Introduction :: SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
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Carib Indians occupied the islands of the West Indies for hundreds of years before the British began settlement in 1623. In 1967, the island territory of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla became an associated state of the UK with full internal autonomy. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. The remaining islands achieved independence in 1983 as Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 1998, a referendum on Nevis to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority vote needed. Nevis continues in its efforts to separate from Saint Kitts.
Geography :: SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
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Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
17 20 N, 62 45 W
Central America and the Caribbean
total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)
land: 261 sq km
water: 0 sq km
country comparison to the world: 212
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
0 km
135 km
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
tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
volcanic with mountainous interiors
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m
arable land
agricultural land: 23.1%
arable land 19.2%; permanent crops 0.4%; permanent pasture 3.5%
forest: 42.3%
other: 34.6% (2011 est.)
0.18 sq km (2003)
0.02 cu km (2011)
hurricanes (July to October)
NA
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
smallest country in the Americas and Western Hemisphere; 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 :: SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
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noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)
adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian
predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese
English (official)
Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic
51,936 (July 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210
0-14 years: 20.99% (male 5,457/female 5,445)
15-24 years: 15.1% (male 3,845/female 3,999)
25-54 years: 45.01% (male 11,951/female 11,427)
55-64 years: 10.79% (male 2,806/female 2,800)
65 years and over: 8.1% (male 1,912/female 2,294) (2015 est.)
population pyramid:
total: 34 years
male: 34.2 years
female: 33.9 years (2015 est.)
0.76% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
13.5 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
7.09 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
1.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
urban population: 32% of total population (2015)
rate of urbanization: 1.27% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
BASSETERRE (capital) 14,000 (2014)
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
total: 8.77 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.03 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
total population: 75.52 years
male: 73.09 years
female: 77.99 years (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
1.78 children born/woman (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
6.4% of GDP (2013)
country comparison to the world: 117
2.3 beds/1,000 population (2012)
improved:
urban: 98.3% of population
rural: 98.3% of population
total: 98.3% of population
unimproved:
urban: 1.7% of population
rural: 1.7% of population
total: 1.7% of population (2015 est.)
improved:
urban: 87.3% of population
rural: 87.3% of population
total: 87.3% of population
unimproved:
urban: 12.7% of population
rural: 12.7% of population
total: 12.7% of population (2007 est.)
NA
NA
NA
28.4% (2014)
country comparison to the world: 11
4.2% of GDP (2007)
country comparison to the world: 105
total: 13 years
male: 12 years
female: 13 years (2008)
Government :: SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
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conventional long form: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
conventional short form: Saint Kitts and Nevis
former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
name: Basseterre
geographic coordinates: 17 18 N, 62 43 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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
19 September 1983 (from the UK)
Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
several previous (preindependence); latest presented 22 June 1983, effective 23 June 1983 (2015)
English common law
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent: yes
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 14 years
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Samuel W.T. SEATON (since 2 September 2015); note - SEATON was acting Governor General from 20 May to 2 September 2015
head of government: Prime Minister Timothy HARRIS (since 18 February 2015); Deputy Prime Minister Shawn RICHARDS (since 22 February 2015)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by governor general in consultation with prime minister
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by governor general
description: unicameral National Assembly (14 seats; 11 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 3 appointed by the governor general; members serve 5-year terms)
elections: last held on 16 February 2015 (next to be held by 2020)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAM 4, SKNLP 3, CCM 2, PLP 1, NRP 1
highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, which includes Saint Kitts and Nevis; the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the member states; 2 High Court judges reside on Saint Kitts and Nevis; note - the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in 2003 replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) as the final court of appeal on Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Kitts and Nevis is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
judge selection and term of office: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
subordinate courts: magistrates' courts
Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Vance AMORY]
Nevis Reformation Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY]
People's Action Movement or PAM [Shawn RICHARDS]
People's Labour Party or PLP [Timothy HARRIS]
Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS]
NA
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Justin Kareem HAWLEY (since 26 May 2015)
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 686-2636
FAX: [1] (202) 686-5740
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Kitts and Nevis
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
brown pelican, Royal Poinciana (Flamboyant) tree; national colors: green, yellow, red, black, white
name: "Oh Land of Beauty!"
lyrics/music: Kenrick Anderson GEORGES
note: adopted 1983
Economy :: SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
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The economy of Saint Kitts and Nevis depends on tourism; since the 1970s, tourism has replaced sugar as the economy’s traditional mainstay. Following the 2005 harvest, the government closed the sugar industry after several decades of losses. To compensate for lost jobs, the government has embarked on a program to diversify the agricultural sector and to stimulate other sectors of the economy, such as export-oriented manufacturing and offshore banking. Roughly 200,000 tourists visited the islands in 2009, but reduced tourism arrivals and foreign investment led to an economic contraction in 2009-2013, and the economy returned to growth only in 2014. Like other tourist destinations in the Caribbean, St. Kitts and Nevis is vulnerable to damage from natural disasters and shifts in tourism demand. The government has made notable progress on reducing its public debt, from 154% of GDP in 2011 to 83% in 2013, although it still faces one of the highest levels in the world, largely attributable to public enterprise losses.
$1.281 billion (2014 est.)
$1.208 billion (2013 est.)
$1.137 billion (2012 est.)
note: data are in 2014 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 200
$852 million (2014 est.)
6.1% (2014 est.)
6.2% (2013 est.)
-0.9% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
$21,500 (2014 est.)
$20,200 (2013 est.)
$19,100 (2012 est.)
note: data are in 2014 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 81
21.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
21.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
16.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
household consumption: 73.5%
government consumption: 10.9%
investment in fixed capital: 29.3%
investment in inventories: -0.1%
exports of goods and services: 29.1%
imports of goods and services: -42.7%
(2014 est.)
agriculture: 1.7%
industry: 24.8%
services: 73.5% (2014 est.)
sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish
tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages
0.5% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
18,170 (June 1995 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213
4.5% (1997)
country comparison to the world: 45
NA%
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $296.3 million
expenditures: $259.3 million (2014 est.)
34.8% of GDP (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
4.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
83% of GDP (2013 est.)
144% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
calendar year
0.8% (2014 est.)
1% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
6.5% (31 December 2009)
6.5% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 56
9.28% (31 December 2014 est.)
8.78% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
$215.6 million (31 December 2014 est.)
$193 million (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
$1.094 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$958.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
$396.7 million (31 December 2014 est.)
$504.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
$598.4 million (31 December 2011)
$598.4 million (31 December 2011)
country comparison to the world: 112
-$65 million (2014 est.)
-$52 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
$62.9 million (2014 est.)
$58.1 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco
US 49.9%, Canada 5.3%, Azerbaijan 4.8%, Bolivia 4.7%, Bangladesh 4.4% (2014)
$241.8 million (2014 est.)
$251.3 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204
machinery, manufactures, food, fuels
US 39.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 17.8%, Germany 11.8%, China 4.3% (2014)
$156.1 million (31 December 2014 est.)
$158.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
2.7 (2014 est.)
2.7 (2013 est.)
2.7 (2012 est.)
2.7 (2011 est.)
2.7 (2010 est.)
Energy :: SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
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140 million kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195
130.2 million kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
0 kWh (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
0 kWh (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
46,200 kW (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
95.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
4.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
1,700 bbl/day (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 212
1,690 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
250,700 Mt (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195
Communications :: SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
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total subscriptions: 19,100
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
total: 76,600
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 149 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
general assessment: good interisland and international connections
domestic: interisland links via Eastern Caribbean Fiber Optic cable; construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched in November 2004; fixed-line teledensity about 40 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 170 per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-869; connected internationally by the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables (2010)
the government operates a national TV network that broadcasts on 2 channels; cable subscription services provide access to local and international channels; the government operates a national radio network; a mix of government-owned and privately owned broadcasters operate roughly 15 radio stations (2007)
AM 3, FM 8, shortwave 0 (2008)
1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2003)
.kn
total: 17,000
percent of population: 34.4% (2009)
country comparison to the world: 203
Transportation :: SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
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2 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 209
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)
total: 50 km
narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2008)
country comparison to the world: 132
total: 383 km
paved: 163 km
unpaved: 220 km (2002)
country comparison to the world: 201
total: 152
by type: bulk carrier 16, cargo 81, chemical tanker 4, combination ore/oil 1, container 2, liquefied gas 3, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 27, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 73 (Belgium 1, China 1, Egypt 1, Greece 2, India 2, Japan 2, Malaysia 1, Norway 3, Pakistan 1, Russia 13, Singapore 10, Turkey 18, UAE 8, UK 1, Ukraine 8, US 1) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 38
major seaport(s): Basseterre, Charlestown
Military :: SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Security, Labour, Immigration, and Social Security: Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (includes Coast Guard), Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force (2013)
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)
males age 16-49: 13,506
females age 16-49: 13,089 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 10,742
females age 16-49: 10,923 (2010 est.)
male: 380
female: 422 (2010 est.)
Transnational Issues :: SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
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joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its Economic Exclusion Zone/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; some money-laundering activity
Central Intelligence Agency
