NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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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. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago |
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Geographic coordinates:
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17 20 N, 62 45 W |
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)
water: 0 sq km land: 261 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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135 km |
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin |
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Climate:
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tropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November) |
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Terrain:
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volcanic with mountainous interiors |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m |
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Natural resources:
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arable land |
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Land use:
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arable land: 16.67%
permanent crops: 2.78% other: 80.55% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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hurricanes (July to October) |
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Environment - current issues:
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NA |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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with coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat and ball, the two volcanic islands are separated by a three-km-wide channel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of long, baseball bat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its almost circular namesake island and its ball shape complements that of its sister island |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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38,763 (July 2003 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 29% (male 5,754; female 5,499)
15-64 years: 62.4% (male 12,098; female 12,105) 65 years and over: 8.5% (male 1,365; female 1,942) (2003 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 27.1 years
male: 26.3 years female: 27.9 years (2002) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.13% (2003 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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18.45 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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8.85 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-8.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 15.39 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 17.19 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 71.57 years
male: 68.76 years female: 74.56 years (2003 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.37 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)
adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian |
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Ethnic groups:
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predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese |
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Religions:
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Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic |
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Languages:
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English |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 98% (1980 est.) |