OFFICIAL NAME: Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis
CAPITAL: Basseterre
SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT: Constitutional Monarchy
AREA: 261 Sq Km (101 Sq Mi)
ESTIMATED 2000 POPULATION: 45,100


Direct Link to Political MapDirect Link to Physical MapLOCATION & GEOGRAPHY: St. Kitts-Nevis are two islands located in the northern part of the leeward group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. The territory consists of the St. Kitts (Saint Christopher) and Nevis Islands. St. Kitts has a forest covered mountain range across the central part of the island which reaches the island's highest point of Mt. Misery, an extinct volcano, while Nevis is a dominated by a central peak at 985 metres (3,117 feet). Major Cities (pop. est.); Basseterre 18,000, Charlestown 1,300 (1995). Land Use; forested 17%, pastures 3%, agricultural-cultivated 39%, other 41% (1993).


CLIMATE: St. Kitts-Nevis has a tropical climate influenced by the NE trade winds. There is a steady cool breeze for most of the year and humidity is low at 71%. Average annual precipitation is 1,375 mm (54 inches) and from May to October rainfall is heavier while temperatures are a little hotter. Average temperature ranges are from 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit) to 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) all year.


PEOPLE: The principal ethnic majority are the Black Africans who account for around 86% of the population while around 11% are Mulattoes who are mixed African and European descent, and 2% are Whites. The principal ethnic minority are the Indo-Pakistanis.


DEMOGRAPHIC/VITAL STATISTICS: Density; 160 persons per sq km (414 persons per sq mi) (1991). Urban-Rural; 48.9% urban, 51.1% rural (1990). Sex Distribution; 51.6% male, 48.4% female (1990). Life Expectancy at Birth; 64.0 years male, 71.0 years female (1991). Age Breakdown; 32% under 15, 26% 15 to 29, 19% 30 to 44, 10% 45 to 59, 9% 60 to 74, 4% 75 and over (1990). Birth Rate; 23.0 per 1,000 (1990). Death Rate; 10.8 per 1,000 (1990). Increase Rate; 12.2 per 1,000 (1990). Infant Mortality Rate; 22.0 per 1,000 live births (1990).


RELIGIONS: Mostly Christians with 75% of the population Protestant while 11% are Roman Catholic.


LANGUAGES: The official language is English which is spoken by most of the population in a Creole dialect.


EDUCATION: Aged 25 or over and having attained: no formal schooling 1.1%, primary 29.6%, secondary 67.2%, higher 2.1% (1980). Literacy; literate population aged 15 or over 90.0% (1985).


MODERN HISTORY - WWII TO 1993: In 1951 universal adult suffrage was introduced and the British colony, which included Anguilla, achieved internal self-government as an associated state of the United Kingdom in 1967. In the same year Anguilla declared its independence which resulted in British military intervention and its reversion to a British dependent territory. In 1980 Anguilla formally seceded from St. Kitts-Nevis. On Sept. 19, 1983 the country gained full independence with Dr. Kennedy Simmonds as its first Prime Minister under a coalition government. The People's Action Movement (PAM) and Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) coalition were subsequently reelected in 1984 and 1989. In late 1990 Simeon Daniel, Premier of Nevis announced that Nevis intended to secede from the federation by the end of 1992, if approved by the Nevis assembly and confirmed by a plebiscite. In Sept. 1991 the government announced it was offering a maximum of 3,000 citizenships to Hong Kong immigrants in return for substantial investments. In April 1992 Deputy Prime Minister Michael Powell was dismissed which led crowds protesting in the streets of the capital. In June 1992 local elections resulted in the PAM's coalition partner, the NRP, being defeated by the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM). Also in 1992 the British government provided £900,000 for new road projects. In 1993 the government received development loans from the Kuwaiti Investment Fund for US $6 million and the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) for $20 million. In Aug. 1993 the government signed a narcotics-control agreement with the US and the government amended the Proceeds of Crime Act to allow for the forfeiture of property if convicted of drug trafficking or money laundering. On Nov. 29, 1993 following elections the PAM lost its majority in the National Assembly while supporters of the Labor Party which gained an equal number of seats, although they gained a grater percentage of the vote, rioted leading to the imposition of a state of emergency.


CURRENCY: The official currency is the East Caribbean Dollar (ECD) divided into 100 Cents.


ECONOMY: Gross National Product; USD $185,000,000 (1993). Public Debt; USD $39,500,000 (1993). Imports; ECD $302,700,000 (1993). Exports; ECD $91,500,000 (1993). Tourism Receipts; USD $69,400,000 (1993). Balance of Trade; ECD -$169,400,000 (1993). Economically Active Population; 17,125 or 39.5% of total population (1980). Unemployed; N/A.


MAIN TRADING PARTNERS: Its main trading partners are the USA and the UK.

MAIN PRIMARY PRODUCTS: Coconuts, Cotton, Livestock, Sugar, Vegetables.

MAJOR INDUSTRIES: Agriculture, Electronic Equipment, Sugar Processing, Textiles, Tourism.

MAIN EXPORTS: Clothing, Electronic Equipment, Footwear, Sugar.


TRANSPORT: Railroads; route length 36 km (22 mi) (1990), passenger-km 0, cargo ton-km N/A. Roads; length 305 km (190 mi) (1987). Vehicles; cars 3,600 (1986), trucks and buses 700 (1986). Merchant Marine; vessels 1 (1990), deadweight tonnage 550 (1990). Air Transport; N/A.


COMMUNICATIONS: Daily Newspapers; nil. Weekly & Twice Weekly Newspapers; total of 2 with a total circulation of 9,000 (1992). Radio; receivers 26,000 (1994). Television; receivers 12,200 (1994). Telephones; units 12,200 (1993).


MILITARY: 340 (1994) police and paramilitary personnel.


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