1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (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
Contiguous zone
24 nm
Disputes
none
Environment
subject to hurricanes (July to October)
Exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Land area
269 km2
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 22%; permanent crops 17%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 17%; other 41%
Natural resources
negligible
Note
located 320 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Terrain
volcanic with mountainous interiors
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
269 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
22 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
mainly of black African descent
Infant mortality rate
22 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
20,000 (1981)
Languages
English
Life expectancy at birth
63 years male, 69 years female (1992)
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
-9 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
6,700
Population
40,061 (July 1992), growth rate 0.3% (1992)
Religions
Anglican, other Protestant sects, Roman Catholic
Total fertility rate
2.4 children born/woman (1992)
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
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)
Constitution
19 September 1983
Diplomatic representation
Minister-Counselor (Deputy Chief of Mission), Charge d'Affaires ad interim Aubrey Eric HART; Chancery at Suite 608, 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone (202) 833-3550 US: no official presence since the Charge resides in Saint John's (Antigua and Barbuda)
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
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)
House of Assembly
last held 21 March 1989 (next to be held by 21 March 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (14 total, 11 elected) PAM 6, SKNLP 2, NRP 2, CCM 1
Independence
19 September 1983 (from UK)
Judicial branch
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Legal system
based on English common law
Legislative branch
unicameral House of Assembly
Long-form name
Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis; formerly Federation of Saint Christopher 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), Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS; Nevis Reformation Party (NRP), Simeon DANIEL; Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), Vance AMORY
Suffrage
universal adult at age NA
Type
constitutional monarchy
Economy
Agriculture
cash crop - sugarcane; subsistence crops - rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fishing potential not fully exploited; most food imported
Budget
revenues $38.1 million; expenditures $68 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 (1970-89), $67 million
Electricity
15,800 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 1,117 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Exports
$24.6 million (f.o.b., 1990) 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
exchange rate conversion - $146.6 million, per capita $3,650; real growth rate 2.1% (1990)
Imports
$103.2 million (f.o.b., 1990) 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)
4.2% (1990)
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 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; broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 4 TV
Military and Security
Branches
Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast Guard
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
Manpower availability
NA