| Saint Lucia |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Saint Lucia | Introduction | Top of Page

Background: | The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.

Saint Lucia | Geography | Top of Page

Location: | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates: | 13 53 N, 60 68 W

Map references: | Central America and the Caribbean

Area: | total: 620 sq km land: 610 sq km water: 10 sq km

Area - comparative: | 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: | 0 km

Coastline: | 158 km

Maritime claims: | contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: | tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August

Terrain: | volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys

Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m

Natural resources: | forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential

Land use: | arable land: 8% permanent crops: 21% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 13% other: 53% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: | 10 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: | hurricanes and volcanic activity

Environment - current issues: | deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region

Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Saint Lucia | People | Top of Page

Population: | 158,178 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 32.13% (male 25,951; female 24,874) 15-64 years: 62.59% (male 48,568; female 50,430) 65 years and over: 5.28% (male 3,120; female 5,235) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 1.23% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 21.8 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 5.36 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | -4.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 15.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 72.57 years male: 69 years female: 76.39 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 2.38 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA

Nationality: | noun: Saint Lucian(s) adjective: Saint Lucian

Ethnic groups: | black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1%

Religions: | Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3%

Languages: | English (official), French patois

Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 67% male: 65% female: 69% (1980 est.)

Saint Lucia | Government | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Lucia

Government type: | Westminster-style parliamentary democracy

Capital: | Castries

Administrative divisions: | 11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux Fort

Independence: | 22 February 1979 (from UK)

National holiday: | Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

Constitution: | 22 February 1979

Legal system: | based on English common law

Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dr. Perlette LOUISY (since September 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Kenneth ANTHONY (since 24 May 1997) and Deputy Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of 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

Legislative branch: | bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; six members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and two after consultation with religious, economic, and social groups) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Assembly - last held 23 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SLP 16, UWP 1

Judicial branch: | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (jurisdiction extends to Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

Political parties and leaders: | National Freedom Party or NFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; United Workers Party or UWP [Dr. Morella JOSEPH]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA

International organization participation: | ACCT (associate), ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6728 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia

Flag description: | blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border

Saint Lucia | Economy | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | The recent changes in the EU import preference regime and the increased competition from Latin American bananas have made economic diversification increasingly important in Saint Lucia. Improvement in the construction sector and growth of the tourism industry helped expand GDP in 1998-99. The agriculture sector registered its fifth year of decline in 1997 primarily because of a severe decline in banana production. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean, and the government is beginning to develop regulations for the small offshore financial sector.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $700 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | 0.5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 10.7% industry: 32.3% services: 57% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.5% (2000 est.)

Labor force: | 43,800

Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.)

Unemployment rate: | 15% (1996 est.)

Budget: | revenues: $141.2 million expenditures: $146.7 million, including capital expenditures of $25.1 million (FY97/98 est.)

Industries: | clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing

Industrial production growth rate: | -8.9% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production: | 110 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 102.3 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: | bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa

Exports: | $68.3 million (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: | bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil

Exports - partners: | UK 50%, US 24%, Caricom countries 16% (1995)

Imports: | $319.4 million (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: | food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels

Imports - partners: | US 36%, Caricom countries 22%, UK 11%, Japan 5%, Canada 4% (1995)

Debt - external: | $131.6 million (1998)

Economic aid - recipient: | $51.8 million (1995)

Currency: | East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code: | XCD

Exchange rates: | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Fiscal year: | 1 April - 31 March

Saint Lucia | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 37,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 1,600 (1997)

Telephone system: | general assessment: adequate system domestic: system is automatically switched international: direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados; international calls beyond these countries are carried by Intelsat from Martinique

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2, FM 7 (plus 3 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: | 111,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 3 (of which two are commercial stations and one is a community antenna television or CATV channel) (1997)

Televisions: | 32,000 (1997)

Internet country code: | .lc

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 15 (2000)

Internet users: | 5,000 (2000)

Saint Lucia | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | 0 km

Highways: | total: 1,210 km paved: 63 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1996)

Waterways: | none

Ports and harbors: | Castries, Vieux Fort

Merchant marine: | none (2000 est.)

Airports: | 2 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Saint Lucia | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit), Coast Guard

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $5 million (FY91/92)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2% (FY91/92)

Saint Lucia | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | none

Illicit drugs: | transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe