1988 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; Soufriere volcano a constant threat

Ethnic divisions

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

Exclusive fishing zone

12 nm

12 nm

Infant mortality rate

27.4/1,000 (1984)

Labor force

43,800 (1983 est); 43.4% 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%

Nationality

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

Organized labor

St. Helena General Workers' Union, 472 members; 10% professional and technical, 9% mangement and clerical, 5% sales, 9% farming and fishing, 6% transport, 17% crafts, 10% service, 1% security, and 33% other

20% of labor force

Population

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

Religion

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

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

3 nm

3 nm

Total area

620 km2; land area: 610 km2

340 km2; land area: 340 km2

Ethnic divisions

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

Language

English, some French patois

Nationality

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

Population

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

Religion

Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist

Administrative divisions

Ascension and Triston da Cunha are dependencies of St. Helena

11 quarters

Branches

Executive Council, 12member elected Legislative Council

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

Capital

Jamestown

Castries

Communists

probably none

negligible

Elections

general elections held in October 1984 Political parties and leaders: St. Helena Labor Party, G. A. O. Thornton; St. Helena Progressive Party, leader unknown

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 Odium

Government leader

Francis BAKER, Governor and Commander in Chief (since 1984)

Government leaders

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

Legal system

Constitution in effect since 1967; Supreme Court

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, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, NAM, OAS, PAHO, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Official name

St. Helena

St. Lucia

Suffrage

universal adult over age 18

Type

British dependent territory

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

Voting strength

both political parties inactive since 1976

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

Agriculture

maize, potatoes, vegetables; timber production being developed; crawfishing on Tristan da Cunha

bananas, coconuts, sugar, cocoa, spices

Aid

development aid from UK — 7.5 million pounds sterling (1984 est.)

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

Budget

revenue, 5,656,518 pounds sterling; expenditure, 5,681,933 pounds sterling (1981/82)

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

Electric power

9,800 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 1,140 kWh per capita (1986)

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

Exports

fish (frozen skipjack, tuna, saltdried skipjack), handicrafts

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

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

Fishing

214 metric ton catch (1983)

GDP

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

Imports

food, drink, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts (1981/82)

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

Major industries

crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork)

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

Major trade partners

imports — 59% UK, 29% South Africa

exports — 58% UK, 16% US, 24% CARICOM; imports— 37% US, 13% UK, 17% CARICOM, 9% Trinidad and Tobago (1984 est.)

Monetary conversion rate

UK currency; .70 pound sterling=US$l (November 1986)

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

Natural resources

Ascension — sea turtle and sooty tern breeding ground; no minerals

forests, beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs

Shortages

food, machinery, capital goods

Airfields

none on St. Helena; airstrip (Miracle Miles) near Georgetown on Ascension; 1 permanent-surface runway 2,440-3,659 on Tristan da Cunha

2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways, 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 1 with runways 1,220-2,439

Branches

Royal St. Lucia Police Force 10km Chateaubelai KINGSTOW 'Georgetown Saint Vincent Caribbean Sea Caribbean Sea T Canouan , 'Union Island Sec regional map III

Civil air

2 major transport aircraft

Highways

87 km bitumen sealed roads, 20 km earth roads on St. Helena; 80 km sealed on Ascension; 2.7 km sealed on Tristan da Cunha

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

Military manpower

St. Helena Constabulary Sec rt|lonil map III

Ports

Jamestown on St. Helena, Georgetown on Ascension, and St. James Bay

1 major (Castries), 1 minor

Railroads

none

none

Telecommunications

1,500 radio receivers; no television service; wireless service to Cape Town and Ascension; telephones 310 (1982); coaxial cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK at Ascension Defense Forces Defense is the responsibility of the United Kingdom

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 Defense Forces