Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Introduction

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.

Geography

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 references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km

Nevis 93 sq km)
country comparison to the world: 211 land:261 sq km
water:0 sq km

Area – comparative

one and a half 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
highest point:Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m

Natural resources

arable land

Land use

arable land: 19.44%
permanent crops:2.78%
other:77.78% (2005)

Irrigated land

0.2 sq km (2008)

Total renewable water resources

0.02 cu km (2000)

Natural hazards

hurricanes (July to October)

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

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

People and Society

Nationality

noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)
adjective:Kittitian, Nevisian

Ethnic groups

predominantly black

some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese

Languages

English (official)

Religions

Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

Population

50,314 (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207

Age structure

0-14 years: 22.8% (male 5,701/female 5,755)
15-64 years:69.6% (male 17,740/female 17,297)
65 years and over:7.6% (male 1,681/female 2,140) (2011 est.)

Median age

total: 32 years
male:32.1 years
female:32 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate

0.823% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131

Birth rate

14.07 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145

Death rate

7.1 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129

Net migration rate

1.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50

Urbanization

urban population: 32% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization:1.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities – population

BASSETERRE (capital) 13,000 (2009)

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 (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 152 male:6.36 deaths/1,000 live births
female:13.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.6 years
country comparison to the world: 96 male:72.25 years
female:77.01 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.79 children born/woman (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154

Health expenditures

6% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 108

Physicians density

1.0952 physicians/1,000 population (2000)
country comparison to the world: 99

Hospital bed density

6 beds/1,000 population (2009)
country comparison to the world: 25

Drinking water source

improved:
urban: 99% of population
rural: 99% of population
total: 99% of population
unimproved:
urban: 1% of population
rural: 1% of population
total: 1% of population (2008)

Sanitation facility access

improved:
urban: 96% of population
rural: 96% of population
total: 96% of population
unimproved:
urban: 4% of population
rural: 4% of population
total: 4% of population (2008)

HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

HIV/AIDS – deaths

NA

Education expenditures

9.6% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 6

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population:97.8%
male:NA
female:NA (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 13 years
male:12 years
female:13 years (2008)

Government

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

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Capital

name: Basseterre
geographic coordinates:17 18 N, 62 43 W
time difference:UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

Independence

19 September 1983 (from the UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 19 September (1983)

Constitution

19 September 1983

Legal system

English common law

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration

accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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)

Deputy Prime Minister Sam CONDOR (since 6 July 1995)
cabinet:Cabinet appointed by the governor general in consultation with the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website ) 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

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (14 seats, 3 appointed and 11 popularly elected from single-member constituencies

members serve five-year terms)
elections:last held on 25 January 2010 (next to be held by 2015)
election results:percent of vote by party – NA

seats by party – SKNLP 6, CCM 2, PAM 2, NRP 1

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)

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

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, 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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Jacinth HENRY-MARTIN
chancery:3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone:[1] (202) 686-2636
FAX:[1] (202) 686-5740
consulate(s) general:New York

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

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

National symbol(s)

brown pelican

National anthem

name: “Oh Land of Beauty!”
lyrics/music:Kenrick Anderson GEORGES
note:adopted 1983

Economy

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.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$684 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209 $694.6 million (2009 est.)
$768.2 million (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

$531 million (2010 est.)

GDP – real growth rate

-1.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204 -9.6% (2009 est.)
4.6% (2008 est.)

GDP – per capita (PPP)

$13,700 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86 $14,000 (2009 est.)
$15,700 (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP – composition by sector

agriculture: 2.6%
industry:22.8%
services:74.6% (2010 est.)

Labor force

18,170 (June 1995)
country comparison to the world: 208

Unemployment rate

4.5% (1997)
country comparison to the world: 41

Population below poverty line

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Investment (gross fixed)

37% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11

Budget

revenues: $185.2 million
expenditures:$185.2 million (2010 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

34.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43

Public debt

185% of GDP (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13 2% (2009 est.)

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 55 6.5% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

8.625% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121 8.775% (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$113.8 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182 $111.3 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$879.1 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168 $823.8 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$703.7 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161 $703.7 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$623.9 million (31 December 2010)
country comparison to the world: 108 $648 million (31 December 2009)
$595.2 million (31 December 2008)

Agriculture – products

sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas

fish

Industries

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

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Electricity – production

130 million kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189

Electricity – consumption

120.9 million kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191

Electricity – exports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity – imports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Oil – production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129

Oil – consumption

2,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191

Oil – exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206

Oil – imports

1,699 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184

Oil – proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184

Natural gas – production

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119

Natural gas – consumption

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123

Natural gas – exports

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171

Natural gas – imports

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179

Natural gas – proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185

Current account balance

-$140.5 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79 -$184.8 million (2009 est.)

Exports

$61.7 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195 $57.56 million (2009 est.)

Exports – commodities

machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco

Exports – partners

US 56.5%, Canada 9.2%, Azerbaijan 5% (2010)

Imports

$292.7 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195 $266 million (2009 est.)

Imports – commodities

machinery, manufactures, food, fuels

Imports – partners

US 39.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 17%, Poland 4.7%, Barbados 4% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$168.9 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168 $136.4 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Debt – external

$215.8 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177 $226.6 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
2.7 (2010)
2.7 (2009)
2.7 (2005)
2.7 (2004)
2.7 (2003)

Transportation

Airports

2 (2010)
country comparison to the world:204

Airports – with paved runways

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

Railways

total: 50 km
country comparison to the world: 131 narrow gauge:50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2008)

Roadways

total: 383 km
country comparison to the world: 199 paved:163 km
unpaved:220 km (2002)

Merchant marine

total: 160
country comparison to the world: 41 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)

Ports and terminals

Basseterre, Charlestown

Military

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 (2011)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service

no conscription (2010)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 13,506
females age 16-49:13,089 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 10,742
females age 16-49:10,923 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 380
female:422 (2010 est.)

Military expenditures

NA

Transnational Issues

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