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| Saint Lucia |

Introduction | Saint Lucia

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.

Geography | Saint Lucia

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: 616 sq km water: 10 sq km land: 606 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 territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
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: 4.92% permanent crops: 22.95% other: 72.13% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: | 30 sq km (1998 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
Geography - note: | the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean

People | Saint Lucia

Population: | 162,157 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 31.1% (male 25,883; female 24,569) 15-64 years: 63.7% (male 50,711; female 52,508) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 3,147; female 5,339) (2003 est.)
Median age: | total: 24.1 years male: 23.3 years female: 24.9 years (2002)
Population growth rate: | 1.25% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: | 20.93 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: | 5.24 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: | -3.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 14.37 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 15.51 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 73.08 years male: 69.52 years female: 76.9 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 2.29 children born/woman (2003 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%, Anglican 3%, other Protestant 7%
Languages: | English (official), French patois
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 67% male: 65% female: 69% (1980 est.)

Government | Saint Lucia

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) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister head of government: Prime Minister Kenneth Davis ANTHONY (since 24 May 1997) and Deputy Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997)
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) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 55%, UWP 37%, NA 3.5%; seats by party - SLP 14, UWP 3 elections: House of Assembly - last held 3 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2006)
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 Alliance or NA [George ODLUM]; Saint Lucia Freedom Party or SFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; Sou Tout Apwe Fete Fini or STAFF [Christopher HUNTE]; United Workers Party or UWP [Dr. Morella JOSEPH]
Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA
International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, 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) 364-6723 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

Economy | Saint Lucia

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. The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Economic fundamentals remain solid.
GDP: | purchasing power parity - $866 million (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 3.3% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 7% industry: 20% services: 73% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 3% (2001 est.)
Labor force: | 43,800
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 21.7%, services 53.6%, industry, commerce, and manufacturing 24.7% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate: | 16.5% (1997 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $141.2 million expenditures: $146.7 million, including capital expenditures of $25.1 million (2000 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: | 120.2 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: | 111.8 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 2,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA (2001)
Oil - imports: | NA (2001)
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 48.6%, US 27.8%, Barbados 7.6% (2002)
Imports: | $319.4 million (2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: | food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels
Imports - partners: | Brazil 41.7%, US 21.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 11.9% (2002)
Debt - external: | $214 million (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: | $51.8 million (1995)
Currency: | East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Currency code: | XCD
Exchange rates: | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (1998)
Fiscal year: | 1 April - 31 March

Communications | Saint Lucia

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: | 3,000 (2000)

Transportation | Saint Lucia

Railways: | 0 km
Highways: | total: 1,210 km paved: 63 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: | none
Ports and harbors: | Castries, Vieux Fort
Merchant marine: | none (2002 est.)
Airports: | 2 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Military | Saint Lucia

Military branches: | Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit and Coast Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | $NA

Transnational Issues | Saint Lucia

Disputes - international: | protests Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea
Illicit drugs: | transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003