2003 Edition

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 29% (male 5,754; female 5,499) 15-64 years: 62.4% (male 12,098; female 12,105) 65 years and over: 8.5% (male 1,365; female 1,942) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish

Airports

2 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) Military Saint Kitts and Nevis

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

Background

First settled by the British in 1623, the islands became an associated state 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. Geography Saint Kitts and Nevis

Birth rate

18.45 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$128.2 million, including capital expenditures of $19.5 million (2003 est.)

revenues

$89.7 million

Capital

Basseterre

Climate

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

Coastline

135 km

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

Currency

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code

XCD

Death rate

8.85 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$171 million (2001)

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. Izben Cordinal WILLIAMS

telephone

[1] (202) 686-2636

Disputes - international

protests Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea

Economic aid - recipient

$8 million (2001)

Economy - overview

Sugar was the traditional mainstay of the Saint Kitts economy until the 1970s. Although the crop still dominates the agricultural sector, activities such as tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking have assumed larger roles in the economy. As tourism revenues are now the chief source of the islands' foreign exchange, a decline in stopover tourist arrivals following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks has eroded government finances. The opening of a 1,000+ bed Marriott hotel in February 2003 is expected to bring in much-needed revenue.

Electricity - consumption

93.26 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

100.3 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

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

Ethnic groups

predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (1998)

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 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)

Exports

$47 million (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco

Exports - partners

US 66.5%, UK 7.6%, Canada 6.8%, Portugal 6% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 686-5740

consulate(s) general

New York

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications 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 Economy Saint Kitts and Nevis

GDP

purchasing power parity - $339 million (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

3.5%

industry

25.8%

services

70.7% (2001)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $8,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-1.9% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

17 20 N, 62 45 W

Geography - note

with coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat and ball, the two volcanic islands are separated by a three-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

Government type

constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament

Highways

paved

136 km

total

320 km

unpaved

184 km (1999 est)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; some money-laundering activity This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Imports

$152 million (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, manufactures, food, fuels

Imports - partners

US 41.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 16.2%, Canada 9.8%, UK 6.9%, Japan 4% (2002)

Independence

19 September 1983 (from UK)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

13.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

17.19 deaths/1,000 live births

total

15.39 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.7% (2001 est.)

International organization participation

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

Internet country code

.kn

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

16 (2000)

Internet users

2,000 (2000) Transportation Saint Kitts and Nevis

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Judicial branch

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

Labor force

18,172 (June 1995)

Labor force - by occupation

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

16.67%

other

80.55% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

2.78%

Languages

English

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 - NA%; seats by party - SKNLP 8, CCM 2, NRP 1

elections

last held 6 March 2000 (next to be held by July 2005)

Life expectancy at birth

female

74.56 years (2003 est.)

male

68.76 years

total population

71.57 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over has ever attended school

female

98% (1980 est.) Government Saint Kitts and Nevis

male

97%

total population

97%

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

Median age

female

27.9 years (2002)

male

26.3 years

total

27.1 years

Merchant marine

none (2002 est.)

Military branches

Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (including Coast Guard), Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force (including Special Service Unit)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA% Transnational Issues Saint Kitts and Nevis

National holiday

Independence Day, 19 September (1983)

Nationality

adjective

Kittitian, Nevisian

noun

Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)

Natural hazards

hurricanes (July to October)

Natural resources

arable land

Net migration rate

-8.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

710 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Vance AMORY]; Nevis Reformation Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY]; People's Action Movement or PAM [Lindsey GRANT]; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

38,763 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

0.13% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Basseterre, Charlestown

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

28,000 (1997)

Railways

narrow gauge

50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve sugarcane plantations during harvest season (2002)

total

50 km

Religions

Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

Sex ratio

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

inter island links to Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF radiotelephone

general assessment

good interisland and international connections

international

international calls are carried by radiotelephone to Antigua and Barbuda and switched there 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

17,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

205 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus three repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

10,000 (1997)

Terrain

volcanic with mountainous interiors

Total fertility rate

2.37 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

4.5% (1997)

Waterways

none