1987 Edition

Climate

tropical marine, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August

tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; one rainy season (May to November)

Coastline

158 km

84 km

Comparative area

about one-fifth the size of Rhode Island

about twice the size of Washington, D. C.

Environment

subject to hurricanes and mild volcanic activity; deforestation; soil erosion

subject to hurricanes; Soufriére volcano a constant threat

Exclusive fishing zone

12 nm

12 nm

Infant mortality rate

27.4/1,000 (1984)

Labor force

43,800 (1983 est.); 48.4% agriculture, 38.9% services, 17.7% industry and commerce; 30% unemployment (1984)

Land use

8% arable land; 20% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 13% forest and woodland; 54% other; includes 2% irrigated

38% arable land; 12% permanent crops; 6% meadows and pastures; 41% forest and woodland; 3% other; includes 3% irrigated

Language

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy

men 68.3, women 72.4

Literacy

78%

Organized labor

20% of labor force

Special notes

none

islands of the Grenadines group are divided politically with Grenada

Terrain

mostly mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys

volcanic, mountainous

Territorial sea

8 nm

3 nm

Total area

10 km Caribbean Sea Caribbean Sea

620 km?; land area: 610 km?

340 km?; land area: 340 km?

Ethnic divisions

90.3% African descent, 5.5% mixed, 3.2% East Indian, 0.8% Caucasian

mainly of black African descent; remainder mixed, with some white, East Indian, Carib Indian

Labor force

67,000 (1984 est.); about 35% unemployed (1986)

Language

English, some French patois

Literacy

82%

Nationality

noun—St. Lucian(s); adjective—St. Lucian

noun—St. Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s); adjectives—St. Vincentian or Vincentian

Organized labor

10% of labor force

Population

152,305 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 3.65%

131,215 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 4.04%

Religion

90% Roman Catholic, 7% Protestant, 3% Church of England

Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist

Administrative divisions

11 quarters

Branches

bicameral legislative (Senate, House of Assembly); executive, Cabinet headed by Prime Minister

bicameral legislature (13-member elected House of Representatives and 6-member appointed Senate), judiciary (Supreme Court)

Capital

Castries

Kingstown

Communists

negligible Member of; CARICOM, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, NAM, OAS, PAHO, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Elections

every five years; last election held May 1982 Political parties and leaders: United Workers’ Party (UWP), John Compton; St. Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Julian Hunte; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), George Odlum

every five years; last held 18 July 1984 Political parties and leaders: New Democratic Party (NDP), James (Son) Mitchell; St. Vincent Labor Party (SVLP), Vincent Beach and Hudson Tannis; United People’s Movement (UPM), Oscar Allen; Movement for National Unity (MNU), Ralph Gonsalves

Government leaders

John G. M. COMPTON, Prime Minister (since February 1975); Sir Allen LEWIS, Governor General (since December 1982)

James (Son) MITCHELL, Prime Minister (since 1984); Sir Joseph EUSTACE, Governor General (since February 1985)

Legal system

based on English common law; constitution of 1960; highest judicial body is Court of Appeal of Leeward and Windward Islands

based on English common law; constitution of 1960; highest judicial body is Court of Appeal of Leeward and Windward Islands

Member of

CARICOM, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, IMO, OAS, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO

Official name

St. Lucia

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Suffrage

universal adult over age 18

universal adult at age 18

Type

independent state within Commonwealth, recognizing Elizabeth II as Chief of State

independent state within Commonwealth, recognizing Elizabeth Il as Chief of State

Voting strength

(1982 election) House of Assembly—UWP, 14 seats; SLP, 2 seats; PLP, 1 seat

(1984 election) House of Assembly—NDP, 9 seats; SVLP, 4 seats

Agriculture

bananas, coconuts, sugar, cocoa, spices

bananas, arrowroot

Aid

bilateral commitments, ODA and OOF, Western (non-US) countries (1970-81), $34 million

bilateral commitments, ODA and OOF, from Western (non-US) countries (1970-81), $25 million

Budget

(1984) revenues, $61 million; expenditures, $64 million

(1984) revenues, $32 million; expenditures, $34 million

Electric power

19,025 kW capacity; 80 million kWh produced, 650 kWh per capita (1986)

14,440 kW capacity; 31 million kWh produced, 300 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$49.7 million (f.o.b., 1983); bananas, cocoa

$42.0 million (f.o.b., 1983); bananas, arrowroot, copra

GDP

$148.1 million (1984), $1,220 per capita; 5.8% real GDP growth (1986 est.); average annual inflation rate 2.4% (1985)

$108 million (1985), $850 per capita; 7% real growth (1986 est.)

Imports

$106.8 million (c.i.f., 1983); foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fertilizers, petroleum products

$64.9 million (c.i.f., 1983); foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels

Major industries

garments, electronic components, beverages, corrugated boxes, tourism, lime processing, tropical agriculture

food processing

Major trade partners

exports—58% UK, 16% US, 24% CARICOM; imports—37% US, 138% UK, 17% CARICOM, 9% Trinidad and Tobago (1984 est.)

exports—32% UK, 57% CARICOM, 34% Trinidad and Tobago (1983); imports 11% UK, 83% US, 32% CARICOM, 24% Trinidad and Tobago, 6% Canada (1983 est.)

Monetary conversion rate

2.70 East Caribbean dollars=US$1 (August 1986)

2.70 East Caribbean dollars=US$1 (August 1986)

Natural resources

forests, beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs

Shortages

food, machinery, capital goods

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

6 total, 6 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways, 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

2 major transport aircraft

no major transport aircraft

Highways

760 km total; 500 km paved; 260 km otherwise improved

about 1,000 km total; 300 km paved; 400 km improved; 300 km unimproved

Ports

1 major (Castries), 1 minor

1 major (Kingstown), 1 minor

Railroads

none

none

Telecommunications

fully automatic telephone system with 9,500 telephones (8.0 per 100 popl.); direct radio-relay link with Martinique and St. Vincent and the Grenadines; interisland troposcatter link to Barbados; 3 AM stations, 1 cable TV station

islandwide fully automatic telephone system with 6,500 sets (4.6 per 100 popl.); VHF/UHF interisland links to Barbados and the Grenadines; new SHF links to Grenada and St. Lucia; 4 AM and | FM stations; St. Vincentian-owned cable television system

Branches

Royal St. Lucia Police Force St. Vincent and the Grenadines 10 km Chateaubelair, Georgetown Saint KINGSTOW Vincent Caribbean Bequis Ff Sea a i" Caribbean Si cae Sea ee @ Mustique AS ae & ) fo) Jy Canouen o ‘Union Islend

Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force