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.

Geographic coordinates: 13 53 N, 60 68 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 620 km²
Land: 610 km²
Water: 10 km²
Comparative: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 158 km

Maritime claims: 200 nm
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
Extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 8%
Permanent crops: 21%
Permanent pastures: 5%
Forests and woodland: 13%
Other: 53% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 10 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: hurricanes and volcanic activity

Population: 154,020 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 1.09% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

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

Ethnic groups: black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1%

Languages: English (official), French patois

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 33% (male 26,068; female 25,359)
15-64 years: 61% (male 46,265; female 48,100)
65 years and over: 6% (male 3,097; female 5,131) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.09% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 21.63 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.58 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.19 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 16.55 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.81 years
Male: 68.14 years
Female: 75.74 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.27 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
Total population: 67%
Male: 65%
Female: 69% (1980 est.)

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

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Castries

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

Independence: 22 February 1979 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

Constitution: 22 February 1979

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dr. Perlette LOUISY (since September 1997)
Head of government: Prime Minister Kenny ANTHONY (since 24 May 1997) and Deputy Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body, six 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 are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
Elections: House of Assembly_last held 23 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)
Election results: House of Assembly_percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_SLP 16, UWP 1

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (jurisdiction extends to Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

International organization participation: ACCT (associate), ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Juliet Elaine MALLET PHILLIP
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) 364-6,728
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the Ambassador to Saint Lucia 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

Economy overview: The economy remains vulnerable due to its heavy dependence on banana production, which is subject to periodic droughts and tropical storms. Increased competition from Latin American bananas will probably further reduce market prices, exacerbating Saint Lucia's need to diversify its economy in coming years, e.g., by further expanding tourism, manufacturing, and construction. In 1997, strong activity in tourism and other service sectors offset the contraction in agriculture, manufacturing, and construction sectors. Improvement in the construction sector and growth of the tourism industry was expected to expand GDP in 1998. The agriculture sector registered its fifth year of decline in 1997 primarily because of a severe decline in banana production.

Real gdp growth rate: 2.2% (1997)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $4,100 (1997 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 10.7%
Industry: 32.3%
Services: 57% (1996 est.)

Agriculture products: bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa

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

Industrial production growth rate: -8.9% (1997 est.)

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

Unemployment rate: 15% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $141.2 million
Expenditures: $146.7 million, including capital expenditures of $25.1 million (FY97/98 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 April_31 March

Exports: $70.1 million (1997)
Commodities: bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
Partners: UK 50%, US 24%, Caricom countries 16% (1995)

Imports: $292.4 million (1997)
Commodities: food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels
Partners: US 36%, Caricom countries 22%, UK 11%, Japan 5%, Canada 4% (1995)

Debt external: $159 million (1997)

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1_2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Electricity
Production: 110 million kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 110 million kWh (1996)
Exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Telephones: 26,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system
Domestic: system is automatically switched
International: direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados; international calls beyond these countries are carried by Intelsat from Martinique

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $5 million (1991; note_for police force
Percent of gdp: 2% (1991)

Airports: 2 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Merchant marine: none

Disputes international: none

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