Saint Kitts and Nevis

Broadcast media

the government operates a national television 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)

Internet country code

.kn

Internet hosts

51 (2010) country comparison to the world: 210

Internet users

17,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 197

Telephone system

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 international: country code - 1-869; connected internationally by the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables

Telephones - main lines in use

20,500 (2009) country comparison to the world: 193

Telephones - mobile cellular

83,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 189

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 65 6.5% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

8.75% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 8.75% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

-$163 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 85

Debt - external

$314 million (2004) country comparison to the world: 171

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.

Electricity - consumption

120.9 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 187

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

130 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 184

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)

Exports

$84 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 198

Exports - commodities

machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco

Exports - partners

US 62.3%, Canada 7.93%, Azerbaijan 6.72% (2009)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$562 million (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$719.5 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 210 $730.5 million (2009 est.) $772.7 million (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 3.5% industry: 25.8% services: 70.7% (2001)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$14,400 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 81 $14,800 (2009 est.) $15,700 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

-1.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 202 -5.5% (2009 est.) 4.6% (2008 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$383 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 189

Imports - commodities

machinery, manufactures, food, fuels

Imports - partners

US 43.37%, Trinidad and Tobago 15.26%, Italy 11.83% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.5% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 132

Labor force

18,170 (June 1995) country comparison to the world: 209

Market value of publicly traded shares

$648 million (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 102 $595.2 million (31 December 2008) $439.7 million (31 December 2007)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 157

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 136

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 141

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 138

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 142

Oil - consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 196

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 181

Oil - imports

1,225 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 184

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 138

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 131

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

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

Stock of broad money

$823.8 million (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 167 $787.8 million (31 December 2008)

Stock of domestic credit

$790.8 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 155 $782.4 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$94.45 million (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 181 $93.23 million (31 December 2008)

Unemployment rate

4.5% (1997) country comparison to the world: 42

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

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical, 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, 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

Geographic coordinates

17 20 N, 62 45 W

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

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

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

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

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

Natural hazards

hurricanes (July to October)

Natural resources

arable land

Terrain

volcanic with mountainous interiors

Total renewable water resources

0.02 cu km (2000)

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

Capital

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

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

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

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 theWorld 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

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Independence

19 September 1983 (from the UK)

International organization participation

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

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)

Legal system

based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

National anthem

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 19 September (1983)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 13,510 females age 16-49: 13,075 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 10,736 females age 16-49: 10,913 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 402 female: 430 (2010 est.)

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 (2010)

Military expenditures

NA

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)

Age structure

0-14 years: 26.3% (male 5,397/female 5,138) 15-64 years: 65.9% (male 13,231/female 13,196) 65 years and over: 7.9% (male 1,326/female 1,843) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

14.23 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 146

Death rate

7.11 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 128

Education expenditures

9.9% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 6

Ethnic groups

predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 153 male: 6.45 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

Languages

English (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.37 years country comparison to the world: 96 male: 72.03 years female: 76.75 years (2010 est.)

Literacy

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

Median age

total: 31.5 years male: 31.5 years female: 31.5 years (2010 est.)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

1.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 51

Population

49,898 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 207

Population growth rate

0.838% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 135

Religions

Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 13 years (2005)

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 (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.79 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 157

Urbanization

urban population: 32% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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

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)

Merchant marine

total: 160 country comparison to the world: 40 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

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)