| Introduction ::Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Background:
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Carib Indians occupied the islands for hundreds of years before the British began settlement in 1623. The islands became an associated state of the UK 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 separate from Saint Kitts.
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| Geography ::Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Location:
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Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
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Geographic coordinates:
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17 20 N, 62 45 W
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean
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Area:
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total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)
country comparison to the world: 211
land:
261 sq km
water:
0 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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135 km
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Maritime claims:
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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
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Climate:
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Current Weather
tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
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Terrain:
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volcanic with mountainous interiors
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point:
Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m
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Natural resources:
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arable land
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Land use:
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arable land: 19.44%
permanent crops:
2.78%
other:
77.78% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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NA
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Total renewable water resources:
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0.02 cu km (2000)
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Natural hazards:
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hurricanes (July to October)
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Environment - current issues:
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NA
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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
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Geography - note:
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with coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat and ball, the two volcanic islands are separated by a 3-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
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| People ::Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Population:
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49,898 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 23.1% (male 5,731/female 5,815)
15-64 years:
69.3% (male 17,524/female 17,065)
65 years and over:
7.5% (male 1,647/female 2,116) (2010 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 31.5 years
male:
31.5 years
female:
31.5 years (2010 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.838% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
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Birth rate:
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14.23 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
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Death rate:
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7.11 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
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Net migration rate:
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1.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 32% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
0.99 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.78 male(s)/female
total population:
1 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 153
male:
6.45 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
13.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 74.37 years
country comparison to the world: 95
male:
72.03 years
female:
76.75 years (2010 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.79 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA
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Nationality:
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noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)
adjective:
Kittitian, Nevisian
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Ethnic groups:
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predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese
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Religions:
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Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic
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Languages:
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English
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population:
97.8%
male:
NA
female:
NA (2003 est.)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 12 years
male:
12 years
female:
13 years (2005)
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Education expenditures:
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9.3% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 8
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| Government ::Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Country name:
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conventional long form: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
conventional short form:
Saint Kitts and Nevis
former:
Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
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Capital:
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name: Basseterre
geographic coordinates:
17 18 N, 62 43 W
time difference:
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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Administrative divisions:
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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
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Independence:
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19 September 1983 (from the UK)
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
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Constitution:
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19 September 1983
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Legal system:
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based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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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
(For more information visit the World Leaders website  )
elections:
the monarchy is hereditary; the governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral National Assembly (14 seats, 3 appointed and 11 popularly elected from single-member constituencies; members serve five-year terms)
elections:
last held on 25 January 2010 (next to be held by 2015)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SKNLP 6, CCM 2, PAM 2, NRP 1
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Judicial branch:
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Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (consisting of a Court of Appeal and a High Court; based on Saint Lucia; two judges of the Supreme Court reside in Saint Kitts and Nevis); member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
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Political parties and leaders:
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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]
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA
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International organization participation:
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ACP, AOSIS, 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, PetroCaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador 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
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Kitts and Nevis
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Flag description:
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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; green signifies the island's fertility, red symbolizes the struggles of the people from slavery, yellow denotes year-round sunshine, and black represents the African heritage of the people; the white stars stand for the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, but can also express hope and liberty, or independence and optimism
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| Economy ::Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Economy - overview:
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The economy of Saint Kitts and Nevis is heavily dependent upon tourism revenues, which has replaced sugar, the traditional mainstay of the 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, such as tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking. Economic growth was above average for Latin America from 2004 to 2006, but has since slowed. Tourism is projected to give the economy a boost in 2010, as large cruise ships add St. Kitts and Nevis to their itineraries. More than 200,000 tourists visited the islands in 2009. Like other tourist destinations in the Caribbean, St. Kitts and Nevis is vulnerable to damage from natural disasters and shifts in tourism demand. The current government is constrained by a high public debt burden equivalent to roughly 185% of GDP, largely attributable to public enterprise losses.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$753.1 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
$768.4 million (2008 est.)
$750.8 million (2007 est.)
note:
data are in 2009 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$553.4 million (2009 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-2% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
2.4% (2008 est.)
0.9% (2007 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$15,200 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
$15,700 (2008 est.)
$15,400 (2007 est.)
note:
data are in 2009 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 3.5%
industry:
25.8%
services:
70.7% (2001)
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Labor force:
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18,170 (June 1995)
country comparison to the world: 208
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Unemployment rate:
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4.5% (1997)
country comparison to the world: 42
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Population below poverty line:
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NA%
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
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Budget:
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revenues: $89.7 million
expenditures:
$128.2 million (2003 est.)
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Public debt:
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185% of GDP (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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4.5% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
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Central bank discount rate:
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6.5% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 63
6.5% (31 December 2007)
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Commercial bank prime lending rate:
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8.69% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 103
8.89% (31 December 2007)
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Stock of money:
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$107.2 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 152
$97.31 million (31 December 2007)
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Stock of quasi money:
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$680.6 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 130
$688.6 million (31 December 2007)
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Stock of domestic credit:
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$790.8 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 119
$782.4 million (31 December 2007)
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$NA (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 103
$595.2 million (31 December 2008)
$439.7 million (31 December 2007)
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Agriculture - products:
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sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish
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Industries:
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tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA%
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Electricity - production:
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130 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
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Electricity - consumption:
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120.9 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
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Oil - consumption:
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1,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
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Oil - exports:
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0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
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Oil - imports:
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1,225 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
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Oil - proved reserves:
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0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
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Natural gas - consumption:
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
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Current account balance:
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-$163 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
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Exports:
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$84 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 198
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Exports - commodities:
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machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco
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Exports - partners:
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US 62.3%, Canada 7.93%, Azerbaijan 6.72% (2009)
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Imports:
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$383 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 189
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery, manufactures, food, fuels
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Imports - partners:
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US 43.37%, Trinidad and Tobago 15.26%, Italy 11.83% (2009)
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Debt - external:
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$314 million (2004)
country comparison to the world: 168
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Exchange rates:
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East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
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| Communications ::Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Telephones - main lines in use:
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20,400 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 194
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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80,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 187
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: good interisland and international connections
domestic:
interisland links via Eastern Caribbean Fiber Optic cable; construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched in November 2004
international:
country code - 1-869; connected internationally by the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 3, FM 8, shortwave 0 (2008)
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2003)
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Internet country code:
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.kn
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Internet hosts:
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53 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 206
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Internet users:
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16,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 195
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| Transportation ::Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Airports:
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2 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 205
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m:
1
914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2009)
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Railways:
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total: 50 km
country comparison to the world: 131
narrow gauge:
50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2008)
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Roadways:
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total: 383 km
country comparison to the world: 199
paved:
163 km
unpaved:
220 km (2002)
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Merchant marine:
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total: 159
country comparison to the world: 40
by type:
bulk carrier 10, cargo 109, chemical tanker 7, container 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 19, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned:
121 (Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, Egypt 2, Estonia 3, Finland 1, Greece 3, India 1, Italy 1, Japan 3, Kuwait 1, Latvia 5, Malaysia 1, Pakistan 3, Romania 1, Russia 19, Singapore 1, Spain 1, Syria 7, Turkey 35, Ukraine 9, UAE 18, UK 3, Yemen 1) (2008)
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Ports and terminals:
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Basseterre
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| Military ::Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Military branches:
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Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (includes Coast Guard), Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force; for national security, Saint Kitts and Nevis relies on the Regional Security System, headquartered in Barbados (2010)
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 16-49: 13,510
females age 16-49:
13,075 (2010 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 16-49: 10,736
females age 16-49:
10,913 (2010 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
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male: 402
female:
430 (2010 est.)
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Military expenditures:
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NA
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| Transnational Issues ::Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Disputes - international:
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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
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Illicit drugs:
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transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; some money-laundering activity
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