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Introduction - Saint Lucia
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 - Saint Lucia
Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of
Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates:
13 53 N, 60 58 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 616 sq km
country comparison to the world: 193
land: 606 sq km
water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative:
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
158 km
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
Climate:
Current Weather
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy
season May to August
Terrain:
volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m
Natural resources:
forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
Land use:
arable land: 6.45%
permanent crops: 22.58%
other: 70.97% (2005)
Irrigated land:
30 sq km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.01
per capita: 81 cu m/yr (1997)
Natural hazards:
hurricanes; volcanic activity
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
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
People - Saint Lucia
Population:
160,922 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.5% (male 19,422/female 18,465)
15-64 years: 67% (male 52,291/female 55,534)
65 years and over: 9.5% (male 6,870/female 8,340) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 30.3 years
male: 29.3 years
female: 31.4 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.398% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
Birth rate:
14.81 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
Death rate:
6.9 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
Net migration rate:
-3.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
Urbanization:
urban population: 28% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.055 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: 0.95 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.07 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 133
male: 12.19 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.65 years
country comparison to the world: 67
male: 73.97 years
female: 79.48 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.82 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Saint Lucian(s)
adjective: Saint Lucian
Ethnic groups:
black 82.5%, mixed 11.9%, East Indian 2.4%, other or unspecified 3.1% (2001
census)
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)
Languages:
English (official), French patois
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 90.1%
male: 89.5%
female: 90.6% (2001 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
6.6% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 29
Government - Saint Lucia
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Lucia
Government type:
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
name: Castries
geographic coordinates: 14 01 N, 61 00 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet,
Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
Independence:
22 February 1979 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
Constitution:
22 February 1979
Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
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 7 September 2007
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime
minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
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
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)
elections: House of Assembly - last held on 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
Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (consists of a High Court and a Court of
Appeals; based on Saint Lucia; three judges of the Supreme Court reside in Saint
Lucia); member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
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
International organization participation:
ACP, AOSIS, 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, PetroCaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6723
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
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
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
Economy - Saint Lucia
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. Although crops such as bananas, mangos, and avocados continue
to be grown for export, tourism provides Saint Lucia's main source of income and
the industry is the island's biggest employer. Tourism is the main source of
foreign exchange, although tourism sector revenues declined with the global
economic downturn as US and European travel dropped in 2009. The manufacturing
sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is
trying to revitalize the banana industry, although recent hurricanes have caused
exports to contract. Saint Lucia is vulnerable to a variety of external shocks
including volatile tourism receipts, natural disasters, and dependence on
foreign oil. The public debt-to-GDP ratio is about 70% and 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.75 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
$1.795 billion (2008 est.)
$1.782 billion (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.003 billion (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-2.5% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
0.7% (2008 est.)
1.7% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$10,900 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
$11,200 (2008 est.)
$11,200 (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 15%
services: 80% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
79,700 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 184
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 21.7%
industry: 24.7%
services: 53.6% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:
20% (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $141.2 million
expenditures: $146.7 million (2000 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.9% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
Central bank discount rate:
6.5% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 61
6.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10.08% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 110
8.34% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$261.3 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 140
$264.7 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$800.1 million (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 124
$720.9 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.378 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 105
$1.217 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa
Industries:
clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard
boxes, tourism; lime processing, coconut processing
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
325 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
Electricity - consumption:
302.2 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Oil - consumption:
3,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
Oil - imports:
2,747 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
Current account balance:
-$199 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
Exports:
$288 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 175
Exports - commodities:
bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
Exports - partners:
Spain 29.41%, UK 15.28%, South Korea 10.54%, US 9.75%, India 9.52% (2009)
Imports:
$791 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 178
Imports - commodities:
food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%,
chemicals, fuels
Imports - partners:
Brazil 83.44%, US 4.67%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.56% (2009)
Debt - external:
$257 million (2004)
country comparison to the world: 170
Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005),
2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
Communications - Saint Lucia
Telephones - main lines in use:
40,900 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 168
Telephones - mobile cellular:
169,600 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 174
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
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (1 commercial broadcast station and 1 community antenna television or CATV
channel) (2003)
Internet country code:
.lc
Internet hosts:
103 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 198
Internet users:
100,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 155
Transportation - Saint Lucia
Airports:
2 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 199
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 1,210 km (2002)
country comparison to the world: 180
Ports and terminals:
Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort
Military - Saint Lucia
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special
Service Unit and Coast Guard) (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 41,177 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 32,406
females age 16-49: 36,216 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,627
female: 1,521 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Transnational Issues - Saint Lucia
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
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