1989 Edition

Climate

tropical; marine; mild, tempered by trade winds

subtropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Coastline

60 km

135 km

Comparative area

slightly more than 2.3 times the size of Washington, DC

slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC

Contiguous zone

24 nm

Environment

very few perennial streams

subject to hurricanes (July to October)

Exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Land boundaries

none

none

Land use

7% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 3% forest and woodland; 83% other

22% arable land; 17% permanent crops; 3% meadows and pastures; 17% forest and woodland; 41% other

Natural resources

fish; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns; no minerals

negligible

Note

Napoleon Bonaparte's place of exile and burial; the remains were taken to Paris in 1840

located 320 km southeast of Puerto Rico

Terrain

rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains

volcanic with mountainous interiors

Territorial sea

1 2 nm

1 2 nm

Total area

410 km2; land area: 410 km2; includes Ascension, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, Nightingale Island, and Tristan da Cunha

360 km2; land area: 360 km2

Birth rate

13 births/ 1,000 population (1990)

24 births/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

Death rate

8 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)

10 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

NA

mainly of black African descent

Infant mortality rate

46 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)

40 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force

NA

20,000 (1981)

Language

English

English

Life expectancy at birth

70 years male, 75 years female (1990)

64 years male, 71 years female (1990)

Literacy

NA%, but probably high

80%

Nationality

noun — St. Helenian(s); adjective— St. Helenian

noun — Kittsian(s), Nevisian(s); adjective — Kittsian, Nevisian St. Kitts and Nevis (continued)

Net migration rate

NEG1 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

— 1 1 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

Organized labor

St. Helena General Workers' Union, 472 members; 1 7% crafts, 10% professional and technical, 10% service, 9% management and clerical, 9% farming and fishing, 6% transport, 5% sales, 1% security, and 33% other

6,700

Population

6,657 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1990)

40,157 (July 1990), growth rate 0.3% (1990)

Religion

Anglican majority; also Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, and Roman Catholic

Anglican, other Protestant sects, Roman Catholic

Total fertility rate

1 .4 children born/ woman (1990)

2.7 children born/ woman (1990)

Administrative divisions

2 dependencies and 1 administrative area*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha

14 parishs; 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

Capital

Jamestown

Basseterre

Communists

probably none

none known

Constitution

1 January 1967

19 September 1983

Diplomatic representation

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Minister-Counselor (Deputy Chief of Mission), Charge d' Affaires ad interim Erstein M. EDWARDS; Chancery at Suite 540, 2501 M Street NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 833-3550; US— none

Elections

Legislative Council — last held October 1984 (next to be held NA); results— percent of vote by party NA; seats — (15 total, 12 elected) number of seats by party NA

House of Assembly — last held 21 March 1989 (next to be held by 21 March 1994); seats— (14 total, II elected) PAM 6, SKNLP 2, NRP 2, CCM 1

Executive branch

British monarch, governor, Executive Council (cabinet)

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister. Cabinet

Flag

blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the St. Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship St. Kitts and Nevis

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

Independence

none (dependent territory of the UK)

19 September 1983 (from UK)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State — Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Head of Government — Governor and Commander in Chief Robert F. STIMSON (since 1987) Political parties and leaders: St. Helena Labor Party, G. A. O. Thornton; St. Helena Progressive Party, leader unknown; note — both political parties inactive since

Chief of State— Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clement Athelston ARRINDELL (since 19 September 1983, previously Governor General of the Associated State since November 1981); Head of Government — Prime Minister Dr. Kennedy Alphonse SIMMONDS (since 19 September 1983, previously Premier of the Associated State since February 1980); Deputy Prime Minister Michael Oliver POWELL (since NA) Political parties and leaders: People's Action Movement (PAM), Kennedy Simmonds; St. Kitts and Nevis Labor Party (SKNLP), Lee Moore; Nevis Reformation Party (NRP), Simeon Daniel; Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), Vance Amory

Legal system

NA

based on English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Council

unicameral House of Assembly (sometimes referred to as the National Assembly)

Long-form name

none

Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Member of

ACP, CARICOM, Commonwealth, FAO, IBRD, IMF, ISO, OAS, OECS, UN

National holiday

Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June), 10 June 1989

Independence Day, 19 September (1983)

Suffrage

NA

universal adult at age NA

Type

dependent territory of the UK

constitutional monarchy

Agriculture

maize, potatoes, vegetables; timber production being developed; crawfishing on Tristan da Cunha

accounts for 10% of GDP; cash crop — sugarcane; subsistence crops — rice, yams, bananas; fishing potential not fully exploited; most food imported

Aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (197087), $168 million

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $13.6 million; Western (nonUS) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $46 million

Budget

revenues $3.2 million; expenditures $2.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1984)

revenues $38.5 million; expenditures $45.0 million, including capital expenditures of $15.8 million (1988)

Currency

St. Helenian pound (plural — pounds); 1 St. Helenian pound (f S) = 100 pence

East Caribbean dollar (plural — dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Electricity

9,800 kW capacity; 10 million kWh produced, 1,390 kWh per capita (1989)

15,800 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 1,120 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

St. Helenian pounds (£S) per US$1— 0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note— the St. Helenian pound is at par with the British pound

East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1— 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)

Exports

$23.9 thousand (f.o.b., 1984); commodities — fish (frozen skipjack, tuna, salt-dried skipjack), handicrafts; partners — South Africa, UK

$30.3 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities— sugar, manufactures, postage stamps; partners— US 44%, UK 30%, Trinidad and Tobago 12% (1987)

External debt

SNA

$27.6 million (1988)

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

calendar year

GDP

SNA, per capita SNA; real growth rate NA%

$119 million, per capita $3,240; real growth rate 6% (1988 est.)

Imports

$2.4 million (c.i.f., 1984); commodities— food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts; partners — UK, South Africa

$94.7 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities— foodstuffs, intermediate manufactures, machinery, fuels; partners — US 35%, UK 18%, Trinidad and Tobago 10%, Canada 6%, Japan 4% (1987)

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

growth rate 5.8% (1986)

Industries

crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fish

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

—1.1% (1986)

0.9% (1987)

Overview

The economy depends primarily on financial assistance from the UK. The local population earns some income from fishing, the rearing of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, a large proportion of the work force have left to seek employment overseas.

The economy has historically depended on the growing and processing of sugarcane and on remittances from overseas workers. In recent years, tourism and export-oriented manufacturing have assumed larger roles.

Unemployment rate

NA%

20-25% (1987)

Airports

1 with permanent-surface runway 2,440-3,659 m on Ascension

2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; I with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,2202,439 m

Branches

Royal St. Kitts and Nevis Police Force

Civil air

no major transport aircraft

Defense expenditures

NA

Highways

87 km bitumen-sealed roads, 20 km earth roads on St. Helena; 80 km bitumen-sealed on Ascension; 2.7 km bitumen-sealed on Tristan da Cunha

300 km total; 125 km paved, 1 25 km otherwise improved, 50 km unimproved earth

Merchant marine

1 passenger-cargo ship totaling 3,150 GRT/2,264 DWT

Military manpower

NA

Note

defense is the responsibility of the UK Sadlers Towif\ Saint {Christopher 10km Caribbean Sea Caribbean Sea See region*! map III

Ports

Jamestown (St. Helena), Georgetown (Ascension)

Basseterre (St. Kitts), Charlestown (Nevis)

Railroads

58 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge on St. Kitts for sugarcane

Telecommunications

1,500 radio receivers; stations — 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 550 telephones in automatic network; HF radio links to Ascension, then into worldwide submarine cable and satellite networks; major coaxial cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK at Ascension; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations Defense Forces

good interisland VH1 / UHF/SHF radio connections and international link via Antigua and Barbuda and St. Martin; 2,400 telephones; stations — 2 AM, no FM, 4 TV Defense Forces