Saint Kitts and Nevis

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

25,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system

good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radiotelephone connections and international link via Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) domestic : interisland links are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF radiotelephone international: international calls are carried by radiotelephone to Antigua and Barbuda and from there switched to submarine cable or to Intelsat, or carried to Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) by radiotelephone and switched to Intelsat

Telephones

3,800 (1986 est.)

Television broadcast stations

4

Televisions

9,500 (1993 est.)

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fishing potential not fully exploited

Budget

revenues: $100.2 million expenditures: $100.1 million, including capital expenditures of $41.4 million (1996 est.)

Currency

1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$45.3 million (1994 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

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 assumed larger roles. Most food is imported. The newly elected government has undertaken a program designed to revitalize the faltering sugar sector. It is also working to improve revenue collection in order to better fund social programs.

Electricity - capacity

15,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita

NA kWh

Electricity - production

42 million kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Exports

total value: $35.4 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: machinery, food, electronics, beverages and tobacco partners: US 46.6%, UK 26.4%, Caricom nations 9.8% (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $235 million (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 6% industry: 22% services: 72% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $5,700 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value : $112.4 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: machinery, manufactures, food, fuels partners: US 45%, Caricom nations 18.8%, UK 12.5%, Canada 4.2%, Japan 4.2%, (1994)

Industrial production growth rate

NA %

Industries

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index

-0.9% (1995)

Labor force

total : 18,172 (June 1995) by occupation: services 69%, manufacturing 31%

Unemployment rate

4.3% (May 1995)

Area

total: 269 sq km land: 269 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

135 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

17 20 N, 62 45 W

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 22% permanent crops : 17% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 17% other: 41% (1993 est.)

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

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin territorial sea : 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Natural hazards

hurricanes (July to October)

Natural resources

NEGL

Terrain

volcanic with mountainous interiors

Administrative divisions

14 parishes; 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

Constitution

19 September 1983

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

Data code

SC

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; US interests are monitored by the embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission : Ambassador Osbert LIBURD chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 686-2636

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dr. Cuthbert Montraville SEBASTIAN (since 1 January 1996) head of government : Prime Minister Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS (since 6 July 1995) and 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 queen is a hereditary 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

FAX

[1] (202) 686-5740

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

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

19 September 1983 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia); one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Kitts

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral House of Assembly (14 seats, 11 popularly elected from single member constituencies; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 3 July 1995 (next to be held by July 2000) election results: percent of vote by party - SKLNP 58%, PAM 41%; seats by party - SKNLP 7, PAM 1, NRP 1, CCM 2

National capital

Basseterre

National holiday

Independence Day, 19 September (1983)

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), Joseph PARRY; Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), Vance AMORY

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal adult

Military branches

Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast Guard

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49 : NA

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: NA

Age structure

0-14 years: 34% (male 7,285; female 6,945) 15-64 years: 60% (male 12,471; female 12,395) 65 years and over : 6% (male 1,107; female 1,600) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

23.08 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

8.85 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

black

Infant mortality rate

18.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 67.22 years male: 64.18 years female: 70.44 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 97% male : 97% female: 98% (1980 est.)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

-3.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

41,803 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

1.1% (1997 est.)

Religions

Anglican, other Protestant sects, Roman Catholic

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.49 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment points for South American drugs destined for the US SAINT LUCIA

Airports

2 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Highways

total : 310 km paved: 132 km unpaved: 178 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

none

Ports and harbors

Basseterre, Charlestown

Railways

total: 58 km narrow gauge: 58 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve sugarcane plantations (1995)