2014 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. 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.

Area

616 sq km 606 sq km 10 sq km

total

616 sq km

water

10 sq km

Area - comparative

three and a half 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

Caribbean Sea 0 m Mount Gimie 950 m

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

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 none of the selected 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)

0.02 cu km/yr (NA) 98.22 cu m/yr (2005)

per capita

98.22 cu m/yr (2005)

total

0.02 cu km/yr (NA)

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 (2007)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

4.84% 11.29% 83.87% (2011)

arable land

4.84%

other

83.87% (2011)

permanent crops

11.29%

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

12 nm 24 nm 200 nm 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

hurricanes; volcanic activity

Natural resources

forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential

Terrain

volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys

Age structure

21.2% (male 17,814/female 16,809) 16.6% (male 13,701/female 13,368) 42.9% (male 33,695/female 36,445) 8.8% (male 6,657/female 7,717) 10.2% (male 7,760/female 9,396) (2014 est.)

0-14 years

21.2% (male 17,814/female 16,809)

15-24 years

16.6% (male 13,701/female 13,368)

25-54 years

42.9% (male 33,695/female 36,445)

55-64 years

8.8% (male 6,657/female 7,717)

65 years and over

10.2% (male 7,760/female 9,396) (2014 est.)

Birth rate

13.94 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Death rate

7.32 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios

48 % 34.9 % 13.1 % 7.6 (2014 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

13.1 %

potential support ratio

7.6 (2014 est.)

total dependency ratio

48 %

youth dependency ratio

34.9 %

Drinking water source

urban: 98.6% of population rural: 92.8% of population total: 93.8% of population urban: 1.4% of population rural: 7.2% of population total: 6.2% of population (2012 est.)

rural

7.2% of population

total

6.2% of population (2012 est.)

urban

1.4% of population

Education expenditures

4.1% of GDP (2012)

Ethnic groups

black/African descent 85.3%, mixed 10.9%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)

Health expenditures

7.2% of GDP (2011)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

1.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

11.75 deaths/1,000 live births 11.15 deaths/1,000 live births 12.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

female

12.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

total

11.75 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

77.41 years 74.69 years 80.28 years (2014 est.)

female

80.28 years (2014 est.)

total population

77.41 years

Literacy

age 15 and over has ever attended school 90.1% 89.5% 90.6% (2001 est.)

definition

age 15 and over has ever attended school

female

90.6% (2001 est.)

male

89.5%

total population

90.1%

Major urban areas - population

CASTRIES (capital) 21,000 (2011)

Maternal mortality rate

35 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

Median age

32.9 years 31.7 years 34 years (2014 est.)

female

34 years (2014 est.)

male

31.7 years

total

32.9 years

Nationality

Saint Lucian(s) Saint Lucian

adjective

Saint Lucian

noun

Saint Lucian(s)

Net migration rate

-3.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.4% (2008)

Physicians density

0.47 physicians/1,000 population (2002)

Population

163,362 (July 2014 est.)

Population growth rate

0.35% (2014 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 61.5%, Protestant 25.5% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 10.4%, Pentecostal 8.9%, Baptist 2.2%, Anglican 1.6%, Church of God 1.5%, other Protestant .9%), other Christian 3.4% (includes Evangelical 2.3% and Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), Rastafarian 1.9%, other 0.4%, none 5.9%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 70.4% of population rural: 64.1% of population total: 65.2% of population urban: 29.6% of population rural: 35.9% of population total: 34.8% of population (2011 est.)

rural

35.9% of population

total

34.8% of population (2011 est.)

urban

29.6% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

12 years 12 years 13 years (2012)

female

13 years (2012)

male

12 years

total

12 years

Sex ratio

1.06 male(s)/female 1.06 male(s)/female 1.03 male(s)/female 0.93 male(s)/female 0.95 male(s)/female 0.83 male(s)/female 0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.93 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.83 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.77 children born/woman (2014 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

40.8% 37.1% 45.5% (2004)

female

45.5% (2004)

total

40.8%

Urbanization

17.5% of total population (2011) -3.13% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

rate of urbanization

-3.13% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

17.5% of total population (2011)

Administrative divisions

10 districts; Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort

Capital

Castries 14 00 N, 61 00 W UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

geographic coordinates

14 00 N, 61 00 W

name

Castries

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

previous 1958, 1960 (preindependence); latest presented 20 December 1978, effective 22 February 1979; note - a constitutional reform report was submitted to the St. Lucian Parliament in April 2013 (2013)

Country name

none Saint Lucia

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

Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY (since 12 September 2012) 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795 [1] (202) 364-6723 Coral Gables (FL), New York

chancery

3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016

chief of mission

Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY (since 12 September 2012)

consulate(s) general

Coral Gables (FL), New York

FAX

[1] (202) 364-6723

telephone

[1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795

Executive branch

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since September 1997) Prime Minister Kenny Davis ANTHONY (since 30 November 2011) Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister the monarchy is hereditary; the governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general

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 Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since September 1997)

elections

the monarchy is hereditary; the governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general

head of government

Prime Minister Kenny Davis ANTHONY (since 30 November 2011)

Flag description

blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border; the blue color represents the sky and sea, gold stands for sunshine and prosperity, and white and black the racial composition of the island (with the latter being dominant); the two major triangles invoke the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), cone-shaped volcanic plugs that are a symbol of the island

Government type

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Independence

22 February 1979 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the member states; 3 High Court judges reside on Saint Lucia note - Saint Lucia is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62 magistrate's court

highest court(s)

the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the member states; 3 High Court judges reside on Saint Lucia

judge selection and term of office

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62

subordinate courts

magistrate's court

Legal system

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 elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) House of Assembly - last held on 28 November 2011 (next to be held in 2016) House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 49.68%, UWP 45.83%; seats by party - SLP 11, UWP 6

election results

House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 49.68%, UWP 45.83%; seats by party - SLP 11, UWP 6

elections

House of Assembly - last held on 28 November 2011 (next to be held in 2016)

National anthem

"Sons and Daughters of St. Lucia" Charles JESSE/Leton Felix THOMAS adopted 1967

lyrics/music

Charles JESSE/Leton Felix THOMAS

name

"Sons and Daughters of St. Lucia"

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

National symbol(s)

twin pitons (volcanic peaks); Saint Lucia parrot

Political parties and leaders

Lucian People's Movement or LPM [Therold PRUDENT] Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenny ANTHONY] United Workers Party or UWP [Stephenson KING]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

$185.2 million $222.2 million (2011 est.)

expenditures

$222.2 million (2011 est.)

revenues

$185.2 million

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.7% of GDP (2011 est.)

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2010 est.) 6.5% (31 December 2009 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9.3% (31 December 2013 est.) 9.5% (31 December 2012 est.)

Current account balance

-$210.2 million (2013 est.) -$184.4 million (2012 est.)

Debt - external

$446.4 million (31 December 2013 est.) $438.7 million (31 December 2012 est.)

Economy - overview

The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. Tourism is Saint Lucia's main source of jobs and income - accounting for 65% of GDP - and the island's main source of foreign exchange earnings. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area. Crops such as bananas, mangos, and avocados continue to be grown for export, but St. Lucia's once solid banana industry has been devastated by strong competition. Saint Lucia is vulnerable to a variety of external shocks, including volatile tourism receipts, natural disasters, and dependence on foreign oil. Furthermore, high public debt - 77% of GDP in 2012 - and high debt servicing obligations constrain the ANTHONY administration's ability to respond to adverse external shocks. St. Lucia has experienced anemic growth since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008, largely because of a slowdown in tourism - airlines cut back on their routes to St. Lucia in 2012. Also, St. Lucia introduced a value added tax in 2012 of 15%, becoming the last country in the Eastern Caribbean to do so. In 2013, the government introduced a National Competitiveness and Productivity Council to address St. Lucia's high public wages and lack of productivity.

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2013 est.) 2.7 (2012 est.) 2.7 (2010 est.) 2.7 (2009)

Exports

$206.8 million (2013 est.) $190.1 million (2012 est.)

Exports - commodities

bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, avocados, mangoes, coconut oil

Exports - partners

US 13.9%, UK 10.3%, Peru 9.7%, Antigua and Barbuda 9.3%, Dominica 9.1%, France 9%, Barbados 8.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 7.6%, Grenada 6.2% (2012)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by end use

60.6% 19% 31.5% 0% 50.3% -61.3% (2013 est.)

exports of goods and services

50.3%

government consumption

19%

household consumption

60.6%

imports of goods and services

-61.3%

investment in fixed capital

31.5%

investment in inventories

0%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

3.1% 17.4% 79.5% (2013 est.)

agriculture

3.1%

industry

17.4%

services

79.5% (2013 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$13,100 (2013 est.) $13,200 (2012 est.) $13,400 (2011 est.) data are in 2013 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

0.2% (2013 est.) -0.9% (2012 est.) 1.8% (2011 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.377 billion (2013 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.216 billion (2013 est.) $2.211 billion (2012 est.) $2.23 billion (2011 est.) data are in 2013 US dollars

Gross national saving

17.4% of GDP (2013 est.) 18.6% of GDP (2013 est.) 15.3% of GDP (2013 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

NA% NA%

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$592.7 million (2013 est.) $579.3 million (2012 est.)

Imports - commodities

food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels

Imports - partners

Brazil 57.4%, US 19%, Trinidad and Tobago 9% (2012)

Industrial production growth rate

2.6% (2013 est.)

Industries

tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, lime processing, coconut processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.3% (2013 est.) 4.2% (2012 est.)

Labor force

79,700 (2012)

Labor force - by occupation

21.7% 24.7% 53.6% (2002 est.)

agriculture

21.7%

industry

24.7%

services

53.6% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

77% of GDP (2012 est.) 77% of GDP (2010 est.)

Stock of broad money

$1.073 billion (31 December 2013 est.) $1.036 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$1.699 billion (31 December 2013 est.) $1.598 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$270.3 million (31 December 2013 est.) $259.6 million (31 December 2012 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

13.4% of GDP (2011 est.)

Unemployment rate

20% (2003 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

424,900 Mt (2011 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)

Electricity - consumption

332.9 million kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

76,000 kW (2010 est.)

Electricity - production

362 million kWh (2011 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2011 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2011 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2011 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

2,922 bbl/day (2011 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

2,914 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

3 privately owned TV stations; 1 public TV station operating on a cable network; multi-channel cable TV service available; a mix of state-owned and privately owned broadcasters operate nearly 25 radio stations including repeater transmission stations (2007)

Internet country code

.lc

Internet hosts

100 (2012)

Internet users

142,900 (2009)

Telephone system

an adequate system that is automatically switched fixed-line teledensity is 25 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 130 per 100 persons 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 (2010)

domestic

fixed-line teledensity is 25 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 130 per 100 persons

general assessment

an adequate system that 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 (2010)

Telephones - main lines in use

36,800 (2012)

Telephones - mobile cellular

227,000 (2012)

Airports

2 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

total

2

Ports and terminals

Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort

major seaport(s)

Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort

Roadways

1,210 km 847 km 363 km (2011)

total

1,210 km

unpaved

363 km (2011)

Manpower available for military service

41,414 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

41,414 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

32,688 36,289 (2010 est.)

females age 16-49

36,289 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

32,688

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

1,574 1,502 (2010 est.)

female

1,502 (2010 est.)

male

1,574

Military branches

no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Marine Unit) (2012)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary security service; no national army (2012)

Disputes - international

joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its Economic Exclusion Zone/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

Trafficking in persons

St. Lucia is a destination country for persons subjected to forced prostitution and forced labor; legal and illegal immigrants from Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, and South Asia, especially those working in domestic service, are vulnerable to human trafficking; some children under 18 are coerced to work in St. Lucia's commercial sex industry Tier 2 Watch List - St. Lucia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of trafficking offenders or public officials complicit in human trafficking in 2012 or 2011, although a counter-trafficking act was passed in 2010; the government helps protect trafficking victims by funding an NGO and running a system of informal shelters but lacks formal procedures for identifying victims and referring them to available protection and assistance services; St. Lucia is not a party to the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2013)

current situation

St. Lucia is a destination country for persons subjected to forced prostitution and forced labor; legal and illegal immigrants from Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, and South Asia, especially those working in domestic service, are vulnerable to human trafficking; some children under 18 are coerced to work in St. Lucia's commercial sex industry

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List - St. Lucia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of trafficking offenders or public officials complicit in human trafficking in 2012 or 2011, although a counter-trafficking act was passed in 2010; the government helps protect trafficking victims by funding an NGO and running a system of informal shelters but lacks formal procedures for identifying victims and referring them to available protection and assistance services; St. Lucia is not a party to the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2013)