1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 620 sq km land: 610 sq km water: 10 sq km
Area--comparative
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August
Coastline
158 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m
Environment--current issues
deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region
Environment--international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geographic coordinates
13 53 N, 60 68 W
Irrigated land
10 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 8% permanent crops: 21% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 13% other: 53% (1993 est.)
Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
200 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards
hurricanes and volcanic activity
Natural resources
forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
Terrain
volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 33% (male 26,068; female 25,359) 15-64 years: 61% (male 46,265; female 48,100) 65 years and over: 6% (male 3,097; female 5,131) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
21.63 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
5.58 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1%
Infant mortality rate
16.55 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
English (official), French patois
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 71.81 years male: 68.14 years female: 75.74 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 67% male: 65% female: 69% (1980 est.)
Nationality
noun: Saint Lucian(s) adjective: Saint Lucian
Net migration rate
-5.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
154,020 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
1.09% (1999 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.27 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux Fort
Capital
Castries
Constitution
22 February 1979
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Lucia
Data code
ST
Executive branch
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dr. Perlette LOUISY (since September 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Kenny ANTHONY (since 24 May 1997) and Deputy Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997) 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 leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general
Flag description
blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border
Government type
constitutional monarchy
Independence
22 February 1979 (from UK)
International organization participation
ACCT (associate), ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Juliet Elaine MALLET PHILLIP chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 consulate(s) general: New York Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the Ambassador to Saint Lucia resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)
Judicial branch
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: United Workers Party or UWP
Legal system
based on English common law
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body, six 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 from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Assembly--last held 23 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: House of Assembly--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--SLP 16, UWP 1
National holiday
Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa
Budget
revenues: $141.2 million expenditures: $146.7 million, including capital expenditures of $25.1 million (FY97/98 est.)
Currency
1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Debt--external
$159 million (1997)
Economic aid--recipient
$51.8 million (1995)
Economy--overview
The economy remains vulnerable due to its heavy dependence on banana production, which is subject to periodic droughts and tropical storms. Increased competition from Latin American bananas will probably further reduce market prices, exacerbating Saint Lucia's need to diversify its economy in coming years, e.g., by further expanding tourism, manufacturing, and construction. In 1997, strong activity in tourism and other service sectors offset the contraction in agriculture, manufacturing, and construction sectors. Improvement in the construction sector and growth of the tourism industry was expected to expand GDP in 1998. The agriculture sector registered its fifth year of decline in 1997 primarily because of a severe decline in banana production.
Electricity--consumption
110 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
110 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)
Exports
$70.1 million (1997)
Exports--commodities
bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
Exports--partners
UK 50%, US 24%, Caricom countries 16% (1995)
Fiscal year
1 April--31 March
GDP
purchasing power parity--$625 million (1997 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 10.7% industry: 32.3% services: 57% (1996 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$4,100 (1997 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
2.2% (1997)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$292.4 million (1997)
Imports--commodities
food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels
Imports--partners
US 36%, Caricom countries 22%, UK 11%, Japan 5%, Canada 4% (1995)
Industrial production growth rate
-8.9% (1997 est.)
Industries
clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.9% (1997)
Labor force
43,800
Labor force--by occupation
agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
15% (1996 est.)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios
104,000 (1992 est.)
Telephone system
domestic: system is automatically switched international: direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados; international calls beyond these countries are carried by Intelsat from Martinique
Telephones
26,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations
3 (of which two are commercial (1997)
Televisions
26,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Airports
2 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 1,210 km paved: 63 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1996 est.) Ports and harbors: Castries, Vieux Fort
Merchant marine
none
Railways
0 km
Military and Security
Military branches
Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit), Coast Guard
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$5 million (1991); note?for police force
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
2% (1991)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
none
Illicit drugs
transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe