SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS                                                           
GEOGRAPHY                                                                       
Total area: 269 km2; land area: 269 km2                                         
                                                                                
Comparative area: slightly more than 1.5 times the size of                      
Washington, DC                                                                  
                                                                                
Land boundaries: none                                                           
                                                                                
Coastline: 135 km                                                               
Maritime claims:                                                                
                                                                                
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;                                                         
                                                                                
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;                                                
                                                                                
Territorial sea: 12 nm                                                          
                                                                                
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%                                 
                                                                                
Environment: subject to hurricanes (July to October)                            
                                                                                
Note: located 320 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico                              
                                                                                
PEOPLE                                                                          
Population: 40,293 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)                         
                                                                                
Birth rate: 24 births/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)                       
                                                                                
Infant mortality rate: 39 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)                       
                                                                                
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 71 years female (1991)                 
                                                                                
Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/woman (1991)                            
                                                                                
Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African descent                               
                                                                                
Nationality: noun--Kittsian(s), Nevisian(s); adjective--Kittsian,               
Nevisian                                                                        
                                                                                
Religion: Anglican, other Protestant sects, Roman Catholic                      
                                                                                
Language: English                                                               
                                                                                
Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 15 and over having ever                
attended school (1970)                                                          
                                                                                
Labor force: 20,000 (1981)                                                      
                                                                                
Organized labor: 6,700                                                          
                                                                                
GOVERNMENT                                                                      
Long-form name: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis                             
                                                                                
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 Capisterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint          
Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capisterre, 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)                         
                                                                                
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime                      
minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet                                        
                                                                                
Legislative branch: unicameral National 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 Michael Oliver POWELL            
(since NA)                                                                      
                                                                                
Political parties and leaders:                                                  
People's Action Movement (PAM), Kennedy SIMMONDS;                               
Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party (SKNLP), Lee MOORE;                           
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);                                             
seats--(14 total, 11 elected) PAM 6, SKNLP 2, NRP 2, CCM 1                      
                                                                                
Communists: none known                                                          
                                                                                
Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA,                  
IFAD, IMF, INTERPOL, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO        
                                                                                
Diplomatic representation: Minister-Counselor (Deputy Chief of                  
Mission), Charge d'Affaires ad interim Erstein M. EDWARDS;                      
Chancery at Suite 540, 2501 M Street NW, Washington DC 20037;                   
telephone (202) 833-3550;                                                       
                                                                                
US--none                                                                        
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                  
                                                                                
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.                                                                   
                                                                                
GDP: $146.6 million, per capita $3,195; real growth rate 2.1%                   
(1990 est.)                                                                     
                                                                                
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0 (1991 est.)                               
                                                                                
Unemployment rate: 15% (1989)                                                   
                                                                                
Budget: revenues $46.6 million; expenditures $49.1 million,                     
including capital expenditures of $7.1 million (1990)                           
                                                                                
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: $117.2 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: $26.4 million (1988)                                             
                                                                                
Industrial production: growth rate 11.8% (1988 est.); accounts                  
for 17% of GDP                                                                  
                                                                                
Electricity: 15,800 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced,                       
1,120 kWh per capita (1990)                                                     
                                                                                
Industries: sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra,                     
clothing, footwear, beverages                                                   
                                                                                
Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP; cash crop--sugarcane;                     
subsistence crops--rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fishing potential not       
fully exploited; most food imported                                             
                                                                                
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-88), $10.7                  
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments          
(1970-88), $57 million                                                          
                                                                                
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars);                              
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                                                      
                                                                                
COMMUNICATIONS                                                                  
Railroads: 58 km 0.760-meter narrow 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)                            
                                                                                
Civil air: no major transport aircraft                                          
                                                                                
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways;                  
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;                   
none with runways 1,220-2,439 m                                                 
                                                                                
Telecommunications: good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radio connections              
and international link via Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin;                
2,400 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 4 TV                                   
                                                                                
DEFENSE FORCES                                                                  
Branches: Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast Guard                 
                                                                                
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 38,090; NA fit for military                 
service                                                                         
                                                                                
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP                                           
                                                                                
