St Kitts and Nevis

Location

• Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
• smallest country in the Western Hemisphere in terms of both area and population; the two volcanic islands are separated by a 3-km-wide (9-mi-wide) channel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of baseball-bat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its ball-shaped namesake island

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Basseterre	12,920	Capital

Size

• 101 square miles
• 261 square kilometers
• 1.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

History

Carib Indians occupied the islands of the West Indies for hundreds of years before the British and French began settlement in 1623. During the 17th century, Saint Kitts became the premier base for British 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 necessary two-thirds majority.

Climate

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

Terrain

volcanic with mountainous interiors

Languages

English (official)

Religions

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.)

Government

federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

• Constitution: history: several previous (pre-independence); latest presented 22 June 1983, effective 23 June 1983amendment process: 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
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: English common law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Marcella LIBURD (since 1 February 2023)head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Terrance DREW (since 6 August 2022)cabinet: Cabinet appointed by governor general in consultation with prime ministerelection/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the governor general usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister; deputy prime minister also appointed by governor general
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC is headquartered on St. Lucia and 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 travels to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; member of the Caribbean Court of Justicejudge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the British monarch; 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 62subordinate courts: magistrates' courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: National Assemblylegislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 16 (11 directly elected; 4 appointed)electoral system: plurality/majorityscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 5 yearsmost recent election date: 8/5/2022parties elected and seats per party: St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) (6); Concerned Citizens' Movement (CCM) (3); Peoples Labour Party (PLP) (1); People's Action Movement (PAM) (1)percentage of women in chamber: 31.3%expected date of next election: October 2027

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• high-income, tourism-based Caribbean OECS economy; better debt balancing; CARICOM and ECCU member; growing offshore financial and telecommunications hub; environmentally fragile; unique citizenship-driven growth model
• Budget: revenues: $262 million (2020 est.)expenditures: $281.889 million (2020 est.)note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: arable land
• Industries: tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages
• Agricultural Products: coconuts, tropical fruits, root vegetables, vegetables, eggs, pulses, sweet potatoes, watermelons, cucumbers/gherkins, tomatoes (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 23.1% (2022 est.)arable land: 19.2% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 0.4% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 3.5% (2022 est.)forest: 42.3% (2022 est.)other: 34.6% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: refined petroleum, ships, cars, jewelry, poultry (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: USA 50%, Italy 11%, China 8%, Japan 2%, UK 2% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: ships, measuring instruments, beer, electrical transformers, electrical control boards (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: Malta 49%, USA 21%, Turkey 7%, St. Vincent & the Grenadines 5%, Guyana 3% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports