Saint Kitts and Nevis

Carib Indians occupied the islands of the West Indies for hundreds of years before the British and French began settlement in 1623. During the 17th century, Saint Kitts became the premier base for British and French expansion into the Caribbean. The French ceded the territory to the UK in 1713. At the turn of the 18th century, Saint Kitts was the richest British Crown Colony per capita in the Caribbean, a result of the sugar trade. Although small in size and separated by only 3 km (2 mi) of water, Saint Kitts and Nevis were viewed and governed as different states until the late-19th century, when the British forcibly unified them along with the island of Anguilla. In 1967, the island territory of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla became an associated state of the UK with full internal autonomy. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. The remaining islands achieved independence in 1983 as Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 1998, a referendum on Nevis to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the necessary two-thirds majority.

Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago

17 20 N, 62 45 W

Central America and the Caribbean

1.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

135 km

tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

volcanic with mountainous interiors

arable land

8 sq km (2012)

population clusters are found in the small towns located on the periphery of both islands

hurricanes (July to October) <br><br><strong>volcanism:</strong> Mount Liamuiga (1,156 m) on Saint Kitts and Nevis Peak (985 m) on Nevis are part of the volcanic-island arc of the Lesser Antilles, which extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south

smallest country in the Western Hemisphere in terms of both area and population; the two volcanic islands are separated by a 3-km-wide (9-mi-wide) channel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of baseball-bat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its ball-shaped namesake island

African descent 92.5%, mixed 3%, White 2.1%, East Indian 1.5%, other 0.6%, unspecified 0.3% (2001 est.)

English (official)

0.53% (2025 est.)

11.58 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

7.43 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

1.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

population clusters are found in the small towns located on the periphery of both islands

14,000 BASSETERRE (capital) (2018)

74 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

1.76 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.87 (2025 est.)

3.09 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

4.3 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

22.9% (2016)

deforestation; soil erosion and silting affects marine life on coral reefs; water pollution from uncontrolled dumping of sewage

tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

24 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

14 parishes; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James Windward, Saint John Capesterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capesterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Palmetto Point

English common law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM<br>Nevis Reformation Party or NRP<br>People's Action Movement or PAM<br>People's Labour Party or PLP<br>Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP

ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

19 September 1983 (from the UK)

Independence Day, 19 September (1983)

<strong>description:</strong> divided diagonally from the lower left side by a broad black band with two five-pointed white stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, and the lower is red<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> green stands for the island's fertility, red for the struggles of the people from slavery, yellow for year-round sunshine, and black for the people's African heritage; the white stars stand for the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis but can also express hope and liberty, or independence and optimism

brown pelican, royal poinciana (flamboyant) tree

green, yellow, red, black, white

the coat of arms of Saint Kitts and Nevis features a Carib who represents the original inhabitants of the islands, and a fleur-de-lis and rose that represent the French and English who arrived in the 1620; the shield also features the poinciana (the national flower) and a traditional boat; three hands hold the torch, which represents the quest for freedom: the hand of an African, a European, and a person of mixed ethnicity; pelicans (the national bird) support the shield, with a sugarcane plant and a coconut tree that symbolize the land

high-income, tourism-based Caribbean OECS economy; better debt balancing; CARICOM and ECCU member; growing offshore financial and telecommunications hub; environmentally fragile; unique citizenship-driven growth model

$1.067 billion (2024 est.)

coconuts, tropical fruits, root vegetables, vegetables, eggs, pulses, sweet potatoes, watermelons, cucumbers/gherkins, tomatoes (2023)

tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages

-2.7% (2024 est.)

15% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Malta 49%, USA 21%, Turkey 7%, St. Vincent &amp; the Grenadines 5%, Guyana 3% (2023)

ships, measuring instruments, beer, electrical transformers, electrical control boards (2023)

USA 50%, Italy 11%, China 8%, Japan 2%, UK 2% (2023)

refined petroleum, ships, cars, jewelry, poultry (2023)

national state-operated TV network that broadcasts on 2 channels; cable subscription available for local and international channels; national state-operated radio network; mix of state-owned and privately owned broadcasters with about 15 radio stations (2019)

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V4

2 (2025)

1 (2025)

St. Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (SKNDF); Regular Force, Coast Guard Force (SKNDF Coast Guard), Reserve Force, Cadet Force<br><br>Ministry of National Security: the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (2025)

estimated 200 active Defense Forces (2024)

the SKNDF is lightly armed with equipment from Belgium, the UK, and the US (2025)

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (under 18 with written parental permission); no conscription (2025)

SKNDF's missions include protecting the country's territorial integrity, assisting the police in combating the illegal narcotic trade and other crimes, and providing humanitarian and disaster relief assistance; the force also has a regional role through the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS); St. Kitts joined the RSS in 1984; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2025)