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: 616 km²
Land: 606 km²
Water: 10 km²
Comparative: 3.5 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 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 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: 6.56%
Permanent crops: 22.95%
Other: 70.49% (2001)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: hurricanes and 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

Population: 166,312 (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: 1.28% (2005 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Saint Lucian
Adjective: Saint Lucian

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

Languages: English (official) French patois

Religions: Roman Catholic 67.5% Seventh Day Adventist 8.5% Pentecostal 5.7% Anglican 2% Evangelical 2% other Christian 5.1% Rastafarian 2.1% other 1.1% unspecified 1.5% none 4.5% (2001 census)

Age structure
0-14 years: 30.3% (male 25,937/female 24,391)
15-64 years: 64.6% (male 52,813/female 54,544)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 3,172/female 5,455) (2005 est.)

Median age
Total: 24.81 years
Male: 24.03 years
Female: 25.66 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.28% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 20.05 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 5.12 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.19 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male/female
65 years and over: 0.58 male/female
Total population: 0.97 male/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 13.53 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 14.66 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 12.32 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.61 years
Male: 70.05 years
Female: 77.42 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.21 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
Total population: 90.1%
Male: 89.5%
Female: 90.6% (2001 est.)

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

Government type: Westminster-style parliamentary democracy

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 Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since September 1997)
Head of government: Prime Minister Kenneth Davis 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 the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general

Legislative branch
Elections: House of Assembly - last held 3 December 2001 (next to be held in December 2006)
Election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 55%, UWP 37%, NA 3.5%; seats by party - SLP 14, UWP 3

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)

Political parties and leaders: National Alliance or NA [George ODLUM]; Saint Lucia Freedom Party or SFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; Sou Tout Apwe Fete Fini or STAFF [Christopher HUNTE]; United Workers Party or UWP [Dr. Morella JOSEPH]

International organization participation: ACCT ACP C Caricom CDB FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICCt (signatory) ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC ISO ITU MIGA NAM OAS OECS OPANAL OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY
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 consulates general: Miami and 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

Economy overview: Changes in the EU import preference regime and the increased competition from Latin American bananas have made economic diversification increasingly important in Saint Lucia. The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Economic fundamentals remain solid even though unemployment needs to be cut.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $866 million (2002 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 3.3% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 7%
Industry: 20%
Services: 73% (2002 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 (2001 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 21.7%
By occupation industry commerce and manufacturing: 24.7%
By occupation services: 53.6% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

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

Budget
Revenues: $141.2 million
Expenditures: $146.7 million, including capital expenditures of $25.1 million (2000 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3% (2001 est.)

Exports: $66 million (2002 est.)
Commodities: bananas 41% clothing cocoa vegetables fruits coconut oil
Partners: UK 41.4% US 16.5% Brazil 11.6% Barbados 5.8% Antigua and Barbuda 4.6% Dominica 4.5% (2004)

Imports: $267 million (2002 est.)
Commodities: food 23% manufactured goods 21% machinery and transportation equipment 19% chemicals fuels
Partners: US 27.8% Trinidad and Tobago 20.4% UK 8% Venezuela 7.6% Finland 7% (2004)

Debt external: $214 million (2000)

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2004) 2.7 (2003) 2.7 (2002) 2.7 (2001) 2.7 (2000)

Electricity
Production: 270.3 million kWh (2002)
Consumption: 251.3 million kWh (2002)
Exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Imports: 0 kWh (2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 51,100 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 14,300 (2002)

Telephone system
General assessment: adequate system
Domestic: system is automatically switched
International: country code - 1-758; 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

Internet
Country code: .lc
Hosts: 41 (2003)
Users: 13,000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: NA
Percent of gdp: NA

Airports: 2 (2004 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Disputes international: joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation a criterion under UNCLOS which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea

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