1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August
Coastline
158 km
Comparative area
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Environment
subject to hurricanes and volcanic activity; deforestation; soil erosion
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 8%; permanent crops 20%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 13%; other 54%; includes irrigated 2%
Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
Note
located 700 km southeast of Puerto Rico
Terrain
volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
Total area
620 km2; land area: 610 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
31 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
African descent 90.3%, mixed 5.5%, East Indian 3.2%, Caucasian 0.8%
Infant mortality rate
18 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
43,800; agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.)
Language
English (official), French patois
Life expectancy at birth
69 years male, 74 years female (1991)
Literacy
67% (male 65%, female 69%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1980)
Nationality
noun--Saint Lucian(s); adjective--Saint Lucian
Net migration rate
- 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
20% of labor force
Population
153,075 (July 1991), growth rate 2.2% (1991)
Religion
Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3%
Total fertility rate
3.5 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
Capital
Castries
Communists
negligible
Constitution
22 February 1979
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS; Chancery at Suite 309, 2100 M Street NW, Washington DC 30037; telephone (202) 463-7378 or 7379; there is a Saint Lucian Consulate General in New York; US--none
Elections
House of Assembly--last held 6 April 1987 (next to be held by April 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(17 total) UWP 10, SLP 7
Executive branch
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Flag
blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border
Independence
22 February 1979 (from UK)
Judicial branch
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Acting Governor General Sir Stanislaus Anthony JAMES (since 10 October 1988); Head of Government--Prime Minister John George Melvin COMPTON (since 3 May 1982)
Legal system
based on English common law
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly
Long-form name
none
Member of
ACCT (associate), ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO
National holiday
Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
Political parties and leaders
United Workers' Party (UWP), John COMPTON; Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Julian HUNTE; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), George ODLUM
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
parliamentary democracy
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 16% of GDP and 43% of labor force; crops--bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus fruit, root crops, cocoa; imports food for the tourist industry
Budget
revenues $131 million; expenditures $149 million, including capital expenditures of $71 million (FY90 est.)
Currency
East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Economic aid
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $118 million
Electricity
32,500 kW capacity; 112 million kWh produced, 730 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Exports
$111.9 million (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--bananas 54%, clothing 17%, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil; partners--UK 51%, CARICOM 20%, US 19%, other 10%
External debt
$54.5 million (1989)
Fiscal Year
1 April-31 March
GDP
$273 million, per capita $1,830; real growth rate 4.0% (1989)
Imports
$265.9 million (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--manufactured goods 23%, machinery and transportation equipment 27%, food and live animals 18%, chemicals 10%, fuels 6%; partners--US 35%, CARICOM 16%, UK 15%, Japan 7%, Canada 4%, other 23%
Industrial production
growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP
Industries
clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
4.4% (1989)
Overview
Since 1983 the economy has shown an impressive average annual growth rate of almost 5% because of strong agricultural and tourist sectors. Saint Lucia also possesses an expanding industrial base supported by foreign investment in manufacturing and other activities, such as in data processing. The economy, however, remains vulnerable because the important agricultural sector is dominated by banana production. Saint Lucia is subject to periodic droughts and/or tropical storms, and its protected market agreement with the UK for bananas may end in 1992.
Unemployment rate
16.0% (1988)
Communications
Airports
2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439
Civil air
2 major transport aircraft
Highways
760 km total; 500 km paved; 260 km otherwise improved
Ports
Castries
Telecommunications
fully automatic telephone system; 9,500 telephones; direct radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; interisland troposcatter link to Barbados; stations--4 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (cable)
Military and Security
Branches
Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Coast Guard
Defense expenditures
$NA, NA% of GDP _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 38,050; NA fit for military service