Saint Kitts and Nevis Online Business Education. Administration. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Saint Kitts and Nevis
Online Business Education. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Saint Kitts and Nevis Flag
Saint Kitts and Nevis

Country Profile

Capital City: Basseterre (Saint Kitts), Charlestown (Nevis)

Local Time: UTC -4h

Geography:
Location: Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
Area: total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km). Terrain: Mountainious of volcanic origin, sheltered beaches.

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

Government:
Constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament.
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II
Independence: 19 September 1983 (from UK)

People:
Nationality: noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)
adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian Population: Nevis: 10 000, Saint Kitts: 34 000 (July 2003 est.) Ethnic groups: predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese.
Religions: Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic.
Languages: English
Literacy: 96%

Business

Currency: East Caribbean Dollar (XCD)

Natural resources: arable land, sugar, cotton, salt, copra.

Agriculture products: Sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish.

Industries: Sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages.

Exports partners: USA 58%, Canada 9%, Portugal 8.3%, UK 6.9% (2004)

Imports partners: USA 33.1%, Italy 19.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 10.5%, UK 9.8%, Denmark 6% (2004)

Internet Links

Official Sites of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Diplomatic Missions
Embassy & Permanent Mission of Saint Kitts And Nevis

Maps
Saint Kitts and Nevis map

Map of Central America and the Caribbean

Introduction

Saint Kitts and Nevis

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.

Geography Saint Kitts and Nevis

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) water:
0 sq km land: 261 sq km

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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 135 km

Maritime claims:   200 NM territorial sea: 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: 17% permanent crops: 3% other: 80% (1998 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

Geography - note: 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

Population: 38,736 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.4% (male 5,827; female 5,571) 15-64 years:
61.9% (male 11,980; female 12,005) 65 years and over: 8.7% (male 1,383;
female 1,970) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.01% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 18.61 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 9.04 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -9.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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 (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 15.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:   74.26 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 2.39 children born/woman (2002 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:   age 15 and over has ever attended school total population:
Government Saint Kitts and Nevis

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 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: 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 Cuthbert Montraville SEBASTIAN
(since 1 January 1996) 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 cabinet: Cabinet
appointed by the governor general in consultation with the prime minister
head of government: Minister Sam CONDOR (since 6 July 1995)

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

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, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:   Ambassador Dr. Izben Cordinal
WILLIAMS chancery: 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

Economy Saint Kitts and Nevis

Economy - overview: Sugar was the traditional mainstay of the
St. Kitts economy until the 1970s. Although the crop still dominates
the agricultural sector, activities such as tourism, export-oriented
manufacturing, and offshore banking have assumed larger roles in the
economy. As tourism revenues are now the chief source of the islands'
foreign exchange, a decline in stopover tourist arrivals following
the September 11 terrorist attacks has eroded government finances. The
government revised estimates of 2001 growth down to 1% and faces dim
recovery prospects in 2002, given the depressed state of the tourism
industry, low sugar prices, and a growing budget deficit.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $339 million (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 1% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,700 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.5% industry: 25.8% services:
70.7% (2001)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.7% (2001 est.)

Labor force: 18,172 (June 1995)

Labor force - by occupation: NA

Unemployment rate: 4.5% (1997)

Budget: revenues: $85.7 million expenditures: $95.6 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: 95 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0%
(2000) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 88.35 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)

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

Exports: $51.7 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: $141.3 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: $140 million (2000)

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

Communications Saint Kitts and Nevis

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)

Transportation Saint Kitts and Nevis

Railways: total: 58 km narrow gauge: 58 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts
to serve sugarcane plantations (2002)

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

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: Basseterre, Charlestown

Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Airports: 2 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to
1,523 m: 1 (2001)

Military Saint Kitts and Nevis

Military branches: Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (including Coast
Guard), Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force (including Special
Service Unit)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Transnational Issues Saint Kitts and Nevis

Disputes - international: none

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

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002