FORMALITIES
Conventional Long Form - Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
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Capital City - Basseterre
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Date of Independence - September 19, 1983
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National Holiday - Independence Day (September 19)
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GOVERNMENT
Type of Government - Federal Parliamentary Democracy under a Constitutional Monarchy
Executive Branch
Cabinet - Cabinet appointed by governor general
Elections/ Appointments: The monarchy is hereditary, the governor general is appointed by the monarch.
Cabinet - Cabinet appointed by governor general
Elections/ Appointments: The monarchy is hereditary, the governor general is appointed by the monarch.
Legislative Branch
Unicameral National Assembly - 14 seats.
Terms - 5 year terms.
Unicameral National Assembly - 14 seats.
Terms - 5 year terms.
Judicial Branch
The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, which includes Saint Kitts and Nevis; the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; 2 High Court judges reside on Saint Kitts and Nevis.
There are also the magistrates' courts.
The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, which includes Saint Kitts and Nevis; the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; 2 High Court judges reside on Saint Kitts and Nevis.
There are also the magistrates' courts.
Suffrage - Any person who is over 18 may vote.
AMBASSADORS
The Kittian and Nevisian ambassador to the US is Ambassador Thelma Patricia Phillip-Browne; she lives at 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC. The Kittians and Nevisians have consulates in Los Angeles and New York.
The Americans don't actually have an ambassador for Saint Kitts and Nevis; instead, the US ambassador for Barbados also serves for most of the East Caribbean states; his name is Larry L. Palmer.
Delano Frank Bart is the Kittian and Nevisian representative to the UN.
PRIDE
The green of the Kittsian and Nevisian flag represents the fertility of the islands, red symbolizes the struggles of slavery, yellow is for the sunshine that is always found on the islands ,the black represents the peeps' African heritage, and the two white stars are thought to either symbolize the two islands or stand for hope and liberty.
The national symbols of Saint Kitts and Nevis are the brown pelican and the Royal Poinciana tree;
their colors are green, red, yellow, black, and white.
their colors are green, red, yellow, black, and white.
DISPUTES AND OTHER BAD STUFF
International Disputes - Saint Kitts and Nevis, along with other Caribbean states, joins forces to counter Venezuela's false claim to the Aves Island.
Drug Use - Saint Kitts and Nevis serves as a transshipment point for Latin American drugs that are going to the USA and Europe.