Saint Kitts and Nevis

Where is Saint Kitts and Nevis?

Located in the Caribbean, Saint Kitts and Nevis is an island nation. It has a 135.00 km coastline. Saint Kitts and Nevis counters Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation.

The capital of St Kitts and Nevis is Basseterre. Basseterre is one of the oldest and largest cities in the Caribbean. The capital was established in 1627 by the French, but it became the capital city of St. Kitts in 1727. The population of the capital is around 15,500. Downtown Basseterre has some of the oldest French and British pre-colonial designs. Basseterre enjoys a tropical rainforest climate with an average temperature of 27 degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature that is generally reached is 24 degrees Celsius.

Saint Kitts and Nevis is a North American country covering 261.00 km². This makes it the 8th smallest country in the world and about 10 times smaller than Rhode Island. Its geographic coordinates are 17 20 N, 62 45 W and Basseterre is the capital city.

Saint Kitts was named for Saint Christopher.

Its ISO code is KN.

Geography

Saint Kitts and Nevis has a mean elevation of 0 m above sea level.

It has a tropical climate moderated by northeast trade winds. Its terrain is volcanic with mountainous interiors.

Population

Saint Kitts and Nevis has a population of 52,329 making it the 208th largest in the world. The majority of the population lives on the periphery.

English is the official language spoken. The ethnic group majority is reported as predominately black. The majority of the country identifies as Anglican, Protestant Christian, or Roman Catholic.

St. Kitts and Nevis was a British colony until 1983, and therefore English had been adopted long before it was declared the official language by the constitution which was enacted on June 23, 1983. Although English is the official language on the Island, the majority of the locals prefer to use St. Kitts Creole. English has heavily influenced St. Kitts Creole. About 98% of the population on the Island can converse in English. The minority languages spoken on the islands include Spanish and Guyanese Creole.

The dialing code for the country is -868.

Government

Saint Kitts and Nevis is an independent country. It gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1983. Its constitution was last ratified in 1983.

The official name of the government of Saint Kitts and Nevis is the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The monarch is represented by the governor general who acts with the advice of the prime minister. The government is a constitutional monarchy and a sovereign, democratic federation. The Prime Minister, Timothy Harris, has held office since February 2015 and is the leader of the majority in parliament. He is the 3rd prime minister since independence and belongs to the People’s Labour Party. The National Assembly is comprised of fifteen members- the attorney general, eight elected members, two appointed senators, and the speaker who serves as the head of the National Assembly. The two dominant political parties are People’s Labour party and Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party. Citizens aged 18 years and above are eligible to vote in the general elections which are conducted at least every five years when the appointed representative of the monarch with the advice of the prime minister dissolves the parliament. After elections, the party that garners the most constituents is allowed to form the government. The leader of that party becomes the prime minister.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Saint Kitts and Nevis's GDP is $1,427,000,000.00 (USD) with $25,500.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 198th largest economy and its citizens the 72nd richest in the world. The currency of Saint Kitts and Nevis is the Dollar (XCD).

Its major export partners are the United States, Poland, and Bangladesh. Its main exports are machinery, food, electronics, beverages, and tobacco. Its major import partners are the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados. Its major imports include machinery, manufactures, food, and fuels.

Flag

The St. Kitts and Nevis flag has a black field in the middle with two white stars which cut through diagonally. On both sides of the flag, there are two yellow stripes. The lower part of the black field has a red triangle while the upper side has a green triangle. This flag was adopted when the island gained their independence in 1983. The green color represents the fertile land while the red color represents the struggle the nation endured to gain freedom. The black color symbolizes African heritage, and the yellow color symbolizes the sunshine with the two stars symbolizing hope and liberty for the nation. After independence, a flag competition was held in 1980, and over 258 entries were submitted. The winning design was submitted by a student called Edrice Lewis, and it was hoisted on midnight of September 19, 1983. Edrice also formulated the meaning of all the colors and symbols of the flag, which are being used to date. Saint Kitts and Nevis was part of St Christopher-Nevis Anguilla, so they used their flag up until 1983 when they created the Saint Kitts and Nevis flag.