Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis Background

First settled by the British in 1623, the islands became an associated state with full internal autonomy in 1967. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. Saint Kitts and Nevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority needed. Nevis is once more trying to separate from the Saint Kitts.

Saint Kitts and Nevis Information

• Population: 38,836 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s) adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian
• Location:: Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
• Religions:: Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic
• Ethnic Groups:: predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese
• Land Boundaries:: 0 km
• Area: total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km) water: 0 sq km land: 261 sq km
• Coast Line: 135 km
• Climate: tropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
• Terrain: volcanic with mountainous interiors
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 19.44% permanent crops: 2.78% other: 77.78% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: NA
• Natural Resources: arable land
• Highways: total: 320 km paved: 136 km unpaved: 184 km (1999 est)
• Railways: total: 50 km narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve sugarcane plantations during harvest season (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Basseterre, Charlestown
• Airports: 2 (2003 est.)