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Introduction - Saint Kitts and Nevis
Background:
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.
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)
country comparison to the world: 211
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:
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:
Current Weather
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: 19.44%
permanent crops: 2.78%
other: 77.78% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Total renewable water resources:
0.02 cu km (2000)
Natural hazards:
hurricanes (July to October)
Environment - current issues:
NA
Environment - international agreements:
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
Geography - note:
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
People - Saint Kitts and Nevis
Population:
49,898 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207
Age structure:
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.)
Median age:
total: 31.5 years
male: 31.5 years
female: 31.5 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.838% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
Birth rate:
14.23 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
Death rate:
7.11 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
Net migration rate:
1.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
Urbanization:
urban population: 32% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
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.)
Infant mortality rate:
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.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.37 years
country comparison to the world: 95
male: 72.03 years
female: 76.75 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.79 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
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: 97.8%
male: NA
female: NA (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 13 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
9.3% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 8
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:
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
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:
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 the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
Constitution:
19 September 1983
Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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)
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
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 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
Judicial branch:
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)
Political parties and leaders:
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:
NA
International organization participation:
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
Diplomatic representation in the US:
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
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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:
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
Economy - Saint Kitts and Nevis
Economy - overview:
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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$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
GDP (official exchange rate):
$553.4 million (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-2% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
2.4% (2008 est.)
0.9% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$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
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.5%
industry: 25.8%
services: 70.7% (2001)
Labor force:
18,170 (June 1995)
country comparison to the world: 208
Unemployment rate:
4.5% (1997)
country comparison to the world: 42
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $89.7 million
expenditures: $128.2 million (2003 est.)
Public debt:
185% of GDP (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.5% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
Central bank discount rate:
6.5% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 63
6.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.69% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 103
8.89% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$107.2 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 152
$97.31 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$680.6 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 130
$688.6 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$790.8 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 119
$782.4 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 103
$595.2 million (31 December 2008)
$439.7 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish
Industries:
tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
130 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
Electricity - consumption:
120.9 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
Oil - consumption:
1,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Oil - imports:
1,225 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
Current account balance:
-$163 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
Exports:
$84 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 198
Exports - commodities:
machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco
Exports - partners:
US 62.3%, Canada 7.93%, Azerbaijan 6.72% (2009)
Imports:
$383 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 189
Imports - commodities:
machinery, manufactures, food, fuels
Imports - partners:
US 43.37%, Trinidad and Tobago 15.26%, Italy 11.83% (2009)
Debt - external:
$314 million (2004)
country comparison to the world: 168
Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005),
2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
Communications - Saint Kitts and Nevis
Telephones - main lines in use:
20,400 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 194
Telephones - mobile cellular:
80,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 187
Telephone system:
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
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 8, shortwave 0 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2003)
Internet country code:
.kn
Internet hosts:
53 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 206
Internet users:
16,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 195
Transportation - Saint Kitts and Nevis
Airports:
2 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 205
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009)
Railways:
total: 50 km
country comparison to the world: 131
narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2008)
Roadways:
total: 383 km
country comparison to the world: 199
paved: 163 km
unpaved: 220 km (2002)
Merchant marine:
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)
Ports and terminals:
Basseterre
Military - Saint Kitts and Nevis
Military branches:
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)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 13,510
females age 16-49: 13,075 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 10,736
females age 16-49: 10,913 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 402
female: 430 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Transnational Issues - Saint Kitts and Nevis
Disputes - international:
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:
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe;
some money-laundering activity
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