Caribbean's St. Kitts gets independence, new name

The tiny Caribbean twin-island state of St. Kitts-Nevis, birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, today becomes an independent nation called St. Christopher and Nevis.

Britain's Princess Margaret, representing Queen Elizabeth, went to the 105 -square-mile nation for the independence celebrations. The islands nation was Britain's first Caribbean settlement, established in 1623.

Minutes into Monday the nation's new red, green, yellow, and black flag was raised in Basseterre, the capital.

The prime minister-designate, Kennedy Simmonds, says his country of 45,000 people, which remains a member of the British Commonwealth, will maintain good relations with the West.

Although the nation will be known as St. Christopher and Nevis, it will still be called St. Kitts and Nevis on the United Nations electronic voting board.