SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
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SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
@Saint Kitts And Nevis:Geography
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
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SAINT KITTS-NEVIS - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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BASSETERRE 19,000 17.17N, 62.43W 809- GMT-4
Charlestown 1,000 17.08N, 62.37W 809- GMT-4
Newcastle N/A 17.12N, 62.34W 809- GMT-4
Saint Pauls N/A 17.25N, 62.51W 809- GMT-4
Cayon N/A 17.21N, 62.43W 809- GMT-4
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Area:
total area: 269 sq km
land area: 269 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Washington,
DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 135 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental
margin
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: subtropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal
temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Terrain: volcanic with mountainous interiors
Natural resources: negligible
Land use:
arable land: 22%
permanent crops: 17%
meadows and pastures: 3%
forest and woodland: 17%
other: 41%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: hurricanes (July to October)
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Whaling
@Saint Kitts And Nevis:People
Population: 40,992 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (female 7,072; male 7,430)
15-64 years: 57% (female 11,784; male 11,756)
65 years and over: 8% (female 1,729; male 1,221) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.85% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 23.49 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 9.56 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -5.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 19.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.51 years
male: 63.51 years
female: 69.69 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.56 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Kittsian(s), Nevisian(s)
adjective: Kittsian, Nevisian
Ethnic divisions: black African
Religions: Anglican, other Protestant sects, Roman Catholic
Languages: English
Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1980)
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 98%
Labor force: 20,000 (1981)
@Saint Kitts And Nevis:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
conventional short form: Saint Kitts and Nevis
former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
Digraph: SC
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Basseterre
Administrative divisions: 14 parishs; 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
Independence: 19 September 1983 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
Constitution: 19 September 1983
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Sir Clement Athelston ARRINDELL (since
19 September 1983, previously Governor General of theWest Indies
Associated States since NA November 1981)
head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Kennedy Alphonse SIMMONDS
(since 19 September 1983, previously Premier of the West Indies
Associated States since NA February 1980); Deputy Prime Minister Hugh
HEYLIGER (since November 1994)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general in consultation
with the prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral
House of Assembly: elections last held 29 November 1993 (next to be
held by 15 November 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (14 total, 11 elected) PAM 4, SKNLP 4, NRP 1, CCM 2
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint
Lucia)
Political parties and leaders: People's Action Movement (PAM), Dr.
Kennedy SIMMONDS; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party (SKNLP), Dr.
Denzil DOUGLAS; Nevis Reformation Party (NRP), Simeon DANIEL;
Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), Vance AMORY
Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS (associate), IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, OAS, OECS, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Erstein Mallet EDWARDS
chancery: Suite 608, 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 833-3550
FAX: [1] (202) 833-3553
US diplomatic representation: no official presence; covered by embassy
in Bridgetown, Barbados
Flag: 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
Overview: The economy has traditionally depended on the growing and
processing of sugarcane; decreasing world prices have hurt the
industry in recent years. Tourism and export-oriented manufacturing
have begun to assume larger roles, although they still only account
for 7% and 4% of GDP respectively. Growth in the construction and
tourism sectors spurred the economic expansion in 1994. Most food is
imported.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $210 million (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 4.5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $5,300 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.6% (1993)
Unemployment rate: 12.2% (1990)
Budget:
revenues: $103.2 million
expenditures: $102.6 million, including capital expenditures of $50.1
million (1995 est.)
Exports: $32.4 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities: machinery, food, electronics, beverages and tobacco
partners: US 50%, UK 30%, CARICOM nations 11% (1992)
Imports: $100 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities: machinery, manufactures, food, fuels
partners: US 43%, CARICOM nations 18%, UK 12%, Canada 4%, Japan 4%,
OECS 4% (1992)
External debt: $43.3 million (1992)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.9% (1992 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 15,800 kW
production: 45 million kWh
consumption per capita: 990 kWh (1993)
Industries: sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing,
footwear, beverages
Agriculture: accounts for 17% of GDP; cash crop - sugarcane;
subsistence crops - rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fishing potential
not fully exploited
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined
for the US
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-88), $10.7 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-89), $67 million
Currency: 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed
rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Saint Kitts And Nevis:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 58 km on Saint Kitts for sugarcane
narrow gauge: 58 km 0.760-m gauge
Highways:
total: 300 km
paved: 125 km
unpaved: otherwise improved 125 km; unimproved earth 50 km
Ports: Basseterre, Charlestown
Merchant marine: none
Airports:
total: 2
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 1
@Saint Kitts And Nevis:Communications
Telephone system: 2,400 telephones; good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radio
connections and international link via Antigua and Barbuda and Saint
Martin
local: NA
intercity: interisland links are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF radio; within
the islands all calls are local
international: international calls are carried by radio to Antigua and
Barbuda and there switched to submarine cable or to INTELSAT, or
carried to Saint Martin by radio and switched to INTELSAT
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 4
televisions: NA
@Saint Kitts And Nevis:Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast Guard
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
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