wastes]], [[Law of the Sea]], [[Ozone Layer Protection]], [[Ship Pollution]], [[Whaling]]

==Climate==
By the [[Köppen climate classification]], St. Kitts has a [[tropical savanna climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Aw'') and Nevis has a [[tropical monsoon climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Am'').<ref name="climate-data">{{cite web|title=Climate of Saint Kitts and Nevis: Temperature, Climograph, Climate table for Saint Kitts and Nevis – Climate-Data.org|url=https://en.climate-data.org/country/71/|website=Climate-data.org|publisher=Alexander Merkel|access-date=15 March 2018}}</ref> Mean monthly temperatures in Basseterre varies little from {{convert|23.9|°C|1}} to {{convert|26.6|C}}. Yearly rainfall is approximately {{convert|2400|mm|in|-1}}, although it has varied from {{convert|1356|mm|in|1}} to {{convert|3183|mm|in|1}} in the period 1901–2015.<ref name="climate" />

<div style="width:75%">
{{Weather box
| location = Saint Kitts and Nevis (1991–2015)
| metric first=Yes
| single line = yes
| Jan mean C  = 23.9
| Feb mean C  = 23.8
| Mar mean C  = 24.0
| Apr mean C  = 24.7
| May mean C  = 25.5
| Jun mean C  = 26.2
| Jul mean C  = 26.3
| Aug mean C  = 26.6
| Sep mean C  = 26.4
| Oct mean C  = 26.0
| Nov mean C  = 25.4
| Dec mean C  = 24.4
| Jan precipitation mm  = 150
| Feb precipitation mm  = 102
| Mar precipitation mm  = 99
| Apr precipitation mm  = 153
| May precipitation mm  = 219
| Jun precipitation mm  = 181
| Jul precipitation mm  = 214
| Aug precipitation mm  = 232
| Sep precipitation mm  = 222
| Oct precipitation mm  = 289
| Nov precipitation mm  = 286
| Dec precipitation mm  = 225
|source 1 = Climate Change Knowledge Portal<ref name=climate>{{cite web
|url= http://sdwebx.worldbank.org/climateportal/index.cfm?page=country_historical_climate&ThisCCode=KNA
|work= Climate Change Knowledge Portal
|publisher= The World Bank Group
|title= Country Historical Climate – St. Kitts & Nevis
|access-date= 15 March 2018
|archive-date= 6 November 2018
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181106182358/http://sdwebx.worldbank.org/climateportal/index.cfm?page=country_historical_climate&ThisCCode=KNA
|url-status= dead
}}</ref>
| date=2015
}}
</div>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Downtown Basseterre, St. Kitts.jpg|Downtown Basseterre
File:Downtown Basseterre, Island of St. Kitts.jpg|Downtown Basseterre
File:Fishing boat, Basseterre harbor, St. Kitts.jpg|Fishing boat, Basseterre harbor
File:Cyphoma gibbosum.jpg|Flamingo Tongue shell on a Sea Fan
File:Divers and anemone on the MV River Taw wreck, St. Kitts.jpg|Divers and anemone on the MV River Taw wreck
File:Juvenile French Angelfish near a sunken van, St. Kitts.jpg|Juvenile French Angelfish near a sunken van
File:Diver and fish, MV River Taw wreck, St. Kitts.jpg|Diver and fish, MV River Taw wreck
File:Diver and sponges, St. Kitts.jpg|Diver and sponges
File:3757 aquaimages.jpg|Royal Gramma or Fairy Basslet
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Saint Kitts and Nevis]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{CIA World Factbook}}

{{Commons category|Geography of Saint Kitts and Nevis}}

{{Geography of North America}}
{{North America topic|Climate of}}

[[Category:Geography of Saint Kitts and Nevis| ]]