Map of Saint Kitts and Nevis | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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. Nevis is once more trying to separate from the Saint Kitts.


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

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: 19.44%
Permanent crops: 2.78%
Other: 77.78% (2001)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: hurricanes (July to October)

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


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Population: 38,836 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 0.25% (2004 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: 28.6% (male 5,675; female 5,422)
15-64 years: 63% (male 12,242; female 12,236)
65 years and over: 8.4% (male 1,349; female 1,912) (2004 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 27.3 years
Male: 26.5 years
Female: 28.1 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.25% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 18.26 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 8.65 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: -7.11 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 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: 0.71 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2004 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 14.94 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 16.72 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 13.05 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.86 years
Male: 69.03 years
Female: 74.86 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.35 children born/woman (2004 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


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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 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

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 Cuthbert Montraville SEBASTIAN (since 1 January 1996)
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 25 October 2004 (next to be held by 2009)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SKNLP 7, CCM 2, NRP 1, PAM 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 FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC MIGA OAS OECS OPANAL OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WHO WIPO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Izben Cordinal WILLIAMS
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
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the US Ambassador to Barbados Ambassador Mary E. KRAMER 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: 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 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks has eroded government finances. The opening of a 1000+ bed Marriott hotel in February 2003 was expected to bring in much-needed revenue.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -1.9% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,800 (2002 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3.5%
Industry: 25.8%
Services: 70.7% (2001)

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: 18,170 (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: $89.7 million
Expenditures: $128.2 million, including capital expenditures of $19.5 million (2003 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.7% (2001 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: $70 million (2002 est.)
Commodities: machinery food electronics beverages tobacco
Partners: US 61.4% UK 15.7% Canada 8.6% Germany 4.3% (2003)

Imports: $195 million (2002 est.)
Commodities: machinery manufactures food fuels
Partners: US 35.7% Italy 16.1% Trinidad and Tobago 14.5% UK 6.4% Denmark 5.2% Canada 4.4% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $171 million (2001)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2003) 2.7 (2002) 2.7 (2001) 2.7 (2000) 2.7 (1999)


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Electricity
Production: 100.3 million kWh (2001)
Consumption: 93.26 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 23,500 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 5,000 (2002)

Telephone system
General assessment: good interisland and international connections
Domestic: inter-island links to Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF radiotelephone
International: country code - 1-869; 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
Hosts: 51 (2003)
Users: 10,000 (2002)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: NA
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 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 50 km
Narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve sugarcane plantations during harvest season (2003)

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


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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 Caribbean Sea

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; some money-laundering activity