Geography

Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total area: 620 sq km
land area: 610 sq km
comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 158 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August

Terrain: volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys

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

Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 20%
meadows and pastures: 5%
forest and woodland: 13%
other: 54%

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region
natural hazards: hurricanes and volcanic activity
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling

People

Population: 156,050 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (female 26,710; male 27,255)
15-64 years: 60% (female 47,584; male 46,326)
65 years and over: 5% (female 5,040; male 3,135) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.17% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 22.48 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 6.1 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 20.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.88 years
male: 66.33 years
female: 73.67 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.37 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Saint Lucian(s)
adjective: Saint Lucian

Ethnic divisions: African descent 90.3%, mixed 5.5%, East Indian 3.2%, Caucasian 0.8%

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

Languages: English (official), French patois

Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1980)
total population: 67%
male: 65%
female: 69%

Labor force: 43,800
by occupation: agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.)

Government

Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Lucia

Digraph: ST

Type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Castries

Administrative divisions: 11 quarters; Anse La Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux Fort

Independence: 22 February 1979 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

Constitution: 22 February 1979

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Stanislaus Anthony JAMES (since 10 October 1988)
head of government: Prime Minister John George Melvin COMPTON (since 3 May 1982)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
Senate: consists of an 11-member body, 6 appointed on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 2 after consultation with religious, economic, and social groups
House of Assembly: elections last held 27 April 1992 (next to be held by April 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (17 total) UWP 11, SLP 6

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: United Workers' Party (UWP), John COMPTON; Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Julian HUNTE; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), Jon ODLUM

Member of: ACCT (associate), ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (subscriber), NAM, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6728
consulate(s) general: New York

US diplomatic representation: no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)

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

Economy

Overview: Though foreign investment in manufacturing and information processing in recent years has increased Saint Lucia's industrial base, the economy remains vulnerable due to its heavy dependence on banana production, which is subject to periodic droughts and tropical storms. Indeed, the destructive effect of Tropical Storm Debbie in mid-1994 caused the loss of 60% of the year's banana crop. 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 expanding tourism, manufacturing, and construction

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $610 million (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: 2% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $4,200 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.8% (1993)

Unemployment rate: 25% (1993 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $121 million
expenditures: $127 million, including capital expenditures of $104 million (1992 est.)

Exports: $122.8 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities: bananas 60%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
partners: UK 56%, US 22%, CARICOM 19% (1991)

Imports: $276 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities: manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 21%, food and live animals, chemicals, fuels
partners: US 34%, CARICOM 17%, UK 14%, Japan 7%, Canada 4% (1991)

External debt: $96.4 million (1992 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.); accounts for 12% of GDP

Electricity:
capacity: 20,000 kW
production: 112 million kWh
consumption per capita: 693 kWh (1993)

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

Agriculture: accounts for 14% of GDP and 43% of labor force; crops - bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus fruit, root crops, cocoa; imports food for the tourist industry

Illicit drugs: transit country for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe

Economic aid:
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $120 million

Currency: 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Transportation

Railroads: 0 km

Highways:
total: 760 km
paved: 500 km
unpaved: otherwise improved 260 km

Ports: Castries, Vieux Fort

Merchant marine: none

Airports:
total: 3
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 1

Communications

Telephone system: 9,500 telephones
local: low density (6 telephones/100 persons) but the system is automatically switched
intercity: no intercity traffic
international: direct microwave link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; interisland troposcatter link to Barbados

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0
radios: NA

Television:
broadcast stations: 1 cable
televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Branches: Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Coast Guard