Saint Kitts and Nevis

total: 29,272 (2018 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 55.82 (2018 est.)

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 broadcasters operate roughly 15 radio stations

.kn

total: 43,100 (2021 est.) percent of population: 80.71% (2019 est.)

general assessment: good interisland and international connections; broadband access; expanded FttP (Fiber to the Home) and LTE markets; regulatory development; telecom sector contributes greatly to the overall GDP; telecom sector is a growth area (2020) domestic: interisland links via ECFS; fixed-line teledensity about 33 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 148 per 100 persons (2019) international: country code - 1-869; landing points for the ECFS, Southern Caribbean Fiber and the SSCS submarine cables providing connectivity for numerous Caribbean Islands (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

total subscriptions: 17,293 (2018) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33.23 (2018 est.)

total subscriptions: 76,878 (2018) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 147.7 (2019 est.)

coconuts, tropical fruit, roots/tubers nes, vegetables, sweet potatoes, pulses nes, watermelons, carrots/turnips, eggs, tomatoes

revenues: 307 million (2017 est.) expenditures: 291.1 million (2017 est.)

1.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

-$97 million (2017 est.) -$102 million (2016 est.)

$201.8 million (31 December 2017 est.) $187.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)

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 economic contraction in the 2009-2013 period, and the economy returned to growth only in 2014. Like other tourist destinations in the Caribbean, Saint Kitts and Nevis is vulnerable to damage from natural disasters and shifts in tourism demand. 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, such as export-oriented manufacturing and offshore banking. The government has made notable progress in reducing its public debt, from 154% of GDP in 2011 to 83% in 2013, although it still faces one of the highest levels in the world, largely attributable to public enterprise losses. Saint Kitts and Nevis is among other countries in the Caribbean that supplement their economic activity through economic citizenship programs, whereby foreigners can obtain citizenship from Saint Kitts and Nevis by investing there.

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2017 est.) 2.7 (2016 est.) 2.7 (2015 est.) 2.7 (2014 est.) 2.7 (2013 est.)

$610 million note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.) $53.9 million (2016 est.)

low-voltage protection equipment, broadcasting equipment, measuring instruments, electric motor parts, electrical transformers (2019)

United States 69%, Germany 8%, Italy 5% (2019)

calendar year

$964 million (2017 est.)

household consumption: 41.4% (2017 est.) government consumption: 25.9% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 30.8% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 62.5% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -60.4% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 1.1% (2017 est.) industry: 30% (2017 est.) services: 68.9% (2017 est.)

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

$590 million note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.) $307.9 million (2016 est.)

refined petroleum, jewelry, ships, cars, poultry meats, cement (2019)

United States 59%, Peru 6%, Germany 5% (2019)

5% (2017 est.)

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

0% (2017 est.) -0.3% (2016 est.)

18,170 (June 1995 est.)

NA

62.9% of GDP (2017 est.) 61.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

$1.24 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.) $1.39 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.) $1.36 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

2.1% (2017 est.) 2.9% (2016 est.) 2.7% (2015 est.)

$23,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.) $26,200 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.) $25,900 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

$365.1 million (31 December 2017 est.) $320.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)

31.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

4.5% (1997)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

193.4 million kWh (2016 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

94% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

6% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

64,200 kW (2016 est.)

208 million kWh (2016 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

1,700 bbl/day (2016 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

1,743 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

particulate matter emissions: 12.31 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 0.24 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 0.1 megatons (2020 est.)

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

deforestation; soil erosion and silting affects marine life on coral reefs; water pollution from uncontrolled dumping of sewage

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

agricultural land: 23.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 19.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 3.5% (2018 est.) forest: 42.3% (2018 est.) other: 34.6% (2018 est.)

coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

forest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

24 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal: 15.4 million cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 0 cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 200,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)

urban population: 30.9% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 1.06% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 32,892 tons (2015 est.)

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

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

135 km

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

17 20 N, 62 45 W

smallest country in the Western Hemisphere both in terms of area and population; 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

8 sq km (2012)

total: 0 km

agricultural land: 23.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 19.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 3.5% (2018 est.) forest: 42.3% (2018 est.) other: 34.6% (2018 est.)

Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago

Central America and the Caribbean

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

hurricanes (July to October) volcanism: Mount Liamuiga (1,156 m) on Saint Kitts, and Nevis Peak (985 m) on Nevis, are both volcanoes that are part of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles, which extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south

arable land

population clusters are found in the small towns located on the periphery of both islands

volcanic with mountainous interiors

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

name: Basseterre geographic coordinates: 17 18 N, 62 43 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the French name translates as "low land" in English; the reference is to the city's low-lying location within a valley, as well as to the fact that the city is on the leeward (downwind) part of the island, and is thus a safe anchorage

citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 14 years

history: several previous (preindependence); latest presented 22 June 1983, effective 23 June 1983 amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the total Assembly membership and assent of the governor general; amendments to constitutional provisions such as the sovereignty of the federation, fundamental rights and freedoms, the judiciary, and the Nevis Island Assembly also require approval in a referendum by at least two thirds of the votes cast in Saint Kitts and in Nevis

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 note: Nevis is pronounced neevis

embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Kitts and Nevis

chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. 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

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

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

federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

19 September 1983 (from the UK)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

highest courts: the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 assigned to Saint Kitts and Nevis; note - the ECSC 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 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

English common law

description: unicameral National Assembly (14 or 15 seats, depending on inclusion of attorney general; 11 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 3 appointed by the governor general - 2 on the advice of the prime minister and the third on the advice of the opposition leader; members serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 5 June 2020 (next to be held on 2025) election results: percent of vote by party - Team Unity (PAM, CCM,PLP) 56.4%, SKNLP 34.5%, NRP 9%; seats by party - PAM 4, SKNLP 2, CCM 3, PLP 2

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

Independence Day, 19 September (1983)

brown pelican, royal poinciana (flamboyant) tree; national colors: green, yellow, red, black, white

Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Mark BRANTLEY] Nevis Reformation Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY] People's Action Movement or PAM [Shawn RICHARDS] People's Labour Party or PLP [Dr. Timothy HARRIS] Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS]

18 years of age; universal

Carib Indians occupied the islands of the West Indies for hundreds of years before the British and French began settlement in 1623. During the course of 17th century, Saint Kitts became the premier base for English and French expansion into the Caribbean. The French ceded the territory to the UK in 1713. At the turn of the 18th century, Saint Kitts was the richest British Crown Colony per capita in the Caribbean, a result of the sugar trade. Although small in size and separated by only 3 km (2 mi) of water, Saint Kitts and Nevis were viewed and governed as different states until the late-19th century, when the British forcibly unified them along with the island of Anguilla. 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.

St. Kitts joined the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) in 1984; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2021)

Ministry of National Security: St. Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (SKNDF), St. Kitts and Nevis Coast Guard, the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (2021)

the SKNDF has approximately 300 personnel (2019)

the SKNDF is lightly armed with equipment from Belgium, the UK, and the US (2021)

18 years of age for voluntary military service (under 18 with written parental permission); no conscription (2021)

0-14 years: 19.87% (male 5,357/female 5,336) 15-24 years: 13.46% (male 3,504/female 3,741) 25-54 years: 43.64% (male 12,010/female 11,477) 55-64 years: 13.03% (male 3,527/female 3,485) 65 years and over: 10% (male 2,540/female 2,844) (2020 est.)

12.43 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

NA

NA

5.3% (2017)

7.24 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio: NA youth dependency ratio: NA elderly dependency ratio: NA potential support ratio: NA

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.)

2.6% of GDP (2015)

African descent 92.5%, mixed 3%, White 2.1%, East Indian 1.5%, other 0.6%, unspecified 0.3% (2001 est.)

0.5% (2018)

<100 (2018)

<200 (2018)

4.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)

total: 8.5 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.76 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

English (official)

total population: 76.83 years male: 74.37 years female: 79.34 years (2021 est.)

14,000 BASSETERRE (capital) (2018)

total: 36.5 years male: 36.7 years female: 36.3 years (2020 est.)

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

1.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

22.9% (2016)

2.68 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

54,149 (July 2021 est.)

population clusters are found in the small towns located on the periphery of both islands

0.64% (2021 est.)

Protestant 75.6% (includes Anglican 16.6%, Methodist 15.8%, Pentecostal 10.8%, Church of God 7.4%, Baptist 5.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.4%, Wesleyan Holiness 5.3%, Moravian 4.8%, Evangelical 2.1%, Brethren 1.7%, Presbyterian 0.3%), Roman Catholic 5.9%, Hindu 1.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other 5%, none 8.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 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 (2017 est.)

total: 17 years male: 16 years female: 19 years (2015)

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

1.77 children born/woman (2021 est.)

urban population: 30.9% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 1.06% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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

a transit point for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Caribbean

total: 2 (2013)

total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2019)

V4

total: 244 by type: bulk carrier 6, container ship 7, general cargo 45, oil tanker 53, other 133 (2021)

major seaport(s): Basseterre, Charlestown

total: 50 km (2008) narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2008)

total: 383 km (2002) paved: 163 km (2002) unpaved: 220 km (2002)