:Saint Kitts and Nevis Economy
Overview:
The economy has historically depended on the growing and processing of
sugarcane and on remittances from overseas workers. In recent years, tourism
and export-oriented manufacturing have assumed larger roles.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $146.6 million, per capita $3,650; real growth
rate 2.1% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.2% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
15% (1989)
Budget:
revenues $38.1 million; expenditures $68 million, including capital
expenditures of $31.5 million (1991)
Exports:
$24.6 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
sugar, clothing, electronics, postage stamps
partners:
US 53%, UK 22%, Trinidad and Tobago 5%, OECS 5% (1988)
Imports:
$103.2 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
foodstuffs, intermediate manufactures, machinery, fuels
partners:
US 36%, UK 17%, Trinidad and Tobago 6%, Canada 3%, Japan 3%, OECS 4% (1988)
External debt:
$26.4 million (1988)
Industrial production:
growth rate 11.8% (1988 est.); accounts for 17% of GDP
Electricity:
15,800 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 1,117 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear,
beverages
Agriculture:
cash crop - sugarcane; subsistence crops - rice, yams, vegetables, bananas;
fishing potential not fully exploited; most food imported
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-88), $10.7 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $67 million
Currency:
East Caribbean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Saint Kitts and Nevis Communications
Railroads:
58 km 0.760-meter gauge on Saint Kitts for sugarcane
Highways:
300 km total; 125 km paved, 125 km otherwise improved, 50 km unimproved
earth
Ports:
Basseterre (Saint Kitts), Charlestown (Nevis)
Civil air:
no major transport aircraft
Airports:
2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radio connections and international link via
Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin; 2,400 telephones; broadcast stations -
2 AM, no FM, 4 TV
:Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Forces
Branches:
Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast Guard
Manpower availability:
NA
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
:Saint Lucia Geography
Total area:
620 km2
Land area:
610 km2
Comparative area:
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
158 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
24 nm
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to
April, rainy season from May to August
Terrain:
volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
Natural resources:
forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal
potential
Land use:
arable land 8%; permanent crops 20%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and
woodland 13%; other 54%; includes irrigated 2%
Environment:
subject to hurricanes and volcanic activity; deforestation; soil erosion
Note:
located 700 km southeast of Puerto Rico
:Saint Lucia People
Population:
151,774 (July 1992), growth rate 1.7% (1992)
Birth rate:
26 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
18 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
70 years male, 75 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Saint Lucian(s); adjective - Saint Lucian
Ethnic divisions:
African descent 90.3%, mixed 5.5%, East Indian 3.2%, Caucasian 0.8%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3%
Languages:
English (official), French patois
Literacy:
67% (male 65%, female 69%) age 15 and over having ever attended school
(1980)
Labor force:
43,800; agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983
est.)
Organized labor:
20% of labor force