1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
616 km2; 50% arable, 3% pasture, 19% forest, 5% unused but potentially productive, 23% wasteland and built on WATER
Coastline
158 km
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
3 nm (fishing 12 nm)
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
mainly of African Negro descent
Labor force
45,000 (1979); 40% agriculture; 13% unemployment (1979)
Language
English, French patois
Literacy
about 80%
Nationality
noun—St. Lucian(s); adjective—St. Lucian
Organized labor
20% of labor force
Population
119,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.4%
Religion
predominantly Roman Catholic
Government
Branches
legislative, bicameral; executive, Cabinet headed by Prime Minister
Capital
Castries
Communists
negligible
Elections
every five-years; most recent 2 July 1979; general elections will be held within 90 days of the dissolution of Parliament, which occurred on 6 February 1982 Political parties and leaders: United Worker's Party (UWP), John Compton; St. Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Winston Cenac; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), George Odium (Michael Pilgram's party) Voting strength (1979 election): SLP won 12 of the 17 elected seats in House of Assembly; UWP won 5 seats
Government leaders
on 16 January 1982 the government of Prime Minister Winston Cenac resigned; an Interim Prime Minister, Michael PILGRAM, was sworn in
Legal system
based on English common law; constitution of 1960; highest judicial body is Court of Appeal of Leeward and Windward Islands
Member of
CARICOM, OAS
Official name
St. Lucia
Political subdivisions
16 parishes
Suffrage
universal adult suffrage
Type
independent state within Commonwealth as of 22 February 1979, recognizing Elizabeth II as Chief of State
Economy
Agriculture
main crops—bananas, coconut, sugar, cocoa, spices
Aid
economic—bilateral commitments, ODA and OOF, (1970-79), from Western (non-US) countries, $31 million; no military aid
Budget
(1980/81 est.) revenues, $35 million; expenditures, $42 million
Electric power
7,000 kW capacity (1981); 30 million kWh produced (1981), 240 kWh per capita
Exports
$26 million (f.o.b., 1980 est.); bananas, cocoa
GDP
$113 million (1980 est.), $913 per capita; no real growth (1979)
Imports
$115 million (c.i.f., 1980 est.); foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fertilizers, petroleum products
Major industries
tourism, lime processing
Major trade partners
51% UK, 9% Canada, 17% US (1970)
Monetary conversion rate
2.70 East Caribbean dollars=US$1
Shortages
food, machinery, capital goods
Communications
Airfields
2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways, 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
1 major transport aircraft
Highways
760 km total; 500 km paved; 260 km otherwise improved
Ports
1 major (Castries), 1 minor
Railroads
none
Telecommunications
fully automatic telephone system with 7,200 telephones (6.2 per 100 popl.); direct radio-relay link with Martinique; interisland troposcatter links to Barbados and Antigua; 3 AM stations, 1 TV station