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
total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)
land: 261 sq km
water: 0 sq km
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
0 km
135 km
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
tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
volcanic with mountainous interiors
mean elevation: NA
elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m
arable land
agricultural land: 23.1%
arable land 19.2%; permanent crops 0.4%; permanent pasture 3.5%
forest: 42.3%
other: 34.6% (2011 est.)
8 sq km (2012)
hurricanes (July to October)
NA
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
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
0.75% (2016 est.)
52,329 (July 2016 est.)
noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)
adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian
predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese
English (official)
Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic
0-14 years: 20.61% (male 5,408/female 5,379)
15-24 years: 14.82% (male 3,767/female 3,987)
25-54 years: 44.85% (male 12,028/female 11,443)
55-64 years: 11.38% (male 2,972/female 2,983)
65 years and over: 8.34% (male 2,000/female 2,362) (2016 est.)
total: 34.5 years
male: 34.7 years
female: 34.3 years (2016 est.)
13.3 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)
7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)
1.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)
population clusters are found in the small towns located on the periphery of both islands
urban population: 32% of total population (2015)
rate of urbanization: 1.27% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
BASSETERRE (capital) 14,000 (2014)
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
total: 8.6 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
total population: 75.7 years
male: 73.3 years
female: 78.2 years (2016 est.)
1.78 children born/woman (2016 est.)
5.1% of GDP (2014)
2.3 beds/1,000 population (2012)
improved:
urban: 98.3% of population
rural: 98.3% of population
total: 98.3% of population
unimproved:
urban: 1.7% of population
rural: 1.7% of population
total: 1.7% of population (2015 est.)
improved:
urban: 87.3% of population
rural: 87.3% of population
total: 87.3% of population
unimproved:
urban: 12.7% of population
rural: 12.7% of population
total: 12.7% of population (2007 est.)
NA
NA
NA
28.4% (2014)
4.2% of GDP (2007)
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2014)
conventional long form: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
conventional short form: Saint Kitts and Nevis
former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
etymology: Saint Kitts was, and still is, referred to as Saint Christopher and this name was well established by the 17th century (although who first applied the name is unclear); in the 17th century a common nickname for Christopher was Kit or Kitt, so the island began to be referred to as "Saint Kitt's Island" or just "Saint Kitts"; Nevis is derived from the original Spanish name "Nuestra Senora de las Nieves" (Our Lady of the Snows) and refers to the white halo of clouds that generally wreathes Nevis Peak
federal parliamentary democracy (National Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
name: Basseterre
geographic coordinates: 17 18 N, 62 43 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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
citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent: yes
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 14 years
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Samuel W.T. SEATON (since 2 September 2015); note - SEATON was acting Governor General from 20 May to 2 September 2015
head of government: Prime Minister Timothy HARRIS (since 18 February 2015); Deputy Prime Minister Shawn RICHARDS (since 22 February 2015)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by governor general in consultation with prime minister
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by governor general
description: unicameral National Assembly (14 seats; 11 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 3 appointed by the governor general; members serve 5-year terms)
elections: last held on 16 February 2015 (next to be held by 2020)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAM 4, SKNLP 3, CCM 2, PLP 1, NRP 1
brown pelican, Royal Poinciana (Flamboyant) tree; national colors: green, yellow, red, black, white
NA
highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, which includes Saint Kitts and Nevis; the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the member states; 2 High Court judges reside on Saint Kitts and Nevis; note - the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in 2003 replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) as the final court of appeal on Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Kitts and Nevis is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
subordinate courts: magistrates' courts
Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Vance AMORY]
Nevis Reformation Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY]
People's Action Movement or PAM [Shawn RICHARDS]
People's Labour Party or PLP [Timothy HARRIS]
Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS]
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Thelma Patricia PHILLIP-BROWNE (since 28 January 2016)
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 686-2636
FAX: [1] (202) 686-5740
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
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
name: "Oh Land of Beauty!"
lyrics/music: Kenrick Anderson GEORGES
note: adopted 1983
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
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,
$1.427 billion (2016 est.)
$1.378 billion (2015 est.)
$1.313 billion (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
$955 million (2015 est.)
3.5% (2016 est.)
5% (2015 est.)
6.1% (2014 est.)
$25,500 (2016 est.)
$24,600 (2015 est.)
$23,900 (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
12.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
12.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
13.2% of GDP (2014 est.)
household consumption: 58.7%
government consumption: 20.4%
investment in fixed capital: 29.8%
investment in inventories: 0%
exports of goods and services: 34%
imports of goods and services: -42.9% (2016 est.)
agriculture: 1.3%
industry: 27.2%
services: 71.5% (2016 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%
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $370.4 million
expenditures: $333.3 million (2016 est.)
38.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
3.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
83% of GDP (2013 est.)
144% of GDP (2012 est.)
calendar year
-1.1% (2016 est.)
-2.3% (2015 est.)
6.5% (31 December 2009)
6.5% (31 December 2008)
9.4% (31 December 2016 est.)
9.3% (31 December 2015 est.)
$250.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$231.2 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$1.222 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$1.121 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$777.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$740.7 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$598.4 million (31 December 2011)
$598.4 million (31 December 2011 est.)
$623.9 million (31 December 2010)
-$164 million (2016 est.)
-$112 million (2015 est.)
$60.7 million (2016 est.)
$61.3 million (2015 est.)
machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco
US 44.4%, Poland 14.6%, Bangladesh 10.1%, Azerbaijan 4.3% (2015)
$244.5 million (2016 est.)
$240.3 million (2015 est.)
machinery, manufactures, food, fuels
US 37.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 22.7%, Barbados 4.4% (2015)
$187.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$168.3 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.)
0 cu m (2013 est.)
population without electricity: 5,232
electrification - total population: 91%
electrification - urban areas: 100%
electrification - rural areas: 80% (2012)
200 million kWh (2014 est.)
200 million kWh (2014 est.)
0 kWh (2013 est.)
0 kWh (2013 est.)
64,200 kW (2014 est.)
95.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
4.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
1,900 bbl/day (2014 est.)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
1,907 bbl/day (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.)
total subscriptions: 19,748
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38 (July 2015 est.)
total: 73,000
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 141 (July 2015 est.)
general assessment: good interisland and international connections
domestic: interisland links via ECFS; construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched in November 2004; fixed-line teledensity about 40 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 140 per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-869; connected internationally by the East ECFS and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables (2015)
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 br (2007)
.kn
total: 39,000
percent of population: 75.7% (July 2015 est.)
V4 (2016)
2 (2013)
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)
total: 50 km
narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2008)
total: 383 km
paved: 163 km
unpaved: 220 km (2002)
total: 152
by type: bulk carrier 16, cargo 81, chemical tanker 4, combination ore/oil 1, container 2, liquefied gas 3, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 27, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 73 (Belgium 1, China 1, Egypt 1, Greece 2, India 2, Japan 2, Malaysia 1, Norway 3, Pakistan 1, Russia 13, Singapore 10, Turkey 18, UAE 8, UK 1, Ukraine 8, US 1) (2010)
major seaport(s): Basseterre, Charlestown
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)
joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; some money-laundering activity
