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ST KITTS
Saint Kitts and
Nevis is an island nation in the Caribbean with a population of less than
one million.
History
Originally colonies of the United Kingdom, Saint Kitts and Nevis along with
Anguilla, became an associated state with full internal autonomy in 1967.
Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. St. Kitts and Nevis
achieved independence in 1983. In August 1998, a vote in Nevis on a
referendum to separate from St. Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority
needed. In late September 1998, Hurricane Georges caused approximately $445
million in damages and limited GDP growth for the year.
Politics
The country is an independent Commonwealth Realm with Queen Elizabeth II as
its head of state, represented in St. Kitts and Nevis by a governor general,
who acts on the advice of the prime minister and the cabinet. The prime
minister is the leader of the majority party of the house, and the cabinet
conducts affairs of state. St. Kitts and Nevis has a bicameral legislature:
an 11-member senate appointed by the governor general (mainly on the advice
of the prime minister and the leader of the opposition); and an 11-member
popularly elected house of representatives which has eight St. Kitts seats
and three Nevis seats. The prime minister and the cabinet are responsible to
the Parliament.
Parishes
There are fourteen 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
Geography
The country has two main islands, Saint Kitts and Nevis. The highest peak is
Mount Liamuiga, which tops at 1 156 m.
Economy
Saint Kitts and Nevis was the last sugar monoculture in the Eastern
Caribbean. Faced with a sugar industry that was finding it increasingly
difficult to earn a profit, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis embarked
on a program to diversify the agricultural sector and stimulate the
development of other sectors of the economy.
Demographics
As of July 2000, there were 38 819 inhabitants; their average life
expectancy was 70.73 years.
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