Country Profile: St Kitts and Nevis

Last reviewed: 14 January 2009

Country information

Map of St Kitts & Nevis

ST KITTS AND NEVIS TODAY

Country Facts

Area: 261 sq km; 104 sq miles
Population: 50,000
Capital City: Basseterre (15 000)
People: More than 90% of the population are of African descent. The rest is predominantly of European, or mixed European and African, descent.
Languages: English
Religion(s): Principally Anglican, with Roman Catholic and Evangelical Protestant minorities
Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) US$1.00 = 5.33 EC$2.70 Major Political Parties: St Kitts and Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP); People's Action Movement (PAM); Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM); Nevis Reformation Party (NRP).
Government: St Kitts and Nevis is a federation. Its Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II, is represented in St Kitts and Nevis by a Governor-General, who acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. . St Kitts and Nevis has a unicameral parliament: the 14 member House of Assembly comprises 11 elected members and three nominated members (two nominated on the advice of the Prime Minister and one on the advice of the leader of the opposition). Nevis has its own five seat island administration and is guaranteed representation in the House of Assembly.
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General HE Sir Cuthbert Montraville Sebastian GCMG OBE.
Prime Minister/Premier: Dr The Hon Denzil Douglas
Foreign Minister: Dr The Hon Denzil Douglas
Membership of international groupings/organisations: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WTO.

DID YOU KNOW?

People on St Kitts are called Kittitians, while on Nevis they are called Nevisians.

HEALTH

Life Expectancy: 73 years (2008)
Infant Mortality Rate:13 deaths/1,000 live births (2003)

The population enjoys almost 100% immunisation coverage, access to safe water and good sanitation. The Government has placed special emphasis on primary health care services, particularly those targeted toward the prevention of illness and the promotion of healthy lifestyle habits.

HIV/AIDS

The incidence of HIV/AIDS infection in the Caribbean is second only to that of sub-Saharan Africa. The main mode of HIV transmission in the Caribbean is unprotected heterosexual intercourse. The Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis takes the lead on HIV/AIDS and other health issues in the regional grouping, CARICOM.

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