Saint Kitts and Nevis

Background: 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.
Location: Location: Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago. Area: Total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km). Area - comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC. Coastline: 135 km.
Climate and Terrain: Climate: Tropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November). Terrain: Volcanic with mountainous interiors.
People: Population: 38,763. Ethnic groups: Predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese. Religions: Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic. Languages: English.
Government: Government type: Constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament. Capital: Basseterre Independence: 19 September 1983 (from UK).
Economy overview: Sugar was the traditional mainstay of the Saint Kitts economy until the 1970s. Although the crop still dominates the agricultural sector, activities such as tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking have assumed larger roles in the economy. As tourism revenues are now the chief source of the islands' foreign exchange, a decline in stopover tourist arrivals following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks has eroded government finances. The opening of a 1,000+ bed Marriott hotel in February 2003 is expected to bring in much-needed revenue. Agriculture - products: Sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish .
Statistics: Telephones - main lines in use: 17,000. Telephones - mobile cellular: 205. Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 1. Radios: 28,000.(1997) Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus three repeaters). Televisions: 10,000. Internet users: 2,000. Railways: Total: 50 km narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve sugarcane plantations during harvest season. Highways: Total: 320 km, paved: 136 km, unpaved: 184 km. Airports - with paved runways: 2.