Map of Saint Kitts and Nevis | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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.


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

Geographic coordinates: 17 20 N 62 45 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 135 km

Maritime claims

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

Terrain: volcanic with mountainous interiors

Elevation

Natural resources: arable land

Land use

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: hurricanes (July to October)

Geography


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Population: 38,819 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: -0.22% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: predominantly black some British Portuguese and Lebanese

Languages: English

Religions: Anglican other Protestant Roman Catholic

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.22% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 19.06 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 9.38 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -11.85 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 16.72 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 2.43 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament

Capital: Basseterre

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 19 September 1983 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 19 September (1983)

Constitution: 19 September 1983

Legal system: based on English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (14 seats 3 appointed and 11 popularly elected from single-member constituencies; members serve five-year terms)

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

Political parties and leaders: Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Vance AMORY]; Nevis Reformation Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY]; People's Action Movement or PAM [Dr. Kennedy SIMMONDS]; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS]

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

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

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 1.6% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,000 (1998 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: sugarcane rice yams vegetables bananas; fish

Industries: sugar processing tourism cotton salt copra clothing footwear beverages

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 18,172 (June 1995)
By occupation: NA

Unemployment rate: 4.5% (1997)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1% (1998 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $42 million (1998)
Commodities: machinery food electronics beverages tobacco
Partners: US 68.5% UK 22.3% Caricom countries 5.5% (1995 est.)

Imports: $160 million (1998)
Commodities: machinery manufactures food fuels
Partners: US 42.4% Caricom countries 17.2% UK 11.3% (1995 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $62 million (1997)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

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


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Electricity
Production: 85 million kWh (1998)
Consumption: 79 million kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 14,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: 0 (1995)

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

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: NA

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $N/A
Percent of gdp: NA%

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (1999 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none (1999 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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