*Saint Kitts and Nevis, Geography

Location:   in the eastern Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way between Puerto Rico
  and Trinidad and Tobago
Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  269 km2
 land area:
  269 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  135 km
Maritime claims:
 contiguous zone:
  24 nm
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  subtropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature
  variation; rainy season (May to November)
Terrain:
  volcanic with mountainous interiors
Natural resources:
  negligible
Land use:
 arable land:
  22%
 permanent crops:
  17%
 meadows and pastures:
  3%
 forest and woodland:
  17%
 other:
  41%
Irrigated land:
  NA km2
Environment:
  subject to hurricanes (July to October)

*Saint Kitts and Nevis, People

Population:
  40,407 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.59% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:   23.93 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  10.39 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -7.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  20.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  65.72 years
 male:
  62.78 years
 female:
  68.85 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.64 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Kittsian(s), Nevisian(s)
 adjective:
  Kittsian, Nevisian
Ethnic divisions:
  black African
Religions:
  Anglican, other Protestant sects, Roman Catholic
Languages:
  English
Literacy:
  age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
 total population:
  98%
 male:
  98%
 female:
  98%
Labor force:
  20,000 (1981)

*Saint Kitts and Nevis, Government

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
 conventional short form:
  Saint Kitts and Nevis
 former:
  Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
Digraph:
  SC
Type:
  constitutional monarchy
Capital:
  Basseterre
Administrative divisions:   14 parishs; 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 UK)
Constitution:
  19 September 1983
Legal system:
  based on English common law
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
Political parties and leaders:
  People's Action Movement (PAM), Dr. Kennedy SIMMONDS; Saint Kitts and Nevis
  Labor Party (SKNLP), Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS; Nevis Reformation Party (NRP),
  Simeon DANIEL; Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), Vance AMORY
Suffrage:
  universal adult at age NA
Elections:
 House of Assembly:
  last held 21 March 1989 (next to be held by 21 March 1994); results -
  percent of vote by party NA; seats - (14 total, 11 elected) PAM 6, SKNLP 2,
  NRP 2, CCM 1
Executive branch:
  British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
  Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  unicameral House of Assembly
Judicial branch:
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
  Sir Clement Athelston ARRINDELL (since 19 September 1983, previously
  Governor General of the Associated State since NA November 1981)
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Dr. Kennedy Alphonse SIMMONDS (since 19 September 1983,
  previously Premier of the Associated State since NA February 1980); Deputy
  Prime Minister Sydney Earl MORRIS (since NA)
Member of:
  ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IMF,
  INTERPOL, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO

*Saint Kitts and Nevis, Government

Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Minister-Counselor (Deputy Chief of Mission), Charge d'Affaires ad interim
  Aubrey Eric HART
 chancery:
  Suite 608, 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
 telephone:
  (202) 833-3550
US diplomatic representation:
  no official presence since the Charge d'Affaires resides in Saint John's
  (Antigua and Barbuda)
Flag:
  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

*Saint Kitts and Nevis, Economy

Overview:
  The economy has historically depended on the growing and processing of
  sugarcane and on remittances from overseas workers. In recent years, tourism
  and export-oriented manufacturing have assumed larger roles.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $142 million (1991)
National product real growth rate:
  6.8% (1991)
National product per capita:
  $3,500 (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  4.2% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
  12.2% (1990)
Budget:
  revenues $85.7 million; expenditures $85.8 million, including capital
  expenditures of $42.4 million (1993)
Exports:
  $24.6 million (f.o.b., 1990)
 commodities:
  sugar, clothing, electronics, postage stamps
 partners:
  US 53%, UK 22%, Trinidad and Tobago 5%, OECS 5% (1988)
Imports:
  $103.2 million (f.o.b., 1990)
 commodities:
  foodstuffs, intermediate manufactures, machinery, fuels
 partners:
  US 36%, UK 17%, Trinidad and Tobago 6%, Canada 3%, Japan 3%, OECS 4% (1988)
External debt:
  $37.2 million (1990)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 11.8% (1988 est.); accounts for 11% of GDP
Electricity:
  15,800 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 1,120 kWh per capita (1992)
Industries:
  sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear,
  beverages
Agriculture:
  accounts for 7% of GDP; cash crop - sugarcane; subsistence crops - rice,
  yams, vegetables, bananas; fishing potential not fully exploited; most food
  imported
Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
Economic aid:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-88), $10.7 million; Western (non-US)
  countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $67 million
Currency:
  1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

*Saint Kitts and Nevis, Communications

Railroads:
  58 km 0.760-meter gauge on Saint Kitts for sugarcane
Highways:
  300 km total; 125 km paved, 125 km otherwise improved, 50 km unimproved
  earth
Ports:
  Basseterre (Saint Kitts), Charlestown (Nevis)
Airports:
 total:
  2
 usable:
  2
 with permanent-surface runways:
  2
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  1
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  0
Telecommunications:
  good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radio connections and international link via
  Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin; 2,400 telephones; broadcast stations -
  2 AM, no FM, 4 TV

*Saint Kitts and Nevis, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast Guard
Manpower availability:
  NA
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP