BACKGROUND The twin island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis consists of two islands located in the northern part of the Lesser Antilles chain of islands in the Eastern Caribbean. The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has a land area of 269 sq. km.; St. Kitts is 176 sq. km. in area and Nevis is 93 sq. km. in area. The physical landscape of St. Kitts is characterised by three volcanic centres: the central northwest range, dominated by the country’s highest peak Mt. Liamuiga (1,156 meters elevation), The total population of St. Kitts and Nevis is approximately 53,000, of which 11,000 persons reside on Nevis. Most of the terrestrial landscape of St. Kitts and Nevis has been significantly transformed by human activity, particularly in lowland areas where intensive land use has removed