WORLD, COME TO MY HOME!: 3331 SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS

January 4, 2020

3331 SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS - Mount Liamuiga in Saint Kitts

3331 Aerial view of Mount Liamuiga, Brimstone Hill and Sandy Point Town

Named until 1983 Mount Misery, Mount Liamuiga is a 1,156-m stratovolcano which forms the western part of the island of Saint Kitts. The peak, topped by a 1 km wide summit crater, which contained a shallow crater lake until 1959, is the highest point on the island. The last verified eruptions from the volcano were about 1,800 years ago, while reports of possible eruptions in 1692 and 1843 are considered uncertain. The mountain sides are covered in farmland and small villages up to the 460 m height, after which lush tropical rainforests drape the slopes until cloud forest takes over at 900 m.

At the foot of the volcano, close to the sea, can be seen Brimstone Hill, a very steeply sloping hill where is located Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, a well-preserved fortress become a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It was designed by British military engineers, and was built and maintained by African slaves. It is one of the best preserved historical fortifications in the Americas. To the left is Sandy Point Town, the second largest town in the island, with 3140 inhabitants. After being founded in the 1620s, the town became the commercial centre of Saint Kitts and was one of the busiest ports in the region.

References
Mount Liamuiga - Wikipedia
Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park - Wikipedia
Sandy Point Town - Wikipedia

About the stamps
The first stamp is part of a series of 14, Fruits, issued on March 9, 1998.