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

top of page


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.


top of page


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
Total: 261 km² (Saint Kitts 168 km²; Nevis 93 km²)
Land: 261 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 135 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 NM
Continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
Territorial sea: 12 NM
Exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

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

Terrain: volcanic with mountainous interiors

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m

Natural resources: arable land

Land use
Arable land: 22%
Permanent crops: 17%
Permanent pastures: 3%
Forests and woodland: 17%
Other: 41% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: hurricanes (July to October)

Geography


top of page


Population: 38,756 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: -0.11% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Kittitian, Nevisian
Adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian

Ethnic groups: predominantly black some British Portuguese and Lebanese

Languages: English

Religions: Anglican other Protestant Roman Catholic

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 29.84% (male 5,909; female 5,654)
15-64 years: 61.37% (male 11,870; female 11,915)
65 years and over: 8.79% (male 1,406; female 2,002) (2001 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.11% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 18.78 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 9.21 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -10.68 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 1 male/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 16.28 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.01 years
Male: 68.22 years
Female: 73.97 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.41 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
Total population: 97%
Male: 97%
Female: 98% (1980 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


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

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
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Perlette LOUISY (since September 1997)
Head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS (since 6 July 1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Sam CONDOR (since 6 July 1995)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general in consultation with the prime minister
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

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 6 March 2000 (next to be held by July 2005)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SKNLP 8, CCM 2, NRP 1

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

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]

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
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Osbert W. LIBURD
In the us chancery: 3,216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,016
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 686-2,636
In the us fax: [1] (202) 686-5,740
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


top of page


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: 5% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,000 (2000 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 5.5%
Industry: 22.5%
Services: 72% (1996)

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
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $64.1 million
Expenditures: $73.3 million, including capital expenditures of $10.4 million (1997 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.5% (2000 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: $53.2 million (2000 est.)
Commodities: machinery food electronics beverages tobacco
Partners: US 68.5% UK 22.3% Caricom countries 5.5% (1995 est.)

Imports: $151.5 million (2000 est.)
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: $115.1 million (1998)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

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


top of page


Electricity
Production: 90 million kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1999)
Consumption: 83.7 million kWh (1999)
Exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 17,000 (1997)
Mobile cellular: 205 (1997)

Telephone system
General assessment: good interisland and international connections
Domestic: interisland links to Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF radiotelephone
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

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .kn
Service providers isps: 16 (2000)
Users: 2000 (2000)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

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

Roadways

Waterways: none

Merchant marine: none (2000 est.)

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs