Saccharum officinarum - Sugar cane, a member of the grass family, is cultivated in tropical and subtropical countries throughout the world. Sugar cane grows to a height of 3 to 6 meters and has stems 2 to 5 centimeters thick. The plant is endemic to South and Southeast Asia. Prior to the huge crops made available from the Americas, sugar was sold in Europe by the gram weight as a luxury item. It is a major crop with over 120 countries producing an astonishing 180 million tonnes of sugar.
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Saint Christopher and Nevis serve as the headquarters for the Eastern Caribbean dollar, a currency used by eight of the nine members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; six independent nations and two British territories. The currency zone has been in place since 1965, succeeding the British West Indies dollar. The Eastern Caribbean dollar, abbreviated as EC$, is issued by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, located in Basseterre, the largest city on the island of Saint Christopher.
