217 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
217 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 269 km2; land area: 269 km2
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Comparative area: slightly more than 1.5 times the size of
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Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 135 km
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Maritime claims:
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Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: subtropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little
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seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
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Terrain: volcanic with mountainous interiors
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Natural resources: negligible
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Land use: arable land 22%; permanent crops 17%; meadows and
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pastures 3%; forest and woodland 17%; other 41%
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Environment: subject to hurricanes (July to October)
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Note: located 320 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico
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PEOPLE
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Population: 40,293 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
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Birth rate: 24 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 39 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 71 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/woman (1991)
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Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African descent
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Nationality: noun--Kittsian(s), Nevisian(s); adjective--Kittsian,
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Nevisian
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Religion: Anglican, other Protestant sects, Roman Catholic
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Language: English
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Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 15 and over having ever
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attended school (1970)
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Labor force: 20,000 (1981)
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Organized labor: 6,700
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
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Type: constitutional monarchy
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Capital: Basseterre
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Administrative divisions: 14 parishs; Christ Church Nichola Town,
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Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland,
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Saint James Windward, Saint John Capisterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint
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Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capisterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter
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Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity
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Palmetto Point
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Independence: 19 September 1983 (from UK)
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Constitution: 19 September 1983
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Legal system: based on English common law
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National holiday: Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
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Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime
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minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
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Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
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Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
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represented by Governor General Sir Clement Athelston ARRINDELL (since
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19 September 1983, previously Governor General of the Associated State
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since NA November 1981);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Kennedy Alphonse SIMMONDS
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(since 19 September 1983, previously Premier of the Associated State
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since NA February 1980); Deputy Prime Minister Michael Oliver POWELL
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(since NA)
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Political parties and leaders:
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People's Action Movement (PAM), Kennedy SIMMONDS;
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Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party (SKNLP), Lee MOORE;
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Nevis Reformation Party (NRP), Simeon DANIEL;
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Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), Vance AMORY
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Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
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Elections:
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House of Assembly--last held 21 March 1989
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(next to be held by 21 March 1994);
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seats--(14 total, 11 elected) PAM 6, SKNLP 2, NRP 2, CCM 1
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Communists: none known
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Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA,
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IFAD, IMF, INTERPOL, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO
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Diplomatic representation: Minister-Counselor (Deputy Chief of
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Mission), Charge d'Affaires ad interim Erstein M. EDWARDS;
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Chancery at Suite 540, 2501 M Street NW, Washington DC 20037;
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telephone (202) 833-3550;
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US--none
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Flag: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black
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band bearing two white five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in
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yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red
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ECONOMY
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Overview: The economy has historically depended on the growing and
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processing of sugarcane and on remittances from overseas workers. In
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recent years, tourism and export-oriented manufacturing have assumed
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larger roles.
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GDP: $146.6 million, per capita $3,195; real growth rate 2.1%
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(1990 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0 (1991 est.)
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Unemployment rate: 15% (1989)
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Budget: revenues $46.6 million; expenditures $49.1 million,
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including capital expenditures of $7.1 million (1990)
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Exports: $24.6 million (f.o.b., 1990);
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commodities--sugar, clothing, electronics, postage stamps;
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partners--US 53%, UK 22%, Trinidad and Tobago 5%, OECS 5% (1988)
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Imports: $117.2 million (f.o.b., 1990);
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commodities--foodstuffs, intermediate manufactures, machinery,
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fuels;
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partners--US 36%, UK 17%, Trinidad and Tobago 6%, Canada 3%,
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Japan 3%, OECS 4% (1988)
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External debt: $26.4 million (1988)
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Industrial production: growth rate 11.8% (1988 est.); accounts
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for 17% of GDP
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Electricity: 15,800 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced,
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1,120 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra,
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clothing, footwear, beverages
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Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP; cash crop--sugarcane;
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subsistence crops--rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fishing potential not
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fully exploited; most food imported
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-88), $10.7
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $57 million
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Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars);
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1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
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Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed
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rate since 1976)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 58 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge on Saint Kitts for
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sugarcane
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Highways: 300 km total; 125 km paved, 125 km otherwise improved,
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50 km unimproved earth
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Ports: Basseterre (Saint Kitts), Charlestown (Nevis)
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Civil air: no major transport aircraft
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Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
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none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radio connections
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and international link via Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin;
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2,400 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 4 TV
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast Guard
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 38,090; NA fit for military
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service
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Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
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