2000 Edition

Background

First settled by the British in 1623, the islands along with Anguilla, became an associated state with full internal autonomy in 1967. Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. St. Kitts and Nevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a referendum to separate from St. Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority needed.

Area

land

261 sq km

total

261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

135 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

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

Geographic coordinates

17 20 N, 62 45 W

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

22%

forests and woodland

17%

other

41% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

17%

permanent pastures

3%

Location

Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

hurricanes (July to October)

Natural resources

arable land

Terrain

volcanic with mountainous interiors

Age structure

0-14 years: 30% (male 5,999; female 5,746) 15-64 years: 61% (male 11,770; female 11,838) 65 years and over: 9% (male 1,431; female 2,035) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

19.06 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

9.38 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

predominantly black some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese

Infant mortality rate

16.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

English

Life expectancy at birth

female

73.68 years (2000 est.)

male

67.95 years

total population

70.73 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over has ever attended school

female

98% (1980 est.)

male

97%

total population

97%

Nationality

adjective

Kittitian, Nevisian

noun

Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)

Net migration rate

-11.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

38,819 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.22% (2000 est.)

Religions

Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

Sex ratio

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.43 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

14 parishes; 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

Constitution

19 September 1983

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

Data code

SC

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016

chief of mission

Ambassador Dr. Osbert W. LIBURD

telephone

(202) 686-2636

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor general in consultation with the prime minister

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dr. 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

head of government

Prime Minister Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS (since 6 July 1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Sam CONDOR (since 6 July 1995)

FAX

(202) 686-5740

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

Government type

constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament

Independence

19 September 1983 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia), one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Kitts

Legal system

based on English common law

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 - SKLNP 58%, PAM 41%; seats by party - SKNLP 7, PAM 1, NRP 1, CCM 2

elections

last held 3 July 1995 (next to be held by July 2000)

National holiday

Independence Day, 19 September (1983)

Political parties and leaders

Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM ; Nevis Reformation Party or NRP ; People's Action Movement or PAM ; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish

Budget

expenditures

$73.3 million, including capital expenditures of $10.4 million (1997 est.)

revenues

$64.1 million

Currency

1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$62 million (1997)

Economic aid - recipient

$5.5 million (1995)

Economy - overview

The economy has traditionally depended on the growing and processing of sugarcane; decreasing world prices have hurt the industry in recent years. Tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking activity have assumed larger roles. Most food is imported. The government has undertaken a program designed to revitalize the faltering sugar sector. It is also working to improve revenue collection in order to better fund social programs. In 1997 some leaders in Nevis were urging separation from Saint Kitts on the basis that Nevis was paying far more in taxes than it was receiving in government services, but the vote on cessation failed in August 1998. In late September 1998, Hurricane Georges caused approximately $445 million in damages and limited GDP growth for the year.

Electricity - consumption

79 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

85 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Exports

$42 million (1998)

Exports - commodities

machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco

Exports - partners

US 68.5%, UK 22.3%, Caricom countries 5.5% (1995 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $244 million (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

5.5%

industry

22.5%

services

72% (1996)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $6,000 (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.6% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$160 million (1998)

Imports - commodities

machinery, manufactures, food, fuels

Imports - partners

US 42.4%, Caricom countries 17.2%, UK 11.3% (1995 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1% (1998 est.)

Labor force

18,172 (June 1995)

Labor force - by occupation

NA

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

4.5% (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

28,000 (1997)

Telephone system

good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radiotelephone connections and international link via Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles)

domestic

interisland links are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF radiotelephone

international

international calls are carried by radiotelephone to Antigua and Barbuda and from there switched to submarine cable or to Intelsat, or carried to Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) by radiotelephone and switched to Intelsat

Telephones - main lines in use

14,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

0 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus three repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

10,000 (1997)

Airports

2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

136 km

total

320 km

unpaved

184 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

none (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

Basseterre, Charlestown

Railways

narrow gauge

58 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve sugarcane plantations (1995)

total

58 km

Military branches

Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast Guard, Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

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

SAINT LUCIA