2000 Edition

Background

The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Self government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.

Area

land

610 sq km

total

620 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

highest point

Mount Gimie 950 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 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%

forests and woodland

13%

other

53% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

21%

permanent pastures

5%

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

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 33% (male 26,087; female 25,159) 15-64 years: 62% (male 47,420; female 49,290) 65 years and over: 5% (male 3,113; female 5,191) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

22.19 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

5.43 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1%

Infant mortality rate

15.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.14 years (2000 est.)

male

68.74 years

total population

72.31 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over has ever attended school

female

69% (1980 est.)

male

65%

total population

67%

Nationality

adjective

Saint Lucian

noun

Saint Lucian(s)

Net migration rate

-4.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

156,260 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.21% (2000 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 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 (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.42 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016

chief of mission

Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY

telephone

(202) 364-6792 through 6795

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dr. Pearlette LOUISY (since September 1997)

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

head of government

Prime Minister Kenneth ANTHONY (since 24 May 1997) and Deputy Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997)

FAX

(202) 364-6728

consulate(s) general

New York

Flag description

blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border

Government type

Westminster-style parliamentary democracy

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

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)

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; six members 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)

election results

House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SLP 16, UWP 1

elections

House of Assembly - last held 23 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

Political parties and leaders

National Freedom Party or NFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP ; United Workers Party or UWP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa

Budget

expenditures

$146.7 million, including capital expenditures of $25.1 million (FY97/98 est.)

revenues

$141.2 million

Currency

1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$135 million (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$51.8 million (1995)

Economy - overview

The recent changes in the EU import preference regime and the increased competition from Latin American bananas have made economic diversification increasingly important in Saint Lucia. Improvement in the construction sector and growth of the tourism industry helped expand GDP in 1998-99. The agriculture sector registered its fifth year of decline in 1997 primarily because of a severe decline in banana production. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean, and the government is beginning to develop regulations for the small offshore financial sector.

Electricity - consumption

102 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

110 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Exports

$75 million (1998)

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 - $656 million (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

10.7%

industry

32.3%

services

57% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $4,300 (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.9% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$290 million (1998)

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)

3.7% (1998 est.)

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.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 7 (plus 3 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

111,000 (1997)

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 - main lines in use

31,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1,000 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

3 (of which two are commercial stations and one is a community antenna television or CATV channel) (1997)

Televisions

32,000 (1997)

Airports

2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

63 km

total

1,210 km

unpaved

1,147 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

none (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

Castries, Vieux Fort

Railways

0 km

Military branches

Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit), Coast Guard

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$5 million (FY91/92)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2% (FY91/92)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe

SAINT PIERRE AND MIQUELON