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GEOGRAPHY

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

Area:

 Total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)
Land: 261 sq km
Water: 0 sq km

Area - Comparative:

 One and a half times the size of Washington, DC

Land Boundaries:

 0 km

Coastline:

 135 km (Rank: 155)

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:

 0.2 sq km (2008)

Total Renewable Water Resources:

 0.02 cu km (2000)

Natural Hazards:

 Hurricanes (July to October)

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

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

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PEOPLE AND SOCIETY

Nationality:

 Noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)
Adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian

Ethnic Groups:

 Predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese

Languages:

 English (official)

Religions:

 Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

Population:

 50,314 (July 2011 est.)

Age Structure:

 0-14 years: 22.8% (male 5,701/female 5,755)
15-64 years: 69.6% (male 17,740/female 17,297)
65 years and over: 7.6% (male 1,681/female 2,140) (2011 est.)

Median Age:

 Total: 32 years
Male: 32.1 years
Female: 32 years (2011 est.)

Population Growth Rate:

 0.823% (2011 est.)

Birth Rate:

 14.07 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Death Rate:

 7.1 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

Net Migration Rate:

 1.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Urbanization:

 Urban population: 32% of total population (2010)
Rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major Cities - Population:

 BASSETERRE (capital) 13,000 (2009)

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 (2011 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate:

 Total: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 6.36 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 13.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life Expectancy At Birth:

 Total population: 74.6 years
Male: 72.25 years
Female: 77.01 years (2011 est.)

Total Fertility Rate:

 1.79 children born/woman (2011 est.)

Health Expenditures:

 6% of GDP (2009)

Physicians Density:

 1.0952 physicians/1,000 population (2000)

Hospital Bed Density:

 6 beds/1,000 population (2009)

Drinking Water Source:

 Urban: 99% of population
Rural: 99% of population
Total: 99% of population
Unimproved:
Urban: 1% of population
Rural: 1% of population
Total: 1% of population (2008)

Sanitation Facility Access:

 Urban: 96% of population
Rural: 96% of population
Total: 96% of population
Unimproved:
Urban: 4% of population
Rural: 4% of population
Total: 4% of population (2008)

Education Expenditures:

 9.6% of GDP (2005)

Literacy:

 Definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
Total population: 97.8%
Male: NA
Female: NA (2003 est.)

Average Years of Schooling:

 Total: 13 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 13 years (2008)

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GOVERNMENT

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 and a Commonwealth realm

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 the UK)

National Holiday:

 Independence Day, 19 September (1983)

Constitution:

 September 19, 1983

Legal System:

 English common law

International Law Organization Participation:

 Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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: 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

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

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)

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]

International Organization Participation:

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

Diplomatic Representation in the US:

 Chief of mission: Ambassador Jacinth HENRY-MARTIN
Chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
Telephone: [1] (202) 686-2636
FAX: [1] (202) 686-5740
Consulate(s) general: New York

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

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

National Symbols:

 Brown pelican

National Anthem:

 Name: "Oh Land of Beauty!"
Lyrics/music: Kenrick Anderson GEORGES

Note: adopted 1983

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ECONOMY

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.

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity):

 $684 million (2010 est.)
$694.6 million (2009 est.)
$768.2 million (2008 est.)

Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP (Official Exchange Rate):

 $531 million (2010 est.)

GDP - Real Growth Rate:

 -1.5% (2010 est.)
-9.6% (2009 est.)
4.6% (2008 est.)

GDP - Per Capita (PPP):

 $13,700 (2010 est.)
$14,000 (2009 est.)
$15,700 (2008 est.)

Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - Composition By Sector:

 Agriculture: 2.6%
Industry: 22.8%
Services: 74.6% (2010 est.)

Labor Force:

 18,170 (June 1995)

Unemployment Rate:

 4.5% (1997)

Population Below Poverty Line:

 NA%

Household Income / Consumption By Share:

 Lowest 10%: NA%
Highest 10%: NA%

Investment (Gross Fixed):

 37% of GDP (2010 est.)

Budget:

 Revenues: $185.2 million
Expenditures: $185.2 million (2010 est.)

Taxes and Other Revenues:

 34.9% of GDP (2010 est.)

Budget Surplus / Deficit:

 0% of GDP (2010 est.)

Public Debt:

 185% of GDP (2009 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices):

 0.5% (2010 est.)
2% (2009 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate:

 6.5% (31 December 2009)
6.5% (31 December 2008)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate:

 8.625% (31 December 2010 est.)
8.775% (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of Money:

 $107.2 million (31 December 2008)
$97.31 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of Quasi Money:

 $680.6 million (31 December 2008)
$688.6 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of Narrow Money:

 $113.8 million (31 December 2010 est.)
$111.3 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of Broad Money:

 $879.1 million (31 December 2010 est.)
$823.8 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of Domestic Credit:

 $703.7 million (31 December 2010 est.)
$703.7 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Market Value of Publicly Traded Shares:

 $623.9 million (31 December 2010)
$648 million (31 December 2009)
$595.2 million (31 December 2008)

Agriculture - Products:

 Sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish

Industries:

 Tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages

Industrial Production Growth Rate:

 NA%

Electricity - Production:

 130 million kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - Production By Source:

 Fossil fuel: 100%
Hydro: 0%
Nuclear: 0%
Other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - Consumption:

 120.9 million kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - Exports:

 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - Imports:

 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Oil - Production:

 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Oil - Consumption:

 2,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Oil - Exports:

 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - Imports:

 1,699 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - Proven Reserves:

 0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)

Natural Gas - Production:

 0 cu m (2009 est.)

Natural Gas - Consumption:

 0 cu m (2009 est.)

Natural Gas - Exports:

 0 cu m (2009 est.)

Natural Gas - Imports:

 0 cu m (2009 est.)

Natural Gas - Proven Reserves:

 0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)

Current Account Balance:

 -$140.5 million (2010 est.)
-$184.8 million (2009 est.)

Exports:

 $61.7 million (2010 est.)
$57.56 million (2009 est.)

Exports - Commodities:

 Machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco

Exports - Partners:

 US 56.5%, Canada 9.2%, Azerbaijan 5% (2010)

Imports:

 $292.7 million (2010 est.)
$266 million (2009 est.)

Imports - Commodities:

 Machinery, manufactures, food, fuels

Imports - Partners:

 US 39.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 17%, Poland 4.7%, Barbados 4% (2010)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold:

 $168.9 million (31 December 2010 est.)
$136.4 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Debt - External:

 $215.8 million (31 December 2010 est.)
$226.6 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Exchange Rates:

 Convert East Caribbean Dollar to Any Currency

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
2.7 (2010)
2.7 (2009)
2.7 (2005)
2.7 (2004)
2.7 (2003)

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COMMUNICATIONS

Telephones - Main Lines In Use:

 20,600 (2010)

Telephones - Cellular:

 84,600 (2010)

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; fixed-line teledensity about 40 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 160 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

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)

Radio Broadcast Stations:

 AM 3, FM 8, shortwave 0 (2008)

Television Broadcast Stations:

 1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2003)

Internet Country Code:

 .kn

Internet Hosts:

 51 (2010)

Internet Users:

 17,000 (2009)

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TRANSPORTATION

Airports:

 2 (2010)

Airports - With Paved Runways:

 Total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)

Railways:

 Total: 50 km
Narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2008)

Roadways:

 Total: 383 km
Paved: 163 km
Unpaved: 220 km (2002)

Merchant Marine:

 Total: 160
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

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MILITARY

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 (2011)

Military Service Age and Obligation:

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

Manpower Available For Military Service:

 Males age 16-49: 13,506
Females age 16-49: 13,089 (2010 est.)

Manpower Fit For Military Service:

 Males age 16-49: 10,742
Females age 16-49: 10,923 (2010 est.)

Manpower Reaching Militarily Significant Age Annually:

 Male: 380
Female: 422 (2010 est.)

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TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES

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

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Last Updated: December 2011

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