St Kitts and Nevis vegetables and coconuts, has a large coconut KEY FACTS forest on the west side. Forest covers 42 per Joined Commonwealth: 1983 cent of the total land area of St Kitts and Population: 54,000 (2013) Nevis and there was no significant loss of GDP p.c. growth: 1.6% p.a. 1990–2013 forest cover during 1990–2012. UN HDI 2014: World ranking 73 Wildlife: Before the arrival of Europeans the only land-animals were small rodents and Official language: English reptiles. The French introduced the green Time: GMT minus 4 hrs vervet monkey to the islands, and mongooses Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$) and deer later followed. Birdlife includes pelicans and frigate birds on the coast, hummingbirds in the forested areas and Geography quails and pigeons in the mountains. Area: 261.6 sq km Main towns: Basseterre (capital, pop. Coastline: 135 km 13,400 in 2010), St Paul’s (1,300), Sadlers Capital: Basseterre (1,000), Middle Island (900), Tabernacle The two-island country of St Kitts and Nevis (840), Mansion (830), Cayon (810) and Sandy Religion: Mainly Christians (Anglicans, lies in the northern part of the Leeward Point (790) on St Kitts; Charlestown (2,200) Methodists, Roman Catholics, Moravians and Islands group of the Lesser Antilles in the on Nevis. others). Eastern Caribbean. The two islands are Transport: There are good road networks on Health: Public spending on health was two separated by a channel some 3 km in width. St Kitts and Nevis, 43 per cent paved. A per cent of GDP in 2012. There are general Area: Total land area 261.6 sq km – St Kitts regular passenger ferry service operates hospitals at Basseterre in St Kitts and 168.4 sq km and Nevis 93.2 sq km. between Basseterre and Charlestown, taking Charlestown in Nevis, and many health 40 minutes. Basseterre has a deep-water clinics. Some 98 per cent of the population Topography: The country consists of two port, with berthing facilities for cruiseships uses an improved drinking water source mountainous islands of volcanic origin in the and cargo vessels. There is a smaller port at (2012). Infant mortality was eight per 1,000 Eastern Caribbean. The larger island, St Kitts, Sandy Point. Nevis has a 126-metre pier at live births in 2013. is 37 km long, with a central mountain range Charlestown. There is also a smaller port at broken by ravines and a spacious fertile valley Education: There are 12 years of compulsory Newcastle. running down to the capital Basseterre. The education starting at the age of five, offered highest point is Mount Liamuiga (1,156 The Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw International by state, private and church schools. Primary metres). The beaches are mostly of black Airport at Golden Rock, St Kitts (3 km from school comprises seven years and secondary volcanic sand except for the south-eastern Basseterre), receives direct flights from the five, with cycles of three and two years. peninsula, which has beaches of golden USA and Canada, while flights to other Some 74 per cent of pupils complete primary school (2009). The school year starts in sand. The almost circular island of Nevis to continents generally go via Antigua. The September. the south-east has beaches of silver sand and Nevis airfield is at Newcastle. coconut groves, and rises to a central peak St Kitts and Nevis participates in the regional (Mount Nevis, 985 metres) which is usually University of the West Indies, which has its capped with white clouds. Society main campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, and KEY FACTS 2013 Trinidad and Tobago. The female–male ratio Climate: Tropical, cooled by the north-east Population per sq km: 206 for gross enrolment in tertiary education is trade winds. There is no distinct rainy season. 2.10:1 (2008). The heat is not searing; the highest recorded Life expectancy: 75 years (est.) temperature is 33°C. Hurricanes may occur Net primary enrolment: 81% (2012) Media: The main political parties publish June–November. newspapers. Newspapers include Sun St Population: 54,000 (2013); some 12,000 on Kitts /Nevis (daily), The Democrat (weekly of Vegetation: The lower mountain slopes of St Nevis; 32 per cent of people live in urban People’s Action Movement), The Labour Kitts, particularly to the north, are arable and areas; growth 1.2 per cent p.a. 1990–2013; Spokesman (bi-weekly of St Kitts-Nevis Trades used for growing sugar cane. Uncultivated birth rate 14 per 1,000 people (est. 26 in and Labour Union), and St Kitts and Nevis lowland slopes are covered in tropical 1970); life expectancy 75 years (est.) Observer (weekly). woodland and exotic fruits. The higher slopes The population is mainly of mixed African provide short grass for pasturage. Tropical The government provides national and European descent, with a UK-descended rainforest or dense bushy cover occurs on the commercial radio and TV services, ZIZ Radio minority. central range; unusually, the forested area is and ZIZ Television; and there are several increasing in size. Nevis, where much of the Language: English is the official language; private radio stations, and private TV land is cultivated by peasant farmers growing an English-based Creole is widely spoken. channels are available via cable. THE COMMONWEALTH YEARBOOK 2015 St Kitts and Nevis Communications: Country code 1 869; cent in 2010. After a pause in 2011–12, Real growth in GDP internet domain ‘.kn’. Mobile phone good growth returned from 2013, continuing % coverage extends over most of both islands. 5 into 2015. There are internet cafes in the main towns 4 3 and a general post office on both St Kitts 2 (located in Basseterre) and Nevis (in History 1 The islands were originally settled from South Charlestown). 0 Americag, and had A merindian populations at For every 1,000 people there are 354 -1 the time of th e first European landings. St -2 landlines, 1,421 mobile phone subscriptions Christopher ( St Kit ts) was sighted by and 800 internet users (2013). -3 -4 Christopher Columbus on his second voyage Public holidays: New Year/Carnival -5 in 1493. It was colonised by the English (two/three days), Labour Day (first Monday in -6 under Sir Thomas Warner in 1623 and during 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 May), August Monday (first Monday in the following centuries sugar was grown on August), August Tuesday (first Tuesday in plantations worked by enslaved Africans. August), National Heroes’ Day (16 September), Inflation Already in 1624, however, another part of Independence Day (19 September), Christmas % 8 the island was colonised by the French (who Day and Boxing Day. Carnival begins on 24 7 also used slaves on their estates) and the two December and ends on 2 January. powers fought over the island during the 6 17th and 18th centuries until St Kitts was Religious festivals whose dates vary from year 5 ceded to Britain by the Treaty of Versailles to year include Good Friday, Easter Monday 4 (1783). Nevis was settled by the English in and Whit Monday. 3 1628. It, too, was subject to attack, from the French and Spanish, in the 17th and 18th 2 Economy centuries, with less damage, however, to its KEY FACTS 2013 1 economy. From 1816 the islands were 0 administered, along with Anguilla and the GNI: US$724m 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 British Virgin Islands, as a single colony and GNI p.c.: US$13,460 from 1871 as part of the Leeward Islands GDP growth: -0.9% p.a. 2009–13 GDP by sector (2013) Federation. Inflation: 2.3% p.a. 2009–13 The two islands, together with Anguilla, Agriculture assumed the status of association with the St Kitts and Nevis was virtually a sugar 1.6% monocrop economy until the late 1970s, UK in 1967, a situation which the Anguillans Industry when the government backed a drive into rejected from the outset, with rebellion 24.5% small-scale industrialisation. Tourism has beginning in 1967. In 1971, the UK and the become the largest source of foreign Services other islands agreed that Anguilla would 73.9% exchange. From 1984 a small offshore sector formally separate and remain a UK on Nevis grew rapidly, with around 18,000 dependency when the country achieved its independence. companies registered by 1999, and in 2005 Foreign debt rose rapidly from the mid- St Kitts established a registry of ships and 1990s, in large measure due to the The country, as the Federation of St yachts, which had registered 530 vessels in consequences of five hurricanes in five years. Christopher and Nevis, had internal self- 2014. The Ross University School of After strong growth in 2000, the economy government from 1976, and achieved Veterinary Medicine of the USA has an hardly grew in 2001–03, reflecting the independence on 19 September 1983, offshore campus on St Kitts. downturn in the USA and consequent fall in choosing to remain a constitutional monarchy Despite the challenges of industrial tourism, but there was investment in new with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. diversification at such small scale, electronics tourist resorts and golf courses, and the The St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) held assembly, food-processing, and beverages economy picked up in 2004. It then power from 1967 until defeat in 1980 by a and clothing production were developed. By maintained growth of five per cent p.a. over coalition of the People’s Action Movement 2000 sugar production only accounted for 2004–08, slowing from 2008 with the onset (PAM) and Nevis Reformation Party (NRP), some 20 per cent of GDP and by 2005 it had of the world economic downturn in that year, and PAM’s Dr Kennedy Alphonse Simmonds ceased altogether.