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General Information
Area: St Kitts: 168.4 sq km (65.1 sq miles). Nevis: 93.2 sq km (36 sq miles). Total: 261.6 sq km (101.1 sq miles).
Population: 42,500 (1999).
Population Density: 157.6 per sq km.
Capital: Basseterre. Population: 12,220 (1994).
GEOGRAPHY: St Kitts (officially known as St Christopher) lies in the northern part of the Leeward Islands in the eastern Caribbean. The high central body of the island is made up of three groups of rugged volcanic peaks split by deep ravines. The vegetation on the central mountain range is rainforest, thinning higher up to dense bushy cover. From here the island’s volcanic crater, Mount Liamuiga, rises to almost 1200m (4000ft). The foothills, particularly to the north, form a gently rolling landscape of sugar-cane plantations and grassland, while uncultivated lowland slopes are covered with thick tropical woodland and exotic fruits such as papaya, mangoes, avocados, bananas and breadfruit. To the southeast of the island, a low-lying peninsula, on which there are many excellent beaches, stretches towards Nevis.
Some 3km (2 miles) to the south and only minutes away by air or ferry across The Narrows channel is the smaller island of Nevis, which is almost circular in shape. The island is skirted by miles of silver-sand beaches, golden coconut groves and a calm, turquoise sea in which great brown pelicans dive for the rich harvest of fish. The central peak of the island, Nevis Peak, is 985m (3232ft) high and its tip is usually capped with white clouds. The mountain is flanked on the north and south sides by two lesser mountains, Saddle Hill and Hurricane Hill, which once served as look-out posts for Nelson’s fleet. Hurricane Hill on the north side commands a view of St Kitts and Barbuda. On the island’s west side, massed rows of palm trees form a coconut forest. There are pleasant coral beaches on the island’s north and west coasts.
Government: Consitutional monarchy since 1983. Gained independence from the UK in 1983. Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor General Sir Cuthbert Montroville Sebastian since 1996. Head of Government: Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas since 1995.
Language: The official language is English.
Religion: Anglican and other Christian denominations.
Time: GMT - 4.
Electricity: 230 volts AC, 60Hz (110 volts available in some hotels).
Communications:
Telephone
IDD is available. Country code: 1 869. Outgoing international code: 1 (Caribbean, Canada and USA); 011 (elsewhere).
Mobile telephone
TDMA network not compatible with GSM handsets. Handsets can be hired from the network provider, C & W Caribbean Cellular (website: www.caribcell.com). Unregistered roaming is available – visitors with TDMA handsets can make calls without registering, provided they can give a credit card number.
Fax
This service is available to the public at the offices of Cable & Wireless (see below) and at some hotels.
Internet
ISPs include Caribsurf (website: www.caribsurf.com) and Cable & Wireless (website: www.candw.kn). Public access is available at many hotels and the Internet kiosk at the Cable & Wireless offices in Basseterre, St Kitts.
Telegram
Facilities are available at main hotels and at the offices of Cable & Wireless at Cayon Street, Basseterre and Main Street, Charlestown. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0700-1900, Sat 0700-1400 and 1900-2000, Sun and public holidays 0800-1000 and 1900-2000.
Post
Airmail to Western Europe takes five to seven days. Post offices are open Mon-Fri and Sat 0800-1500, Thurs 0800-1100.
Press
There are three newspapers published in English: the Democrat and the St Kitts and Nevis Observer (weekly); and the twice weekly Labour Spokesman.
BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change.
BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice):
Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov):
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
Terms and Conditions apply.
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