Sweden (2006) | Saint Kitts and Nevis (2005) | |
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Administrative divisions | 21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarnas, Gavleborgs, Gotlands, Hallands, Jamtlands, Jonkopings, Kalmar, Kronobergs, Norrbottens, Orebro, Ostergotlands, Skane, Sodermanlands, Stockholms, Uppsala, Varmlands, Vasterbottens, Vasternorrlands, Vastmanlands, Vastra Gotalands | 14 parishes; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James Windward, Saint John Capesterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capesterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Palmetto Point |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 16.7% (male 775,433/female 732,773)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 3,001,928/female 2,918,242) 65 years and over: 17.6% (male 689,756/female 898,464) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 28% (male 5,586/female 5,330)
15-64 years: 63.7% (male 12,424/female 12,403) 65 years and over: 8.3% (male 1,328/female 1,887) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | barley, wheat, sugar beets; meat, milk | sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish |
Airports | 255 (2006) | 2 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 155
over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 80 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 36 (2006) |
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 100
914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 91 (2006) |
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Area | total: 449,964 sq km
land: 410,934 sq km water: 39,030 sq km |
total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)
land: 261 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than California | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in 2000-02 by the global economic downturn, but fiscal discipline over the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic vagaries. Indecision over the country's role in the political and economic integration of Europe delayed Sweden's entry into the EU until 1995, and waived the introduction of the euro in 1999. | 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. Nevis is once more trying to separate from the Saint Kitts. |
Birth rate | 10.27 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 18.12 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $210.5 billion
expenditures: $205.9 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
revenues: $89.7 million
expenditures: $128.2 million, including capital expenditures of $19.5 million (2003 est.) |
Capital | name: Stockholm
geographic coordinates: 59 20 N, 18 03 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Basseterre |
Climate | temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north | tropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November) |
Coastline | 3,218 km | 135 km |
Constitution | 1 January 1975 | 19 September 1983 |
Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
conventional short form: Sweden local long form: Konungariket Sverige local short form: Sverige |
conventional long form: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
conventional short form: Saint Kitts and Nevis former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis |
Death rate | 10.31 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 8.47 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $516.1 billion (30 June 2005) | $171 million (2001) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Michael M. WOOD
embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds VAG 31, SE-11589 Stockholm mailing address: American Embassy Stockholm, US Department of State, 5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750 (pouch) telephone: [46] (08) 783 53 00 FAX: [46] (08) 661 19 64 |
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Gunnar LUND
chancery: 902 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 467-2600 FAX: [1] (202) 467-2699 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York |
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Izben Cordinal WILLIAMS
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 686-2636 FAX: [1] (202) 686-5740 consulate(s) general: New York |
Disputes - international | none | joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea |
Economic aid - donor | ODA, $1.7 billion (1997) | - |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $8 million (2001) |
Economy - overview | Aided by peace and neutrality for the whole of the 20th century, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. Agriculture accounts for only 2% of GDP and of jobs. The government's commitment to fiscal discipline resulted in a substantial budgetary surplus in 2001, which was cut by more than half in 2002, due to the global economic slowdown, declining revenue, and increased spending. The Swedish central bank (the Riksbank) focuses on price stability with its inflation target of 2%. Growth remained sluggish in 2003, but picked up in 2004 and 2005. Presumably because of generous sick-leave benefits, Swedish workers report in sick more often than other Europeans. In September 2003, Swedish voters turned down entry into the euro system, concerned about the impact on democracy and sovereignty. | 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. Tourism revenues are now the chief source of the islands' foreign exchange. The opening of a 470-room resort in February 2003 was expected to bring in much-needed revenue. |
Electricity - consumption | 131.8 billion kWh (2003) | 98.44 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 11.5 billion kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 24.3 billion kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 127.9 billion kWh (2003) | 105.8 million kWh (2002) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.41 m
highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m |
Environment - current issues | acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea | NA |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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 |
Ethnic groups | indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks | predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese |
Exchange rates | Swedish kronor per US dollar - 7.4731 (2005), 7.3489 (2004), 8.0863 (2003), 9.7371 (2002), 10.3291 (2001) | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000) |
Executive branch | chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the monarch (born 14 July 1977)
head of government: Prime Minister Fredrik REINFELDT (since 5 October 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by the parliament; election last held 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010) election results: Fredrik REINFELDT elected prime minister with 175 out of 349 votes |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Cuthbert Montraville SEBASTIAN (since 1 January 1996)
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 |
Exports | 203,700 bbl/day (2001) | NA |
Exports - commodities | machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals | machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco |
Exports - partners | US 10.6%, Germany 10.2%, Norway 8.7%, UK 7.3%, Denmark 6.5%, Finland 5.7%, France 4.9%, Netherlands 4.5%, Belgium 4.3% (2005) | US 57.5%, Canada 9%, Portugal 8.3%, UK 6.7% (2004) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) | 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 |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1.1%
industry: 28.2% services: 70.7% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: 3.5%
industry: 25.8% services: 70.7% (2001) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $8,800 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.7% (2005 est.) | -1.9% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 62 00 N, 15 00 E | 17 20 N, 62 45 W |
Geography - note | strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas | 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; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its almost circular namesake island and its ball shape complements that of its sister island |
Heliports | 2 (2006) | - |
Highways | - | total: 320 km
paved: 136 km unpaved: 184 km (1999 est) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3.7%
highest 10%: 20.1% (1992) |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; some money-laundering activity |
Imports | 553,100 bbl/day (2001) | NA |
Imports - commodities | machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing | machinery, manufactures, food, fuels |
Imports - partners | Germany 17.5%, Denmark 8.9%, Norway 7.8%, UK 6.6%, Netherlands 6.2%, Finland 5.8%, France 5% (2005) | Ukraine 44.7%, US 22.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 8.8%, UK 6.2% (2004) |
Independence | 6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king) | 19 September 1983 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 1.6% (2005 est.) | NA% |
Industries | iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles | sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages |
Infant mortality rate | total: 2.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 2.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
total: 14.49 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 16.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 0.5% (2005 est.) | 1.7% (2001 est.) |
International organization participation | AfDB, Arctic Council, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 6, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, MIGA, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 1,150 sq km (2003) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Hogsta Domstolen (judges are appointed by the prime minister and the cabinet) | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Kitts and Nevis) |
Labor force | 4.49 million (2005 est.) | 18,170 (June 1995) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 2%
industry: 24% services: 74% (2000 est.) |
NA |
Land boundaries | total: 2,233 km
border countries: Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 5.93%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 94.06% (2005) |
arable land: 19.44%
permanent crops: 2.78% other: 77.78% (2001) |
Languages | Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities | English |
Legal system | civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | based on English common law |
Legislative branch | unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 September 2006 (next to be held September 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 37.2%, Moderates 27.8%, Center Party 8.3%, People's Party 8.0%, Christian Democrats 6.9%, Left Party 6.3%, Greens 5.4%; seats by party - Social Democrats 130, Moderates 97, Center Party 29, People's Party 28, Christian Democrats 24, Left Party 22, Greens 19 |
unicameral National Assembly (14 seats, 3 appointed and 11 popularly elected from single-member constituencies; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 25 October 2004 (next to be held by 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SKNLP 7, CCM 2, NRP 1, PAM 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 80.51 years
male: 78.29 years female: 82.87 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 72.15 years
male: 69.31 years female: 75.16 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 98% (1980 est.) |
Location | Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway | Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago |
Map references | Europe | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion of straits to high seas)
exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
Merchant marine | total: 198 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,703,834 GRT/2,382,754 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 28, chemical tanker 47, container 5, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 36, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 31, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 21 foreign-owned: 37 (Belgium 2, Denmark 4, Finland 11, Germany 3, Italy 7, Japan 2, Norway 7, US 1) registered in other countries: 161 (Bahamas 6, Bermuda 14, Cayman Islands 9, Cook Islands 3, Cyprus 3, Denmark 1, France 2, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 9, Gibraltar 5, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 8, Malta 3, Netherlands 26, Netherlands Antilles 5, Norway 28, Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 12, UK 15, US 5) (2006) |
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Military branches | Swedish Armed Forces (Forsvarsmakten): Army (Armen), Royal Swedish Navy (Marinen), Swedish Air Force (Svenska Flygvapnet) (2006) | Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (includes Coast Guard), Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $5.51 billion (2005 est.) | NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.5% (2005 est.) | NA |
National holiday | Flag Day, 6 June | Independence Day, 19 September (1983) |
Nationality | noun: Swede(s)
adjective: Swedish |
noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)
adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian |
Natural hazards | ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic | hurricanes (July to October) |
Natural resources | iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower | arable land |
Net migration rate | 1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | -5.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 798 km (2006) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Center Party [Maud OLOFSSON]; Christian Democratic Party [Goran HAGGLUND]; Environment Party the Greens [no formal leader but party spokespersons are Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON]; Left Party or V (formerly Communist) [Lars OHLY]; Moderate Party (conservative) [Fredrik REINFELDT]; People's Party [Lars LEIJONBORG]; Social Democratic Party [Goran PERSSON] | 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] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 9,016,596 (July 2006 est.) | 38,958 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.16% (2006 est.) | 0.38% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Basseterre, Charlestown |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 265, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Railways | total: 11,481 km
standard gauge: 11,481 km 1.435-m gauge (9,400 km electrified) (2005) |
total: 50 km
narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve sugarcane plantations during harvest season (2003) |
Religions | Lutheran 87%, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist | Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: excellent domestic and international facilities; automatic system
domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some additional telephone channels international: country code - 46; 5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway) |
general assessment: good interisland and international connections
domestic: inter-island links via Eastern Caribbean Fiber Optic cable; construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched in November 2004 international: country code - 1-869; international calls are carried by submarine cable or Intelsat |
Telephones - main lines in use | 6.447 million (2004) | 23,500 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 8.436 million (2005) | 5,000 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 169 (plus 1,299 repeaters) (1995) | 1 (plus three repeaters) (2004) |
Terrain | mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west | volcanic with mountainous interiors |
Total fertility rate | 1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 2.33 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 5.8% (2005 est.) | 4.5% (1997) |
Waterways | 2,052 km (2005) | - |