2008 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2008 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
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. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.
Geography
Area
total: 616 sq km land: 606 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 January to April, rainy season 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
total: 0.01 per capita: 81 cu m/yr (1997)
Geographic coordinates
13 53 N, 60 58 W
Geography - note
the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean
Irrigated land
30 sq km (2003)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 6.45% permanent crops: 22.58% other: 70.97% (2005)
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
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
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: 25.2% (male 20,614/female 19,559) 15-64 years: 65.8% (male 50,897/female 54,140) 65 years and over: 9% (male 6,481/female 7,894) (2008 est.)
Birth rate
15.4 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate
6.71 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Education expenditures
6.6% of GDP (2006)
Ethnic groups
black 82.5%, mixed 11.9%, East Indian 2.4%, other or unspecified 3.1% (2001 census)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Infant mortality rate
total: 13.8 deaths/1,000 live births male: 12.75 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Languages
English (official), French patois
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76.25 years male: 73.59 years female: 79.05 years (2008 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 90.1% male: 89.5% female: 90.6% (2001 est.)
Median age
total: 29.2 years male: 28.2 years female: 30.2 years (2008 est.)
Nationality
noun: Saint Lucian(s) adjective: Saint Lucian
Net migration rate
-4.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Population
159,585 (July 2008 est.)
Population growth rate
0.436% (2008 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%, Pentecostal 5.7%, Rastafarian 2.1%, Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%, other Christian 5.1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 14 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2006)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.86 children born/woman (2008 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
Capital
name: Castries geographic coordinates: 14 01 N, 61 00 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution
22 February 1979
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Lucia
Diplomatic representation from the US
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael LOUIS chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795
Executive branch
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since September 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Stephenson KING (since 9 September 2007); note - Sir John COMPTON died in office Friday, 7 September 2007 cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general
FAX
[1] (202) 364-6723 consulate(s) general: Miami, 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
parliamentary democracy
Independence
22 February 1979 (from UK)
International organization participation
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Assembly - last held 11 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2011) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - UWP 50%, SLP 46.9%, other 3.1%; seats by party - UWP 11, SLP 6
National holiday
Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
Political parties and leaders
National Alliance or NA [George ODLUM]; Saint Lucia Freedom Party or SFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; Sou Tout Apwe Fete Fini or STAFF [Christopher HUNTE]; United Workers Party or UWP [Stephenson KING]
Political pressure groups and leaders
NA
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 (2000 est.)
Central bank discount rate
6.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate
10.12% (31 December 2007)
Currency (code)
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Currency code
XCD
Current account balance
-$199 million (2007 est.)
Debt - external
$257 million (2004)
Economic aid - recipient
$11.06 million (2005)
Economy - overview
The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries, with a surge in foreign direct investment in 2006, attributed to the construction of several tourism projects. Tourism is the main source of foreign exchange, with almost 900,000 arrivals in 2007. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Saint Lucia is vulnerable to a variety of external shocks including declines in European Union banana preferences, volatile tourism receipts, natural disasters, and dependence on foreign oil. High debt servicing obligations constrain the KING administration's ability to respond to adverse external shocks. Economic fundamentals remain solid, even though unemployment needs to be reduced.
Electricity - consumption
289.2 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production
325 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
Exports
$288 million (2006)
Exports - commodities
bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
Exports - partners
US 24.5%, France 23.2%, UK 19.3%, Antigua and Barbuda 5%, Dominica 4.9%, Barbados 4.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.1% (2007)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 5% industry: 15% services: 80% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$10,700 (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
3.2% (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$958 million (2007 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1.794 billion (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$791 million (2006)
Imports - commodities
food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels
Imports - partners
Brazil 63.6%, US 10.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 8.2% (2007)
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% (2007 est.)
Labor force
43,800 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 21.7% industry: 24.7% services: 53.6% (2002 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Oil - consumption
2,780 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports
2,631 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Stock of domestic credit
$1.217 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of money
$264.7 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money
$720.9 million (31 December 2007)
Unemployment rate
20% (2003 est.)
Communications
Internet country code
.lc
Internet hosts
17 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
15 (2000)
Internet users
110,000 (2007)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2003)
Radios
111,000 (1997)
Telephone system
general assessment: adequate system domestic: system is automatically switched international: country code - 1-758; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables, along with Intelsat from Martinique, carry calls internationally; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados
Telephones - main lines in use
51,100 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular
105,700 (2005)
Television broadcast stations
2 (1 commercial broadcast station and 1 community antenna television or CATV channel) (2003)
Televisions
32,000 (1997)
Transportation
Airports
2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Ports and terminals
Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort
Roadways
total: 1,210 km (2002)
Military and Security
Manpower available for military service
males age 16-49: 48,358 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 16-49: 38,660 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male: 1,591 female: 1,504 (2008 est.)
Military branches
no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard) (2007)
Military expenditures
NA
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
Illicit drugs
transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008