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

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 620 km²
Land: 610 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 158 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
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

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

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: subject to hurricanes and volcanic activity

Geography


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Population: 145,090 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 0.52% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Saint Lucian(s)

Ethnic groups: African descent 90.3%, mixed 5.5%, East Indian 3.2%, Caucasian 0.8%

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% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 23.12 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 5.84 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -12.05 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 18.5 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.36 years
Male: 67.06 years
Female: 71.83 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.5 children born/woman (1994 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%
Male: 65%
Female: 69%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form:

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Castries

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

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
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Stanislaus Anthony JAMES (since 10 October 1988)
Head of government: Prime Minister John George Melvin COMPTON (since 3 May 1982); Vice President George MALLET (since NA)

Legislative branch: Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Coast Guard
Senate: consists of an 11-member body, 6 appointed on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 2 after consultation with religious, economic, and social groups
House of Assembly: elections last held 27 April 1992 (next to be held by April 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (17 total) UWP 11, SLP 6

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT (associate), ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS
From the us chancery: Suite 309, 2,100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 30,037
From the us telephone: (202) 463-7,378 or 7,379
From the us fax: (202) 887-5,746
From the us consulates 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 data processing. The economy, however, remains vulnerable because the important agricultural sector is dominated by banana production, which is subject to periodic droughts and tropical storms. The economy exhibited relatively strong growth in 1992-93 based on a recovery of the agricultural and manufacturing sectors and continued growth in construction and tourism.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 6.6% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 14% 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 cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing

Industrial production growth rate: 3.5% (1990 est.), accounts for 12% of GDP

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

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues:$121 million

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: $122.8 million (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodities: bananas 60%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
Partners: UK 56%, US 22%, CARICOM 19% (1991)

Imports: $276 million (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodities: 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% (1991)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $96.4 million (1992 est.)

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: 112 million kWh

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 740 kWh (1992)

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
Dollar figure: $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: 3
Usable: 3
With permanentsurface runways: 3
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 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: transit country for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe