Map of Saint Lucia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | 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. 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.


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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 reference

Area
Rank: 193
Land: 606 km²
Water: 10 km²
Comparative: three and a half times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 158 km

Maritime claims
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 some broad fertile valleys

Elevation
Extremes highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m

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

Land use
Permanent crops: 11.29%
Other: 83.87% (2011)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (2007)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: hurricanes; volcanic activity

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


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Population: 163,362 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 187
Growth rate: 0.35% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 166
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
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.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
15-24 years: 16.6% (male 13,701/female 13,368)
25-54 years: 42.9% (male 33,695/female 36,445)
55-64 years: 8.8% (male 6,657/female 7,717)
65 years and over: 10.2% (male 7,760/female 9,396) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 34.9 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 13.1 %
Potential support ratio: 7.6 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 31.7 years
Female: 34 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.35% (2014 est.)
Rank: 166

Birth rate: 13.94 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 141

Death rate: 7.32 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 121

Net migration rate: -3.13 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 180

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: -3.13% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: CASTRIES (capital) 21,000 (2011)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion particularly in the northern region
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
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: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 127
Male: 11.15 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 12.4 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 67
Male: 74.69 years
Female: 80.28 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.77 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 161

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.47 physicians/1000 population (2002)

Hospital bed density: 1.6 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 21.4% (2008)
Rank: 87

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 4.1% of GDP (2012)
Rank: 107

Literacy
Total population: 90.1%
Male: 89.5%
Female: 90.6% (2001 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 12 years
Female: 13 years (2012)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional short form: Saint Lucia

Government type: parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Capital
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

Dependent areas

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 - a constitutional reform report was submitted to the St. Lucian Parliament in April 2013 (2013)

Legal system: English common law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
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: the monarchy is hereditary; the governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed 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 elected by popular vote to serve five-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: 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:

International organization participation: ACP AOSIS C Caricom CD CDB CELAC FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO 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 chancery: 3,216 New Mexico Avenue NW Washington DC 20,016
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 364-6,792 through 6,795
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 364-6,723
In the us consulate general: Coral Gables (FL) New York
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: 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 symbols: twin pitons (volcanic peaks); Saint Lucia parrot

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Charles JESSE/Leton Felix THOMAS

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 191

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 192

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 100

Gross national saving:
Rank: 95

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 19%
Investment in fixed capital: 31.5%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 50.3%
Imports of goods and services: -61.3%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 17.4%
Services: 79.5% (2013 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: 2.6% (2013 est.)
Rank: 113

Labor force: 79,700 (2012)
Rank: 184
By occupation industry: 24.7%
By occupation services: 53.6% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20% (2003 est.)
Rank: 161

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Expenditures: $222.2 million (2011 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.7% of GDP (2011 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 114

Taxes and other revenues: 13.4% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 199

Public debt: 77% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 30

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.2% (2012 est.)
Rank: 160

Central bank discount rate: 6.5% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 49

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 9.5% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 90

Stock of narrow money: $259.6 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 171

Stock of broad money: $1.036 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 168

Stock of domestic credit: $1.598 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 136

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: -$184.4 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 87

Exports: $190.1 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 183
Commodities: bananas 41% clothing cocoa avocados mangoes coconut oil
Partners: US 13.9% UK 10.3% Peru 9.7% Antigua and Barbuda 9.3% Dominica 9.1% France 9% Barbados 8.1% Trinidad and Tobago 7.6% Grenada 6.2% (2012)

Imports: $579.3 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 190
Commodities: food 23% manufactured goods 21% machinery and transportation equipment 19% chemicals fuels
Partners: Brazil 57.4% US 19% Trinidad and Tobago 9% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $438.7 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 176

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 362 million kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 167
Consumption: 332.9 million kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 172
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 197
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 201
Installed generating capacity: 76,000 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 179
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 35
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 180
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 201
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 124

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 134
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 185
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 122
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 190

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 196
Products consumption: 2,922 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 182
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 132
Products imports: 2,914 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 172

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 192
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 195
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 184
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 130
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 194

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 424,900 Mt (2011 est.)

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 36,800 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 172
Mobile cellular: 227,000 (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 179

Telephone system
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)

Internet
Country code: .lc
Hosts: 100 (2012)
Hosts rank: 209
Users: 142,900 (2009)
Users rank: 149

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary security service; no national army (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (2013)
Rank: 205
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 181
Paved: 847 km
Unpaved: 363 km (2011)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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