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  Saint Lucia  
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This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


Map of Saint Lucia
Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Saint Lucia Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Saint Lucia Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
13 53 N, 60 58 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 616 sq km
land: 606 sq km
water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
158 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 6.45%
permanent crops: 22.58%
other: 70.97% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
30 sq km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Definition Field Listing
Total: 0.01
Per capita: 81 cu m/yr (1997)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
hurricanes and volcanic activity
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
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, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
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
   People    Saint Lucia Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
170,649 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 29.4% (male 25,869/female 24,248)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 55,115/female 56,641)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 3,200/female 5,576) (2007 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 25.6 years
male: 24.8 years
female: 26.5 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
1.297% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
19.28 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.03 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
-1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.067 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.973 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.574 male(s)/female
total population: 0.974 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 12.81 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.93 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 74.08 years
male: 70.53 years
female: 77.88 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.15 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Saint Lucian(s)
adjective: Saint Lucian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
black 82.5%, mixed 11.9%, East Indian 2.4%, other or unspecified 3.1% (2001 census)
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Roman Catholic 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%, Pentecostal 5.7%, Rastafarian 2.1%, Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%, other Christian 5.1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001 census)
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English (official), French patois
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 90.1%
male: 89.5%
female: 90.6% (2001 est.)
   Government    Saint Lucia Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Lucia
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Castries
geographic coordinates: 14 01 N, 61 00 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
22 February 1979 (from UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
22 February 1979
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on English common law
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
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 Stephenson KING (since 9 September 2007); note - Sir John COMPTON died in office Friday, 7 September 2007
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:
Definition Field Listing
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 are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 11 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2011)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - UWP 50%, SLP 46.9%, other 3.1%; seats by party - UWP 11, SLP 6
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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 [Sir John COMPTON]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6723
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border
   Economy    Saint Lucia Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries, with a surge in foreign direct investment in 2006, attributed to the construction of several tourism projects. Tourism is the main source of foreign exchange, with more than 700,000 arrivals in 2005. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Saint Lucia is vulnerable to a variety of external shocks including declines in European Union banana preferences, volatile tourism receipts, natural disasters, and dependence on foreign oil. High debt servicing obligations constrain the KING administration's ability to respond to adverse external shocks. Economic fundamentals remain solid, even though unemployment needs to be reduced.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1.179 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$825 million (2005)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.1% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$4,800 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 5%
industry: 15%
services: 80% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
43,800 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 21.7%
industry: 24.7%
services: 53.6% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
20% (2003 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.9% (2005 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $141.2 million
expenditures: $146.7 million (2000 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism; lime processing, coconut processing
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
-8.9% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
304.2 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
282.9 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2,700 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2,678 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$288 million (2006)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
France 69.7%, US 10.2%, UK 8.8% (2006)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$791 million (2006)
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 21.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.9%, Italy 12.3%, France 11.8%, Venezuela 7.2%, UK 6.9%, Netherlands 5.8% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$11.06 million (2005)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$257 million (2004)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - NA (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 April - 31 March
   Communications    Saint Lucia Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
51,100 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
105,700 (2005)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: adequate system
domestic: system is automatically switched
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
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2003)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
2 (1 commercial broadcast station and 1 community antenna television or CATV channel) (2003)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.lc
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
15 (2007)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
55,000 (2004)
   Transportation    Saint Lucia Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 910 km
paved: 48 km
unpaved: 862 km (2000)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort
   Military    Saint Lucia Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard) (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 42,742 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 33,539 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 1,651 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Transnational Issues    Saint Lucia Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
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 eastern Caribbean Sea
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe

This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


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