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Red
Sea Management provides Saint Kitts and Nevis offshore incorporation,
Saint Kitts and Nevis offshore asset protection and a full range of services. |
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Report on Saint
Kitts and Nevis
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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.
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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)
land: 261 sq km
water: 0 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
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental
margin
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
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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: 22%
permanent crops: 17%
permanent pastures: 3%
forests and woodland: 17%
other: 41% (1993 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; Mount Nevis sits in the center of its almost
circular namesake island and its ball shape complements that of its
sister island
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Population: |
38,756 (July 2001 est.)
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| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 29.84% (male 5,909; female 5,654)
15-64 years: 61.37% (male 11,870; female 11,915)
65 years and over: 8.79% (male 1,406; female 2,002) (2001 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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-0.11% (2001 est.)
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| Birth
rate: |
18.78 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
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| Death
rate: |
9.21 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
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| Net
migration rate: |
-10.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
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| Sex
ratio: |
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 (2001 est.)
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| Infant
mortality rate: |
16.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
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| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 71.01 years
male: 68.22 years
female: 73.97 years (2001 est.)
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| Total
fertility rate: |
2.41 children born/woman (2001 est.)
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| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA%
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| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA
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| HIV/AIDS
- deaths:
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NA
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|
Nationality: |
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: |
English
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| Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 98% (1980 est.)
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| Country
name:
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conventional long form: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
conventional short form: Saint Kitts and Nevis
former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
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Government type:
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constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament
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| Capital:
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Basseterre
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Administrative divisions:
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14 parishes; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint
George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James Windward,
Saint John Capisterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint
Paul Capisterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint
Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Palmetto Point
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|
Independence: |
19 September 1983 (from UK)
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| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
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Constitution:
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19 September 1983
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| Legal
system: |
based on English common law
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| Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Cuthbert Montraville SEBASTIAN (since
NA)
head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS (since 6
July 1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Sam CONDOR (since 6 July 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general in
consultation with the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general
is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is
usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime
minister appointed by the governor general
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|
Legislative branch: |
unicameral National Assembly (14 seats, 3 appointed and 11 popularly
elected from single-member constituencies; members serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 6 March 2000 (next to be held by July 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party
- SKNLP 8, CCM 2, NRP 1
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| Judicial
branch:
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Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of
the Supreme Court resides in Saint Kitts and Nevis)
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| Political
parties and leaders:
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Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Vance AMORY]; Nevis Reformation
Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY]; People's Action Movement or PAM [Lindsey
GRANT]; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr. Denzil
DOUGLAS]
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| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA
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International organization participation: |
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, WTrO
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Osbert W. LIBURD
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 686-2636
FAX: [1] (202) 686-5740
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the US
Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint Kitts and Nevis
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| Flag
description: |
divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band
bearing two white, five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in
yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red
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| Economy
- overview:
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The economy has traditionally depended on the growing and processing
of sugarcane; decreasing world prices have hurt the industry in recent
years. Tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking
activity have assumed larger roles. Most food is imported. The
government has undertaken a program designed to revitalize the
faltering sugar sector. It is also working to improve revenue
collection in order to better fund social programs. In 1997 some
leaders in Nevis were urging separation from Saint Kitts on the basis
that Nevis was paying far more in taxes than it was receiving in
government services, but the vote on cessation failed in August 1998.
In late September 1998, Hurricane Georges caused approximately $445
million in damages and limited GDP growth for the year.
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| GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $274 million (2000 est.)
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| GDP -
real growth rate: |
5% (2000 est.)
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| GDP - per
capita: |
purchasing power parity - $7,000 (2000 est.)
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| GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture: 5.5%
industry: 22.5%
services: 72% (1996)
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Population below poverty line: |
NA%
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| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
2.5% (2000 est.)
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| Labor
force: |
18,172 (June 1995)
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| Labor
force - by occupation: |
NA
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Unemployment rate: |
4.5% (1997)
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| Budget:
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revenues: $64.1 million
expenditures: $73.3 million, including capital expenditures of
$10.4 million (1997 est.)
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Industries: |
sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear,
beverages
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA%
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| Electricity
- production:
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90 million kWh (1999)
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| Electricity
- production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
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Electricity - consumption:
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83.7 million kWh (1999)
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| Electricity
- exports:
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0 kWh (1999)
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Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (1999)
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Agriculture - products:
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sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish
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| Exports: |
$53.2 million (2000 est.)
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| Exports -
commodities: |
machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco
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| Exports -
partners: |
US 68.5%, UK 22.3%, Caricom countries 5.5% (1995 est.)
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| Imports: |
$151.5 million (2000 est.)
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| Imports -
commodities: |
machinery, manufactures, food, fuels
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| Imports -
partners: |
US 42.4%, Caricom countries 17.2%, UK 11.3% (1995 est.)
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| Debt -
external: |
$115.1 million (1998)
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| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$5.5 million (1995)
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| Currency:
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East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
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| Currency
code: |
XCD
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| Exchange
rates:
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East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)
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| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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17,000 (1997)
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
205 (1997)
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Telephone system: |
general assessment: good interisland and international
connections
domestic: interisland links to Antigua and Barbuda and Saint
Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF
radiotelephone
international: international calls are carried by radiotelephone
to Antigua and Barbuda and switched there to submarine cable or to
Intelsat; or carried to Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands
Antilles) by radiotelephone and switched to Intelsat
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| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 3, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
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| Radios: |
28,000 (1997)
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Television broadcast stations: |
1 (plus three repeaters) (1997)
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Televisions: |
10,000 (1997)
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| Internet
country code: |
.kn
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| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
16 (2000)
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| Internet
users: |
2,000 (2000)
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| Railways:
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total: 58 km
narrow gauge: 58 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve
sugarcane plantations (1995)
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| Highways: |
total: 320 km
paved: 136 km
unpaved: 184 km (2000)
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Waterways: |
none
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| Ports and
harbors: |
Basseterre, Charlestown
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| Merchant
marine: |
none (2000 est.)
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| Airports: |
2 (2000 est.)
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| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.)
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| Military
branches: |
Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast Guard, Royal Saint
Kitts and Nevis Defense Force
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| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$NA
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| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
NA%
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| Disputes
- international: |
none
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| Illicit
drugs: |
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and
Europe
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