| Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Saint Kitts and Nevis | Introduction | Top of Page

Background: | First settled by the British in 1623, the islands became an associated state with full internal autonomy in 1967. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. Saint Kitts and Nevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority needed.

Saint Kitts and Nevis | Geography | Top of Page

Location: | Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates: | 17 20 N, 62 45 W

Map references: | Central America and the Caribbean

Area: | total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km) land: 261 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: | 0 km

Coastline: | 135 km

Maritime claims: | contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate: | tropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Terrain: | volcanic with mountainous interiors

Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m

Natural resources: | arable land

Land use: | arable land: 22% permanent crops: 17% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 17% other: 41% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: | NA sq km

Natural hazards: | hurricanes (July to October)

Environment - current issues: | NA

Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Saint Kitts and Nevis | People | Top of Page

Population: | 38,756 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 29.84% (male 5,909; female 5,654) 15-64 years: 61.37% (male 11,870; female 11,915) 65 years and over: 8.79% (male 1,406; female 2,002) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | -0.11% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 18.78 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 9.21 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | -10.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 16.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 71.01 years male: 68.22 years female: 73.97 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 2.41 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA

Nationality: | noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s) adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian

Ethnic groups: | predominantly black some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese

Religions: | Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

Languages: | English

Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 97% male: 97% female: 98% (1980 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis | Government | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis conventional short form: Saint Kitts and Nevis former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis

Government type: | constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament

Capital: | Basseterre

Administrative divisions: | 14 parishes; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James Windward, Saint John Capisterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capisterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Palmetto Point

Independence: | 19 September 1983 (from UK)

National holiday: | Independence Day, 19 September (1983)

Constitution: | 19 September 1983

Legal system: | based on English common law

Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Perlette LOUISY (since September 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS (since 6 July 1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Sam CONDOR (since 6 July 1995) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general in consultation with the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general

Legislative branch: | unicameral National Assembly (14 seats, 3 appointed and 11 popularly elected from single-member constituencies; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 6 March 2000 (next to be held by July 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SKNLP 8, CCM 2, NRP 1

Judicial branch: | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Kitts and Nevis)

Political parties and leaders: | Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Vance AMORY]; Nevis Reformation Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY]; People's Action Movement or PAM [Lindsey GRANT]; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA

International organization participation: | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Osbert W. LIBURD chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 686-2636 FAX: [1] (202) 686-5740

Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the US Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint Kitts and Nevis

Flag description: | divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band bearing two white, five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red

Saint Kitts and Nevis | Economy | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | The economy has traditionally depended on the growing and processing of sugarcane; decreasing world prices have hurt the industry in recent years. Tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking activity have assumed larger roles. Most food is imported. The government has undertaken a program designed to revitalize the faltering sugar sector. It is also working to improve revenue collection in order to better fund social programs. In 1997 some leaders in Nevis were urging separation from Saint Kitts on the basis that Nevis was paying far more in taxes than it was receiving in government services, but the vote on cessation failed in August 1998. In late September 1998, Hurricane Georges caused approximately $445 million in damages and limited GDP growth for the year.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $274 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | 5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $7,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 5.5% industry: 22.5% services: 72% (1996)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.5% (2000 est.)

Labor force: | 18,172 (June 1995)

Labor force - by occupation: | NA

Unemployment rate: | 4.5% (1997)

Budget: | revenues: $64.1 million expenditures: $73.3 million, including capital expenditures of $10.4 million (1997 est.)

Industries: | sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages

Industrial production growth rate: | NA%

Electricity - production: | 90 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 83.7 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: | sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish

Exports: | $53.2 million (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: | machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco

Exports - partners: | US 68.5%, UK 22.3%, Caricom countries 5.5% (1995 est.)

Imports: | $151.5 million (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: | machinery, manufactures, food, fuels

Imports - partners: | US 42.4%, Caricom countries 17.2%, UK 11.3% (1995 est.)

Debt - external: | $115.1 million (1998)

Economic aid - recipient: | $5.5 million (1995)

Currency: | East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code: | XCD

Exchange rates: | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Fiscal year: | calendar year

Saint Kitts and Nevis | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 17,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 205 (1997)

Telephone system: | general assessment: good interisland and international connections domestic: interisland links to Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF radiotelephone international: international calls are carried by radiotelephone to Antigua and Barbuda and switched there to submarine cable or to Intelsat; or carried to Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) by radiotelephone and switched to Intelsat

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 3, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: | 28,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 1 (plus three repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: | 10,000 (1997)

Internet country code: | .kn

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 16 (2000)

Internet users: | 2,000 (2000)

Saint Kitts and Nevis | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | total: 58 km narrow gauge: 58 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve sugarcane plantations (1995)

Highways: | total: 320 km paved: 136 km unpaved: 184 km (2000)

Waterways: | none

Ports and harbors: | Basseterre, Charlestown

Merchant marine: | none (2000 est.)

Airports: | 2 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast Guard, Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | NA%

Saint Kitts and Nevis | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | none

Illicit drugs: | transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe