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 continues in its efforts to try and separate from Saint Kitts.
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)
land
261 sq km
water
0 sq km
Area - 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
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
NA
Natural hazards
hurricanes (July to October)
Environment - current issues
NA
Environment - international agreements
party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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 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
Population
39,349 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
27.2% (male 5,472/female 5,218)
15-64 years
64.9% (male 12,779/female 12,752)
65 years and over
7.9% (male 1,300/female 1,828) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
28.1 years
male
27.4 years
female
28.8 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
0.623% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
17.89 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
8.16 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-3.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.049 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.002 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.711 male(s)/female
total population
0.988 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
13.74 deaths/1,000 live births
male
15.44 deaths/1,000 live births
female
11.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
72.66 years
male
69.81 years
female
75.69 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.29 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Nationality
noun
Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)
adjective
Kittitian, Nevisian
Ethnic groups
predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese
Religions
Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic
Languages
English
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population
97.8%
male
NA%
female
NA% (2003 est.)
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
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 UK)
National holiday
Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
Constitution
19 September 1983
Legal system
based on English common law
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
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
unicameral National Assembly (14 seats, 3 appointed and 11 popularly elected from single-member constituencies; members serve five-year terms)
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 [Lindsay GRANT]; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS]
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
Economy - overview
Sugar was the traditional mainstay of the Saint Kitts economy until the 1970s. The government closed the sugar industry following the 2005 harvest after decades of losses at the state-run sugar company. To compensate, the government has embarked on a program to diversify the agricultural sector and to stimulate other sectors of the economy. Activities such as tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking have assumed larger roles in the economy. Tourism revenues are now the chief source of the islands' foreign exchange; about 341,800 tourists visited Nevis in 2005. Additional tourist facilities, including a second cruise ship pier, hotels, and golf courses are under construction.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$339 million (2002 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$453 million (2005)
GDP - real growth rate
4.9% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$8,200 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
3.5%
industry
25.8%
services
70.7% (2001)
Labor force
18,170 (June 1995)
Unemployment rate
4.5% (1997)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
8.7% (2005 est.)
Budget
revenues
$89.7 million
expenditures
$128.2 million; including capital expenditures of $19.5 million (2003 est.)
41 (Greece 1, Monaco 1, Russia 5, Spain 2, Syria 3, Tanzania 1, Turkey 6, UAE 19, Ukraine 3) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Basseterre, Charlestown
Military branches
Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (includes Coast Guard), Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age (est.) (2004)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
9,196
females age 18-49
9,236 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
7,119
females age 18-49
7,645 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
357
females age 18-49
347 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
NA
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
