# Library

ABOUT REFERENCES APPENDICES FAQs CONTACT

Central America and Caribbean :: 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. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. 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 58 W
  Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean
  Area:
  total: 616 sq km
  land: 606 sq km
  water: 10 sq km
  country comparison to the world: 193
  Area - comparative:
  three and a half times the size of Washington, DC
  Land boundaries:
  0 km
  Coastline:
  158 km
  Maritime claims:
  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
  Climate:
  tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
  Terrain:
  volcanic and mountainous with 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:
  agricultural land: 17.4%
  arable land 4.9%; permanent crops 11.5%; permanent pasture 1%
  forest: 77%
  other: 5.6% (2011 est.)
  Irrigated land:
  30 sq km (2007)
  Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
  total: 0.02 cu km/yr
  per capita: 98.22 cu m/yr (2005)
  Natural hazards:
  hurricanes; volcanic activity
  Environment - current issues:
  deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region
  Environment - international agreements:
  party to: 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, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
  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 and Society :: SAINT LUCIA

- Nationality:
  noun: Saint Lucian(s)
  adjective: Saint Lucian
  Ethnic groups:
  black/African descent 85.3%, mixed 10.9%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)
  Languages:
  English (official), French patois
  Religions:
  Roman Catholic 61.5%, Protestant 25.5% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 10.4%, Pentecostal 8.9%, Baptist 2.2%, Anglican 1.6%, Church of God 1.5%, other Protestant .9%), other Christian 3.4% (includes Evangelical 2.3% and Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), Rastafarian 1.9%, other 0.4%, none 5.9%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)
  Population:
  163,922 (July 2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 187
  Age structure:
  0-14 years: 20.75% (male 17,508/female 16,503)
  15-24 years: 16.3% (male 13,541/female 13,177)
  25-54 years: 42.93% (male 33,812/female 36,565)
  55-64 years: 9.18% (male 6,964/female 8,084)
  65 years and over: 10.84% (male 8,036/female 9,732) (2015 est.)
  population pyramid:
  Dependency ratios:
  total dependency ratio: 47.3%
  youth dependency ratio: 34.1%
  elderly dependency ratio: 13.3%
  potential support ratio: 7.5% (2015 est.)
  Median age:
  total: 33.5 years
  male: 32.4 years
  female: 34.6 years (2015 est.)
  Population growth rate:
  0.34% (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 170
  Birth rate:
  13.7 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 143
  Death rate:
  7.42 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 115
  Net migration rate:
  -2.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 180
  Urbanization:
  urban population: 18.5% of total population (2015)
  rate of urbanization: 0.89% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
  Major urban areas - population:
  CASTRIES (capital) 22,000 (2014)
  Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  25-54 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
  55-64 years: 0.86 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
  Maternal mortality rate:
  48 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 117
  Infant mortality rate:
  total: 11.45 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 10.9 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 12.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 126
  Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.6 years
  male: 74.87 years
  female: 80.47 years (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 68
  Total fertility rate:
  1.76 children born/woman (2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 162
  Health expenditures:
  8.5% of GDP (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 51
  Physicians density:
  0.11 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
  Hospital bed density:
  1.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)
  Drinking water source:
  improved:
  urban: 99.5% of population
  rural: 95.6% of population
  total: 96.3% of population
  unimproved:
  urban: 0.5% of population
  rural: 4.4% of population
  total: 3.7% of population (2015 est.)
  Sanitation facility access:
  improved:
  urban: 84.7% of population
  rural: 91.9% of population
  total: 90.5% of population
  unimproved:
  urban: 15.3% of population
  rural: 8.1% of population
  total: 9.5% of population (2015 est.)
  HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA
  HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA
  HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA
  Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
  27% (2014)
  country comparison to the world: 87
  Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
  2.8% (2012)
  country comparison to the world: 116
  Education expenditures:
  4.7% of GDP (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 107
  School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
  total: 13 years
  male: 12 years
  female: 13 years (2007)
  Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
  total: 27.5%
  male: 21.5%
  female: 35.2% (2007 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 12

- ## Government :: SAINT LUCIA

- Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Saint Lucia
  Government type:
  parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
  Capital:
  name: Castries
  geographic coordinates: 14 00 N, 61 00 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
  Administrative divisions:
  10 districts; Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
  Independence:
  22 February 1979 (from the UK)
  National holiday:
  Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
  Constitution:
  previous 1958, 1960 (preindependence); latest presented 20 December 1978, effective 22 February 1979; note - in mid-2015, an amendment was proposed to replace the London-based Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice as the country's highest appellate court (2015)
  Legal system:
  English common law
  International law organization participation:
  has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
  Citizenship:
  citizenship by birth: yes
  citizenship by descent: at least one parent must be a citizen of Saint Lucia
  dual citizenship recognized: yes
  residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years
  Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
  Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since September 1997)
  head of government: Prime Minister Kenny Davis ANTHONY (since 30 November 2011)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
  elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by governor general
  Legislative branch:
  description: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; 6 members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 2 upon consultation with religious, economic, and social groups; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)
  elections: House of Assembly - last held on 28 November 2011 (next to be held in 2016)
  election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 49.68%, UWP 45.83%; seats by party - SLP 11, UWP 6
  Judicial branch:
  highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the member states; 3 High Court judges reside on Saint Lucia; note - Saint Lucia is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
  judge selection and term of office: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
  subordinate courts: magistrate's court
  Political parties and leaders:
  Lucian People's Movement or LPM [Therold PRUDENT]
  Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenny ANTHONY]
  United Workers Party or UWP [Allen CHASTANET]
  Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA
  International organization participation:
  ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
  Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Elizabeth Darius CLARKE (since 3 August 2015)
  chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
  telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795
  FAX: [1] (202) 364-6723
  consulate(s) general: New York
  Diplomatic representation from the US:
  the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia
  Flag description:
  cerulean blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border; the blue color represents the sky and sea, gold stands for sunshine and prosperity, and white and black the racial composition of the island (with the latter being dominant); the two major triangles invoke the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), cone-shaped volcanic plugs that are a symbol of the island
  National symbol(s):
  twin pitons (volcanic peaks), Saint Lucia parrot; national colors: cerulean blue, gold, black, white
  National anthem:
  name: "Sons and Daughters of St. Lucia"
  lyrics/music: Charles JESSE/Leton Felix THOMAS
  note: adopted 1967

- ## Economy :: SAINT LUCIA

- Economy - overview:
  The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries . Tourism is Saint Lucia's main source of jobs and income - accounting for 65% of GDP - and the island's main source of foreign exchange earnings. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area. Crops such as bananas, mangos, and avocados continue to be grown for export, but St. Lucia's once solid banana industry has been devastated by strong competition. Saint Lucia is vulnerable to a variety of external shocks, including volatile tourism receipts, natural disasters, and dependence on foreign oil. Furthermore, high public debt - 77% of GDP in 2012 - and high debt servicing obligations constrain the ANTHONY administration's ability to respond to adverse external shocks. St. Lucia has experienced anemic growth since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008, largely because of a slowdown in tourism - airlines cut back on their routes to St. Lucia in 2012. Also, St. Lucia introduced a value added tax in 2012 of 15%, becoming the last country in the Eastern Caribbean to do so. In 2013, the government introduced a National Competitiveness and Productivity Council to address St. Lucia's high public wages and lack of productivity.
  GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $1.978 billion (2014 est.)
  $1.969 billion (2013 est.)
  $1.966 billion (2012 est.)
  note: data are in 2014 US dollars
  country comparison to the world: 195
  GDP (official exchange rate):
  $1.404 billion (2014 est.)
  GDP - real growth rate:
  0.5% (2014 est.)
  0.1% (2013 est.)
  -1.1% (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 191
  GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $11,600 (2014 est.)
  $11,600 (2013 est.)
  $11,600 (2012 est.)
  note: data are in 2014 US dollars
  country comparison to the world: 125
  Gross national saving:
  22.4% of GDP (2014 est.)
  11.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
  13% of GDP (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 65
  GDP - composition, by end use:
  household consumption: 56.3%
  government consumption: 19.2%
  investment in fixed capital: 31.6%
  investment in inventories: -0.1%
  exports of goods and services: 53.6%
  imports of goods and services: -60.6%
  (2014 est.)
  GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
  agriculture: 2.6%
  industry: 15%
  services: 82.4% (2014 est.)
  Agriculture - products:
  bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa
  Industries:
  tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, lime processing, coconut processing
  Industrial production growth rate:
  3.1% (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 81
  Labor force:
  79,700 (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 184
  Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 21.7%
  industry: 24.7%
  services: 53.6% (2002 est.)
  Unemployment rate:
  20% (2003 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 166
  Population below poverty line:
  NA%
  Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%
  Budget:
  revenues: $185.2 million
  expenditures: $222.2 million (2011 est.)
  Taxes and other revenues:
  13.2% of GDP (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 202
  Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
  -2.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 112
  Public debt:
  77% of GDP (2012 est.)
  77% of GDP (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 30
  Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March
  Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3.5% (2014 est.)
  1.5% (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 143
  Central bank discount rate:
  6.5% (31 December 2010)
  6.5% (31 December 2009)
  country comparison to the world: 58
  Commercial bank prime lending rate:
  9% (31 December 2014 est.)
  9.08% (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 95
  Stock of narrow money:
  $277.3 million (31 December 2014 est.)
  $257.6 million (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 176
  Stock of broad money:
  $1.104 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $1.057 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 170
  Stock of domestic credit:
  $1.519 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
  $1.644 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 147
  Current account balance:
  -$94 million (2014 est.)
  -$150 million (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 81
  Exports:
  $203.3 million (2014 est.)
  $205.3 million (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 186
  Exports - commodities:
  bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, avocados, mangoes, coconut oil (2010 est.)
  Exports - partners:
  Dominican Republic 26.3%, US 11.1%, Suriname 9.5%, Antigua and Barbuda 7.3%, Dominica 7.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 6.9%, Barbados 6.4%, UK 5.7%, Grenada 4.9% (2014)
  Imports:
  $558.8 million (2014 est.)
  $496.7 million (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 193
  Imports - commodities:
  food, manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, fuels
  Imports - partners:
  Brazil 44.1%, US 27.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 10.2%, Colombia 8.8% (2014)
  Debt - external:
  $497.5 million (31 December 2014 est.)
  $485.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 179
  Exchange rates:
  East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
  2.7 (2014 est.)
  2.7 (2013 est.)
  2.7 (2012)
  2.7 (2011)
  2.7 (2010)

- ## Energy :: SAINT LUCIA

- Electricity - production:
  361.7 million kWh (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 167
  Electricity - consumption:
  336.4 million kWh (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 175
  Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 198
  Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 204
  Electricity - installed generating capacity:
  89,000 kW (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 177
  Electricity - from fossil fuels:
  100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 29
  Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
  0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 183
  Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
  0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 204
  Electricity - from other renewable sources:
  0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 129
  Crude oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 193
  Crude oil - exports:
  0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 191
  Crude oil - imports:
  0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 127
  Crude oil - proved reserves:
  0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 192
  Refined petroleum products - production:
  0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 133
  Refined petroleum products - consumption:
  3,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 182
  Refined petroleum products - exports:
  0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 133
  Refined petroleum products - imports:
  3,041 bbl/day (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 175
  Natural gas - production:
  0 cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 130
  Natural gas - consumption:
  0 cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 195
  Natural gas - exports:
  0 cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 182
  Natural gas - imports:
  0 cu m (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 135
  Natural gas - proved reserves:
  0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 195
  Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
  415,700 Mt (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 186

- ## Communications :: SAINT LUCIA

- Telephones - fixed lines:
  total subscriptions: 32,800
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 171
  Telephones - mobile cellular:
  total: 188,400
  subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 115 (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 181
  Telephone system:
  general assessment: an adequate system that is automatically switched
  domestic: fixed-line teledensity is 25 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 130 per 100 persons
  international: country code - 1-758; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables, along with Intelsat from Martinique, carry calls internationally; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados (2010)
  Broadcast media:
  3 privately owned TV stations; 1 public TV station operating on a cable network; multi-channel cable TV service available; a mix of state-owned and privately owned broadcasters operate nearly 25 radio stations including repeater transmission stations (2007)
  Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 2, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2008)
  Television broadcast stations:
  2 (1 commercial broadcast station and 1 community antenna television or CATV channel) (2003)
  Internet country code:
  .lc
  Internet users:
  total: 142,900
  percent of population: 89.2% (2009)
  country comparison to the world: 166

- ## Transportation :: SAINT LUCIA

- Airports:
  2 (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 204
  Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
  Roadways:
  total: 1,210 km
  paved: 847 km
  unpaved: 363 km (2011)
  country comparison to the world: 182
  Ports and terminals:
  major seaport(s): Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort

- ## Military :: SAINT LUCIA

- Military branches:
  no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Marine Unit) (2012)
  Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age for voluntary security service; no national army (2012)
  Manpower available for military service:
  males age 16-49: 41,414 (2010 est.)
  Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 16-49: 32,688
  females age 16-49: 36,289 (2010 est.)
  Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
  male: 1,574
  female: 1,502 (2010 est.)

- ## Transnational Issues :: SAINT LUCIA

- Disputes - international:
  joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its Economic Exclusion Zone/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
  Illicit drugs:
  transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe

GO TOP