Map of Saint Lucia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries and burgeoning sugar industry, was contested by England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814 and became part of the British Windward Islands colony. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. In the mid-20th century, Saint Lucia joined the West Indies Federation (1958-1962) and in 1967 became one of the six members of the West Indies Associated States, with internal self-government. In 1979, Saint Lucia gained full independence.


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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: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 616 km²
Land: 606 km²
Water: 10 km²
Comparative: three and a half times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries
Total: 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
Highest point: Mount Gimie 948 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 17.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 4.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 11.5% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 1% (2018 est.)
Forest: 77% (2018 est.)
Other: 5.6% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 0 cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 300 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: hurricanes

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
Distribution: most of the population is found on the periphery of the island, with a larger concentration in the north around the capital of Castries: 167,591 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 0.27% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 25% (2016 est.)

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), Saint Lucian Creole

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 0.9%), 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
0-14 years: 18.23% (male 15,734/female 14,820)
15-64 years: 66.97% (male 54,354/female 57,880)
65 years and over: 14.8% (2023 est.) (male 11,257/female 13,546)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 37.7
Youth dependency ratio: 25.2
Elderly dependency ratio: 12.5
Potential support ratio: 8 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 39 years (2023 est.)
Male: 37.8 years
Female: 40.2 years

Population growth rate: 0.27% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 11.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: most of the population is found on the periphery of the island, with a larger concentration in the north around the capital of Castries

Urbanization
Urban population: 19.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.98% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 22,000 CASTRIES (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 8.98 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.41 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 0.27 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio: 73 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 11 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 12.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79.2 years (2023 est.)
Male: 76.5 years
Female: 82.1 years

Total fertility rate: 1.72 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 55.5% (2011/12)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 99.4% of population
Improved rural: 98.5% of population
Improved total: 98.7% of population
Unimproved urban: 0.6% of population
Unimproved rural: 1.5% of population
Unimproved total: 1.3% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 6.7% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 0.64 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density: 1.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 19.7% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 9.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 3.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 5.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 3.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 13 years (2020)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 38.7% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 41%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 36.2%


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Saint Lucia
Etymology: named after Saint LUCY of Syracuse by French sailors who were shipwrecked on the island on 13 December 1502, the saint's feast day; Saint Lucia is the only country named specifically after a woman
Note: pronounced saynt-looshuh

Government type: parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; 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)
Etymology: in 1785, the village of Carenage was renamed Castries, after Charles Eugene Gabriel de La Croix de CASTRIES (1727-1801), who was then the French Minister of the Navy and Colonies

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
History: previous 1958, 1960 (preindependence); latest presented 20 December 1978, effective 22 February 1979
Amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the House of Assembly membership in the final reading and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments to various constitutional sections, such as those on fundamental rights and freedoms, government finances, the judiciary, and procedures for amending the constitution, require at least three-quarters majority vote by the House and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments approved by the House but rejected by the Senate require a majority of votes cast in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2008

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 only: 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: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Acting Governor General Errol CHARLES (since 11 November 2021)
Head of government: Prime Minister Philip J. PIERRE (since 28 July 2021)
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:
Elections:
Election results:

Judicial branch
Highest courts: the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states with 4 on Saint Lucia; Saint Lucia is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; 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, 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 7 June 2022)
In the us chancery: 1629 K Street NW, Suite 1250, Washington, DC 20,006
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 364-6,792
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 364-6,723
In the us email address and website:
From the us embassy: 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 symbols: 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

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 1 (natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:


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Economy overview: upper middle-income, tourism-based Caribbean island economy; environmentally fragile; energy import-dependent; major banana producer; well-educated labor force; key infrastructure, IT, and communications investments

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 66.1% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 11.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 16.9% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 62.7% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -56.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.9% (2017 est.)
Industry: 14.2% (2017 est.)
Services: 82.8% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: bananas, coconuts, fruit, tropical fruit, plantains, roots/tubers, cassava, poultry, vegetables, mangoes/guavas

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

Industrial production growth rate: 10.8% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 99,900 (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 38.7% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 41%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 36.2%

Population below poverty line: 25% (2016 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 51.2 (2016 est.)

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

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $350 million (2020 est.)
Expenditures: $516 million (2020 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: 0.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 18.24% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

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:
Partners: Brazil 98% (2021)
Commodities: crude petroleum, fertilizers, refined petroleum, polymers, aluminum (2021)

Imports:
Partners: Brazil 64%, United States 14%, Russia 8%, Colombia 7%, Trinidad and Tobago 2% (2021)
Commodities: crude petroleum, poultry, sugar, refined petroleum, soybeans, beef, corn, wheat (2021)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification-total population: 100% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 92,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 322.506 million kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 27.568 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 99.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 4,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 3,113 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 659,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 659,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 50.872 million Btu/person (2019 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 14,182 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 170,000 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 96 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

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 (2019)

Internet
Country code: .lc
Users total: 140,400 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 78% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 33,000 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces: no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Marine Unit) (2023)
Note: the RSLPF has responsibility for law enforcement and maintenance of order within the country; it is under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Justice, and National Security and includes a Special Service Unit and a Marine Unit

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: J6

Airports: 2 (2021)
With paved runways: 2
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 1,210 km (2011)
Paved: 847 km (2011)
Unpaved: 363 km (2011)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort


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Disputes international: Saint Lucia-Venezuela: joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: a transit point for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Caribbean; some local demand for cocaine and some use of synthetic drugs