Saint Lucia

parliamentary democracyIndependence 22 February 1979 (from UK)

Saint Lucia as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 85 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalCastries

Position13 53 N, 60 68 W

Area620 sq km

LocationCaribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of

Populationas each edition published it

157,862 people July 1996 est. · 153,196 in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.14% 1996 est. · 0.52% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 24.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

70.09 years 1996 est. · 69.26 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.31 children per woman 1996 est. · 3.8 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

20 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 18 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$4,080 1995 est. · $1,650 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

2% 1995 est. · 2.5% in 1993

Geography

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of | Trinidad and Tobago

14 fields

Land useshare of 620 sq km

arable land 8%permanent crops 20%meadows and pastures 5%forest and woodland 13%other 54%irrigated 10 sq km (1989 est.)

Area

620sq km

land area: 610 sq kmcomparative area: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline

158km

land boundaries: 0 kmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental marginterritorial sea: 12 nm

Location

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

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

lowest point:: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point:: Mount Gimie 950 m

Natural resources

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

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

15 fields

Population

157,862

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 1.14% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

22.03Death

6.02Net migration

-4.62

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years70.09

66.52 · 73.91

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy67%

65% · 69%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over has ever attended school (1980 est.)

Ethnic divisions

African descent 90.3%mixed 5.5%East Indian 3.2%white 0.8%

Religions

Roman Catholic 90%Protestant 7%Anglican 3%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 34% (male 27,068; female 26,491)
15-64 years:: 61% (male 47,470; female 48,612)
65 years and over:: 5% (male 3,136; female 5,085) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.62 male(s)/female
all ages:: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Nationality

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

Government

Parliamentary democracy; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), a hereditary monarch, is represented by Governor General Sir Stanislaus Anthony JAMES (since 10 October 1988); Prime Minister John George Melvin COMPTON (since 3 May 1982) was appointed by the governor general

21 fields

Legislature, 17 seatsone dot, one seat

UWP 11SLP 6

Name of country

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

Data code

Type of government

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), a hereditary monarch, is 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) was appointed by the governor general
cabinet:: Cabinet was appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament

Senate

consists of an 11-member body, six 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

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, 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

Political parties and leaders

United Workers' Party (UWP), Vaughn LEWIS;
Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Julian HUNTE;
Progressive Labor Party (PLP), Jon ODLUM;
Citizen's Democratic Party (CDP) Calixte GEORGE

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), NAM, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIH, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

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

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

21 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$4,080

(1995 est.)

Real growth rate

(1995 est.)industrial production growth: 3.5% (1990 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

0.8%

(1993)

Unemployment rate

25%

(1993 est.)

GDP composition by sector(1992 est.)

agriculture 13.8%industry 17.4%services 68.8% (1992 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$121 millionExpenditures

$127 million (1992 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $104 million

Installed generating capacity, 20,000 kW

Electricity production

112 millionElectricity consumption per capita

693 (1993)

Economic 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 Iris in mid-1995 caused the loss of 20% 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.

commodities:: bananas 60%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
partners:: UK 56%, US 22%, Caricom countries19% (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 countries 17%, UK 14%, Japan 7%, Canada 4% (1991)

Transportation

5 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 3 in all

2 438 to 3 047 m

1 524 to 2 437 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

760Railways

Highways: paved: 500 km · unpaved: 260 km

Highways

total:: 760 km
paved:: 500 km
unpaved:: 260 km

Ports

Castries, Vieux Fort

Merchant marine

none

Communications

Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Coast Guard

9 fields

Fixed lines

26,000

(1992 est.)

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

males age 15-49:: NA
males fit for military service:: NA

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $5.0 million, 2.0% of GDP (1991); note - for police forces

Central Intelligence Agency. “Saint Lucia.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/saint-lucia/1996.

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