Basseterre is the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis, the two-island sovereign state in the eastern Caribbean.
The city is on Saint Kitts’s southwestern coast and serves as the country’s political, commercial, and transport center. Its harbor and central squares reflect the island’s long history as a sugar-producing colony and a regional trading point.
Basseterre was founded by the French in 1627 and later became the capital under British rule. Independence from the United Kingdom came in 1983, with Basseterre continuing as the national capital.
The country’s other major island has Charlestown as its capital. That town is on Nevis and should not be confused with Basseterre. Saint Kitts is also known historically as Saint Christopher, so maps and historical sources may use both names for the larger island.