Map of Saint Lucia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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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.


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Location: in the eastern Caribbean Sea, about two-thirds of the way between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates

Map reference:

Area
Total: 620 km²
Land: 610 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 158 km
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

Climate:

Terrain: volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys springs, geothermal potential

Elevation

Natural resources

Land use
Arable land: 8%
Permanent crops: 20%
Meadows and pastures: 5%
Forest and woodland: 13%
Other: 54%

Irrigated land: 10 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 144,337 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 0.52% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Saint Lucian(s)
Adjective: Saint Lucian

Ethnic groups:

Languages: English (official), French patois

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.52% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 23.97 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 5.91 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -12.87 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: subject to hurricanes and volcanic activity; deforestation; soil erosion

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 18.7 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.26 years
Male: 66.98 years
Female: 71.69 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.62 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over having ever attended school (1980)
Total population: 67%
Female: 69%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Saint Lucia

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Castries

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 22 February 1979 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

Constitution: 22 February 1979

Legal system: based on English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS
In the us chancery: Suite 309, 2,100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 30,037
In the us telephone: (202) 463-7,378 or 7,379
In the us consulate general: New York
From the us: no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Since 1983 the economy has shown an impressive average annual growth rate of almost 5% because of strong agricultural and tourist sectors. Saint Lucia also possesses an expanding industrial base supported by foreign investment in manufacturing and other activities, such as in data processing. The economy, however, remains vulnerable because the important agricultural sector is dominated by banana production, which is subject to periodic droughts and/or tropical storms.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.5% (1991 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 12% of GDP and 43% of labor force; crops - bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus fruit, root crops, cocoa; imports food for the tourist industry

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

Industrial production growth rate:

Labor force: 43,800
By occupation agriculture: 43.4%
By occupation services: 38.9%
By occupation industry and commerce: 17.7% (1983est.)

Unemployment rate: 16% (1988)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $131 million; expenditures $149 million, including capital expenditures of $71 million (FY90 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $105 million (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: bananas 58%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
Partners: UK 56%, US 22%,CARICOM 19%

Imports: $267 million (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 21%, food and live animals, chemicals, fuels
Partners: US 34%, CARICOM 17%, UK 14%, Japan 7%, Canada 4%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)


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Electricity access

Electricity production

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2
Usable: 2
With permanentsurface runways: 2
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439: 1

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs