It served as the capital of the French colony of Saint-Christophe, which consisted of the northern and southern extremities of the island of St. Kitts (the centre was yielded to Britain).

De Poincy then quickly made Basseterre capital of the entire French West Indies colony, which included the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, and remained so until his death in 1660.

The city of Basseterre has one of the most tragic histories of any Caribbean capital, destroyed many times by colonial wars, fire, earthquakes, floods, riots, and hurricanes.

The city lies within the large Basseterre Valley, almost completely surrounded by lush green hills and mountains.

It is primarily low-lying, which is one explanation for the name which the French gave it, as Basseterre translates to "low land" in English.

Port Zante, located in the centre of the bay, lies on 15 acres (61,000 m2) of land reclaimed from the sea in 1995.

The city has two centres, at The Circus, which is geared towards tourism, and the Independence Square, which contains the cathedral, courthouse, and most of the older buildings.

It is also the country's main port of entry for both sea and air travel, as well as the road and rail transport hub.

The city was able to outbid the United States of America to host matches for the 2007 World Cricket Cup.

Other Protestant denominations include Moravian, Church of God, Baptist, Seventh-day Adventist, Jehovah's Witness, Rivers of Living Water and Pentecostal.

The city is also a major Eastern Caribbean industrial centre; its main exports being bass, electronics, beverages, apparel, and salt.

1 US = 2.7 EC) No public buses travel southwards to the main resort areas in Frigate Bay and the South East Peninsula.

The Deep Water Harbour in Basseterre is capable of both hosting and berthing of cruise ships or the handling of cargo.

The bay is also home to the bustling ferry operation which takes place between Basseterre and Charlestown, the capital of Nevis.

Ferry service also exists between Basseterre and Oranjestad, Statia as well as to St. Maarten, but the trips are irregular and infrequent.

St. Kitts' 58 km of narrow (0.762m)-gauge railway terminates in Basseterre, and encompasses the island in a circular pattern.