Oualie is a constituent republic of Kalina Region.
| Oualie Republic | |
|---|---|
| Island of Nevis | |
| Constituent Republic of Vekllei | |
 |
|
| Part of the Kalina Region | |
| It is the only republic in Kalina that exports more power than it uses. | |
| Population | 38,201 |
| Demographics |
84% Afro-Kalinago 16% Caribbean mixed
|
| Economy | Arable farming Plantations & spices, Orchards & fruit |
| Produces | Sugar, Rum, Sea Island Cotton, Textiles, Spices |
| Working week | 19.0 hours |
| Specialisation | Energy & Resources |
| Accession | 1978, as part of final Antilles accession |
| Area | 93 km² |
| Capital | Cherry Tree |
| Languages | English, Nevisian Creole |
The Oualie Republic is a constituent republic of Vekllei at the northern end of the Kalina archipelago. It comprises a single island, with a scatter of reefs off its northern shore. The island is one volcano, roughly conical, rising to 985 metres at The Fountain. It is also the only republic in Kalina that exports more power than it uses. Together with Kitts across a straight called The Narrows, it forms the northern part of the chain. The interior is densely forested and uninhabited, and settlement keeps to the coastal plain, including the capital of Cherry Tree.
Oualie is the Kalinago name for land of beautiful waters, after the springs around the mountain. Almost all Oualians are descended from Africans brought there as slaves, and form about nine tenths of the population. The rest are of English and Portuguese ancestry, descended from the planters and the traders who followed them. Like much of the Kalina Region, colonisation by the British involved the enslavement of transported Africans, who worked the sugar estates that made Oualie the richest of the Leeward Islands until 1698, during which time it functioned as the region’s capital.
The people of Oualie have a reputation for being stubborn and litigious, and were governed from Kitts for three centuries. This old relationship has produced a series of longstanding grievances that exist in some form today. Because emancipation in 1834 freed nearly 9,000 people, Oualians came to own land nearly two generations before those on Kitts. Several referendums nearly separated the two – first in 1961, then again in 1977 – but failed both times. Accession to the Commonwealth the following year made both islands republics in their own right, which resolved the political problem though a culture of rivalry persists.
Although there is little flat land in Oualie, there is abundant hot water beneath it, and so most of its power comes from the wells at Spring Hill. A geothermal power station was built there in the mid-20th Century before federalisation, and has been expanded to fifty megawatts since. The island also exports power to Kitts. Down at the coastal plain are fields that grow sea island cotton, a particularly luxurious variety in high demand in the Commonwealth. “Goat water” (a derivative of the Irish stew) is the local dish.
In the postwar period as part of Vekllei, Oualie has become a centre for naval architecture, and Oualie Maritime University trains naval engineers who contribute substantially to the Commonwealth shipbuilding industry. Federalisation has also brought the Caribbean Botanical Research Station of the LSRE, which studies crop varieties for their use and improvement in volcanic soils. As such, almost everyone on Oualie works for the university, the station or the power company, and young Oualians who would once have left for Kairi now stay on as engineers. Women are especially well represented.
Oualie has no airport, but a line operated by the Atlantic Railway Company runs from Cherry Tree to the villages of the plain. Oualie and Kitts are connected by hydrofoil, but the crossing is irregular in the hurricane months. Cherry Tree is a pretty Georgian town of painted waterfront terraces. The old Treasury building holds the Caribbean-American Republics Museum, which marks Alexander Hamilton’s birth there in 1755.
Climate
Tropical with a dry season from January to April and a wet season from May to November. The mountain receives substantially more rainfall than the coast, and the island is occasionally affected by hurricanes during the Atlantic hurricane season.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 27° 24° 27° 24° 27° 24° 28° 25° 28° 25° 29° 26° 29° 26° 30° 27° 30° 27° 29° 26° 29° 26° 27° 24°
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun 27° 24° 27° 24° 27° 24° 28° 25° 28° 25° 29° 26° Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 29° 26° 30° 27° 30° 27° 29° 26° 29° 26° 27° 24°
Public Holidays
- New Year’s Day 1 Jan
- Culturama Last Lap 2 Jan
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- Commonwealth Day 1 May
- Whit Monday
- Emancipation Day 1 Aug
- Republic Day 19 Sep
- Christmas Day 25 Dec
- Boxing Day 26 Dec
- Electronic Components
- Fruit
- Lubricants
- Molasses
- Pharmaceuticals
- Salt
- Sugar
- Vegetables
- Vinegar
- The Fountain: Dormant volcano with hiking trails through cloud forest to the crater rim, offering views across the northern Caribbean.
- Oualie Geothermal Station: Power generation facility on the western slopes of Nevis Peak, providing electricity to northern Kalina islands.
- American-Caribbean Republics Museum: Museum in Cherry Tree dedicated to Caribbean-American shared history and the life of Alexander Hamilton.
- Cherry Tree: Georgian-era capital with preserved colonial architecture, including the Court House, Memorial Square and waterfront.
- Botanical Gardens of Nevis: Former plantation estates converted to botanical gardens showcasing Caribbean and tropical plants.
- Pinney’s Beach: Long stretch of golden sand on the western coast, popular for swimming and with views across to [[Kitts]].
- Fig Tree Village: Historic settlement in the island’s interior, surrounded by fruit groves and traditional wooden houses.
- Cottle Church: Ruined 18th-century church and cemetery, one of the oldest surviving structures on the island.
- Agriculture, Land & Sea 14.7%
- Education 10.6%
- Domestic 8.2%
- Healthcare 8.1%
All 19 groups
Hide table
- Agriculture, Land & Sea 14.7%
- Education 10.6%
- Domestic 8.2%
- Healthcare 8.1%
| Occupation | Share | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Land & Sea | 14.7% | 6,700 |
| Education | 10.6% | 4,800 |
| Domestic | 8.2% | 3,710 |
| Healthcare | 8.1% | 3,670 |
| Skilled Trades & Construction | 8.0% | 3,640 |
| Government & Civil Administration | 6.2% | 2,820 |
| Energy & Resources | 5.9% | 2,670 |
| Industry | 4.9% | 2,250 |
| Science & Research | 4.7% | 2,120 |
| Security & Defence | 4.1% | 1,880 |
| Arts & Media | 4.0% | 1,810 |
| Transport | 3.9% | 1,790 |
| Retail, Distribution & Logistics | 3.4% | 1,520 |
| Sport & Recreation | 3.0% | 1,350 |
| Hospitality & Participatory Trades | 2.8% | 1,270 |
| Economic Planning | 2.8% | 1,270 |
| Information & Communications | 2.1% | 970 |
| Law & Justice | 1.7% | 790 |
| Religious & Ceremonial | 0.9% | 410 |
Register estimates of posts located in the republic, rounded; figures under 50 suppressed. Includes 60 posts held by non-residents.
- 1978
- 1977
- 1961
-
1834
Emancipation in Oualie frees nearly 9,000 people
-
1778
The Bath Hotel opens in Oualie as the first hotel in the Caribbean
-
1755
Alexander Hamilton is born in Cherry Tree, Oualie
-
1698
Oualie loses its status as the richest of the Leeward Islands and ceases functioning as the region’s capital
- 1628