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

This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


Map of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Saint Kitts and Nevis Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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. Nevis continues in its efforts to try and separate from Saint Kitts.
   Geography    Saint Kitts and Nevis Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
17 20 N, 62 45 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)
land: 261 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
135 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
volcanic with mountainous interiors
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
arable land
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 19.44%
permanent crops: 2.78%
other: 77.78% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Total renewable water resources:
Definition Field Listing
0.02 cu km (2000)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
hurricanes (July to October)
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
with coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat and ball, the two volcanic islands are separated by a three-km-wide channel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of long, baseball bat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its almost circular namesake island and its ball shape complements that of its sister island
   People    Saint Kitts and Nevis Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
39,349 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 27.2% (male 5,472/female 5,218)
15-64 years: 64.9% (male 12,779/female 12,752)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 1,300/female 1,828) (2007 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 28.1 years
male: 27.4 years
female: 28.8 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.623% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
17.89 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8.16 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
-3.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.049 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.002 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.711 male(s)/female
total population: 0.988 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 13.74 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15.44 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 72.66 years
male: 69.81 years
female: 75.69 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.29 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)
adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97.8%
male: NA%
female: NA% (2003 est.)
   Government    Saint Kitts and Nevis Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Basseterre
geographic coordinates: 17 18 N, 62 43 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
14 parishes; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James Windward, Saint John Capesterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capesterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Palmetto Point
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
19 September 1983 (from UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
19 September 1983
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on English common law
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Cuthbert Montraville SEBASTIAN (since 1 January 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS (since 6 July 1995); 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:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral National Assembly (14 seats, 3 appointed and 11 popularly elected from single-member constituencies; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 25 October 2004 (next to be held by 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SKNLP 7, CCM 2, NRP 1, PAM 1
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Kitts and Nevis)
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Vance AMORY]; Nevis Reformation Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY]; People's Action Movement or PAM [Lindsay GRANT]; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Izben Cordinal WILLIAMS
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 686-2636
FAX: [1] (202) 686-5740
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Kitts and Nevis
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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
   Economy    Saint Kitts and Nevis Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
Sugar was the traditional mainstay of the Saint Kitts economy until the 1970s. Following the 2005 harvest, the government closed the sugar industry after decades of losses of 3-4% of GDP annually. To compensate for employment losses, the government has embarked on a program to diversify the agricultural sector and to stimulate other sectors of the economy. Activities such as tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking have assumed larger roles in the economy and have contributed to the recent robust growth. Tourism revenues are now the chief source of the islands' foreign exchange; about 341,800 tourists visited Nevis in 2005. The current government is constrained by a high debt burden, public debt reached 190% of GDP by the end of 2005, largely attributable to public enterprise losses.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$726 million (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$453 million (2005)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$8,200 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 3.5%
industry: 25.8%
services: 70.7% (2001)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
18,170 (June 1995)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.5% (1997)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8.7% (2005 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $89.7 million
expenditures: $128.2 million (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
125 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
116.3 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
900 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
871.6 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$84 million (2006)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 61.9%, Canada 9.4%, Netherlands 6.6%, Azerbaijan 5% (2006)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$383 million (2006)
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 49.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.3%, UK 4.5% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$3.52 million (2005)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$314 million (2004)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Saint Kitts and Nevis Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
25,000 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
10,000 (2004)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: good inter-island and international connections
domestic: inter-island links via Eastern Caribbean Fiber Optic cable; construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched in November 2004
international: country code - 1-869; with the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables providing connectivity, international calls are carried either by submarine cable or Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2003)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2003)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.kn
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
45 (2007)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
10,000 (2002)
   Transportation    Saint Kitts and Nevis Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 50 km
narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2006)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 320 km
paved: 138 km
unpaved: 182 km (1999 est)
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 104 ships (1000 GRT or over) 465,056 GRT/663,511 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 66, chemical tanker 8, container 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 2
foreign-owned: 76 (Belgium 1, Egypt 2, Estonia 1, Greece 2, India 1, Iran 1, Latvia 4, Monaco 1, Romania 1, Russia 14, Spain 1, Syria 5, Tanzania 1, Turkey 13, Ukraine 5, UAE 22, Yemen 1) (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Basseterre
   Military    Saint Kitts and Nevis Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (includes Coast Guard), Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force
Military service age and obligation:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age (est.) (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 9,196
females age 18-49: 9,236 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 7,119
females age 18-49: 7,645 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 357
females age 18-49: 347 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Transnational Issues    Saint Kitts and Nevis Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; some money-laundering activity

This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


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