1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
subtropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Coastline
135 km
Comparative area
slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Environment
subject to hurricanes (July to October)
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 22%; permanent crops 17%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 17%; other 41%
Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
negligible
Note
located 320 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Terrain
volcanic with mountainous interiors
Total area
269 km2; land area: 269 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
24 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
mainly of black African descent
Infant mortality rate
39 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
20,000 (1981)
Language
English
Life expectancy at birth
64 years male, 71 years female (1991)
Literacy
98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
Nationality
noun--Kittsian(s), Nevisian(s); adjective--Kittsian, Nevisian
Net migration rate
- 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
6,700
Population
40,293 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
Religion
Anglican, other Protestant sects, Roman Catholic
Total fertility rate
2.6 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
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
Basseterre
Communists
none known
Constitution
19 September 1983
Diplomatic representation
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
House of Assembly--last held 21 March 1989 (next to be held by 21 March 1994); seats--(14 total, 11 elected) PAM 6, SKNLP 2, NRP 2, CCM 1
Executive branch
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Flag
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
19 September 1983 (from UK)
Judicial branch
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders
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 NA November 1981); Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Kennedy Alphonse SIMMONDS (since 19 September 1983, previously Premier of the Associated State since NA February 1980); Deputy Prime Minister Michael Oliver POWELL (since NA)
Legal system
based on English common law
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly
Long-form name
Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Member of
ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IMF, INTERPOL, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO
National holiday
Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
Political parties and leaders
People's Action Movement (PAM), Kennedy SIMMONDS; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party (SKNLP), Lee MOORE; Nevis Reformation Party (NRP), Simeon DANIEL; Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), Vance AMORY
Suffrage
universal adult at age NA
Type
constitutional monarchy
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 10% of GDP; cash crop--sugarcane; subsistence crops--rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fishing potential not fully exploited; most food imported
Budget
revenues $38.1 million; expenditures $68.1 million, including capital expenditures of $31.5 million (1991)
Currency
East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-88), $10.7 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $57 million
Electricity
15,800 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 1,120 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Exports
$32.8 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--sugar, clothing, electronics, postage stamps; partners--US 53%, UK 22%, Trinidad and Tobago 5%, OECS 5% (1988)
External debt
$26.4 million (1988)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$97.5 million, per capita $2,400; real growth rate 4.6% (1988)
Imports
$89.6 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--foodstuffs, intermediate manufactures, machinery, fuels; partners--US 36%, UK 17%, Trinidad and Tobago 6%, Canada 3%, Japan 3%, OECS 4% (1988)
Industrial production
growth rate 11.8% (1988 est.); accounts for 17% of GDP
Industries
sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5% (1989)
Overview
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
15% (1989)
Communications
Airports
2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
Highways
300 km total; 125 km paved, 125 km otherwise improved, 50 km unimproved earth
Ports
Basseterre (Saint Kitts), Charlestown (Nevis)
Railroads
58 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge on Saint Kitts for sugarcane
Telecommunications
good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radio connections and international link via Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin; 2,400 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 4 TV
Military and Security
Branches
Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast Guard
Defense expenditures
$NA, NA% of GDP _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 38,090; NA fit for military service