2010 Edition

Background

Carib Indians occupied the islands for hundreds of years before the British began settlement in 1623. The islands became an associated state of the UK 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. Nevis continues in its efforts to separate from Saint Kitts.

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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 3-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

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

19.44%

other

77.78% (2005)

permanent crops

2.78%

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

Total renewable water resources

0.02 cu km (2000)

Age structure

0-14 years: 26.3% (male 5,397/female 5,138) 15-64 years: 65.9% (male 13,231/female 13,196) 65 years and over: 7.9% (male 1,326/female 1,843) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

14.23 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

7.11 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

9.9% of GDP (2005)

Ethnic groups

predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

13.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

6.45 deaths/1,000 live births

total

9.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official)

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.75 years (2010 est.)

male

72.03 years

total population

74.37 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school

female

NA (2003 est.)

male

NA

total population

97.8%

Median age

female

31.5 years (2010 est.)

male

31.5 years

total

31.5 years

Nationality

adjective

Kittitian, Nevisian

noun

Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)

Net migration rate

1.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

49,898 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

0.838% (2010 est.)

Religions

Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

13 years (2005)

male

12 years

total

12 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.79 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

32% of total population (2008)

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

Capital

geographic coordinates

17 18 N, 62 43 W

name

Basseterre

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the US Ambassador to 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 Izben Cordinal WILLIAMS

consulate(s) general

New York

FAX

[1] (202) 686-5740

telephone

[1] (202) 686-2636

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor general in consultation with the prime minister (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Cuthbert Montraville SEBASTIAN (since 1 January 1996)

elections

the monarchy is hereditary; the governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition 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); Deputy Prime Minister Sam CONDOR (since 6 July 1995)

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; green signifies the island's fertility, red symbolizes the struggles of the people from slavery, yellow denotes year-round sunshine, and black represents the African heritage of the people; the white stars stand for the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, but can also express hope and liberty, or independence and optimism

Government type

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Independence

19 September 1983 (from the UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, PetroCaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Judicial branch

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (consisting of a Court of Appeal and a High Court; based on Saint Lucia; two judges of the Supreme Court reside in Saint Kitts and Nevis); member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)

Legal system

based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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 6, CCM 2, PAM 2, NRP 1

elections

last held on 25 January 2010 (next to be held by 2015)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Kenrick Anderson GEORGES note: adopted 1983

name

"Oh Land of Beauty!"

National holiday

Independence Day, 19 September (1983)

Political parties and leaders

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

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2009) 6.5% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

8.75% (31 December 2009 est.) 8.75% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

-$163 million (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$314 million (2004)

Economy - overview

The economy of Saint Kitts and Nevis is heavily dependent upon tourism revenues, which has replaced sugar, the traditional mainstay of the economy until the 1970s. Following the 2005 harvest, the government closed the sugar industry after decades of losses of 3-4% of GDP annually. To compensate for employment losses, the government has embarked on a program to diversify the agricultural sector and to stimulate other sectors of the economy, such as tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking. More than 200,000 tourists visited the islands in 2009. Like other tourist destinations in the Caribbean, St. Kitts and Nevis is vulnerable to damage from natural disasters and shifts in tourism demand. The current government is constrained by one of the world's highest public debt burdens equivalent to roughly 185% of GDP, largely attributable to public enterprise losses.

Electricity - consumption

120.9 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

130 million kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)

Exports

$84 million (2006)

Exports - commodities

machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco

Exports - partners

US 62.3%, Canada 7.93%, Azerbaijan 6.72% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

3.5%

industry

25.8%

services

70.7% (2001)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$14,400 (2010 est.) $14,800 (2009 est.) $15,700 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

-1.5% (2010 est.) -5.5% (2009 est.) 4.6% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$562 million (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$719.5 million (2010 est.) $730.5 million (2009 est.) $772.7 million (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$383 million (2006)

Imports - commodities

machinery, manufactures, food, fuels

Imports - partners

US 43.37%, Trinidad and Tobago 15.26%, Italy 11.83% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.5% (2007 est.)

Labor force

18,170 (June 1995)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$648 million (31 December 2009) $595.2 million (31 December 2008) $439.7 million (31 December 2007)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

1,225 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

185% of GDP (2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$823.8 million (31 December 2009) $787.8 million (31 December 2008)

Stock of domestic credit

$790.8 million (31 December 2008 est.) $782.4 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$94.45 million (31 December 2009) $93.23 million (31 December 2008)

Unemployment rate

4.5% (1997)

Broadcast media

the government operates a national television network that broadcasts on 2 channels; cable subscription services provide access to local and international channels; the government operates a national radio network; a mix of government-owned and privately-owned broadcasters operate roughly 15 radio stations (2007)

Internet country code

.kn

Internet hosts

51 (2010)

Internet users

17,000 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

interisland links via Eastern Caribbean Fiber Optic cable; construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched in November 2004

general assessment

good interisland and international connections

international

country code - 1-869; connected internationally by the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables

Telephones - main lines in use

20,500 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

83,000 (2009)

Airports

2 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 20, cargo 92, chemical tanker 4, combination ore/oil 1, container 3, liquefied gas 4, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 24, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 3

foreign-owned

94 (Bahrain 1, Belgium 1, China 1, Estonia 3, Italy 1, Japan 3, Kuwait 3, Latvia 2, Malaysia 1, Norway 1, Pakistan 3, Russia 11, Singapore 5, Syria 5, Turkey 22, UAE 17, UK 2, Ukraine 10, US 1, Yemen 1) (2010)

total

160

Ports and terminals

Basseterre, Charlestown

Railways

narrow gauge

50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2008)

total

50 km

Roadways

paved

163 km

total

383 km

unpaved

220 km (2002)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 13,510 females age 16-49: 13,075 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 10,736 females age 16-49: 10,913 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

430 (2010 est.)

male

402

Military branches

Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (includes Coast Guard), Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force; for national security, Saint Kitts and Nevis relies on the Regional Security System, headquartered in Barbados (2010)

Military expenditures

NA

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)

Disputes - international

joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; some money-laundering activity page last updated on January 11, 2011 ======================================================================