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.

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

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

0 km

135 km

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

volcanic with mountainous interiors

highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m

arable land

arable land 19.2%; permanent crops 0.4%; permanent pasture 3.5%

8 sq km (2012)

population clusters are found in the small towns located on the periphery of both islands

hurricanes (July to October)

deforestation; soil erosion and silting affects marine life on coral reefs; water pollution from uncontrolled dumping of sewage

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

52,715 (July 2017 est.)

predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese

English (official)

Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

0.73% (2017 est.)

13.2 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

1.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

population clusters are found in the small towns located on the periphery of both islands

BASSETERRE (capital) 14,000 (2014)

1.77 children born/woman (2017 est.)

5.1% of GDP (2014)

2.3 beds/1,000 population (2012)

urban: 98.3% of population

rural: 98.3% of population

total: 98.3% of population

urban: 1.7% of population

rural: 1.7% of population

total: 1.7% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 87.3% of population

rural: 87.3% of population

total: 87.3% of population

urban: 12.7% of population

rural: 12.7% of population

total: 12.7% of population (2007 est.)

NA

NA

NA

22.9% (2016)

4.2% of GDP (2007)

federal parliamentary democracy (National Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

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 (2016)

English common law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Mark BRANTLEY]

Nevis Reformation Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY]

People's Action Movement or PAM [Shawn RICHARDS]

People's Labour Party or PLP [Dr. 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

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

The economy of Saint Kitts and Nevis depends on tourism; since the 1970s, tourism has replaced sugar as the economy’s traditional mainstay. Roughly 200,000 tourists visited the islands in 2009, but reduced tourism arrivals and foreign investment led to an economic contraction in the 2009-2013 period, and the economy returned to growth only in 2014. Like other tourist destinations in the Caribbean, Saint Kitts and Nevis is vulnerable to damage from natural disasters and shifts in tourism demand.

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. The government has made notable progress in 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. Saint Kitts and Nevis is among other countries in the Caribbean that supplement their economic activity through economic citizenship programs, whereby foreigners can obtain citizenship from Saint Kitts and Nevis by investing there.

$1.463 billion (2016 est.)

$1.4 billion (2015 est.)

$1.321 billion (2014 est.)

$900 million (2016 est.)

3.1% (2016 est.)

4.9% (2015 est.)

5.1% (2014 est.)

$26,100 (2016 est.)

$25,300 (2015 est.)

$24,600 (2014 est.)

18.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

16.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

20.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish

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

6% (2016 est.)

18,170 (June 1995 est.)

4.5% (1997)

NA%

41% of GDP (2016 est.)

4.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

65.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

70.6% of GDP (2015 est.)

calendar year

-0.4% (2016 est.)

-2.3% (2015 est.)

6.5% (31 December 2009)

6.5% (31 December 2008)

9.24% (31 December 2016 est.)

9.3% (31 December 2015 est.)

$210.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$231.2 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.077 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$1.121 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$704.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$728.1 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$598.4 million (31 December 2011)

$598.4 million (31 December 2011 est.)

$-102 million (2016 est.)

$-86.1 million (2015 est.)

$53.9 million (2016 est.)

$55.3 million (2015 est.)

machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco

US 49.6%, Poland 15.2%, Turkey 11.6% (2016)

$244.4 million (2016 est.)

$247 million (2015 est.)

machinery, manufactures, food, fuels

US 56.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 6.8%, Cyprus 6.2%, Japan 4% (2016)

$187.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$168 million (31 December 2015 est.)

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

2.7 (2016 est.)

2.7 (2015 est.)

2.7 (2014 est.)

2.7 (2013 est.)

2.7 (2012 est.)

208 million kWh (2015 est.)

193.4 million kWh (2015 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

63,200 kW (2015 est.)

94.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

6.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

1,900 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

1,907 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)

300,000 Mt (2013 est.)

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)

.kn

V4 (2016)

2 (2013)

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)