Saint Lucia

parliamentary democracyIndependence 22 February 1979 (from UK)

Saint Lucia as the 2008 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 122 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, UTC-4
Position13 53 N, 60 58 W
Area616 sq km
LocationCaribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
2008

Every edition of Saint Lucia

Populationas each edition published it
159,585 people July 2008 est. · 153,196 in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.436% 2008 est. · 0.52% in 1993
Median ageyears
29.2 years 2008 est. · 24.1 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
76.25 years 2008 est. · 69.26 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.86 children per woman 2008 est. · 3.8 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
13.8 deaths per 1,000 live births 2008 est. · 18 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$10,700 2007 est. · $1,650 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
3.2% 2007 est. · 2.5% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

19 fields

Land useshare of 616 sq km

arable land 6.45%permanent crops 22.58%other 70.97% (2005)irrigated 30 sq km (2003)
Area
616sq km
land: 606 sq kmwater: 10 sq km3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Coastline
158km
land boundaries: 0 kmterritorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Highest point
950m
Mount Gimielowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

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

Climate

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

Natural resources

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total:
0.01
per capita:
81 cu m/yr (1997)

Natural hazards

hurricanes and 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

21 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2008 est.)

6,481
65 and over9%
7,894
50,897
15-6465.8%
54,140
20,614
0-1425.2%
19,559
MaleFemale
Population
159,585
(July 2008 est.)growth rate: 0.436% (2008 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2008 est.)

Birth
15.4Death
6.71Net migration
-4.33

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2008 est.)76.25
73.59 · 79.05Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)13.8
12.75 · 14.9Literacy (2001 est.)90.1%
89.5% · 90.6%
TotalMale · femaleMedian age years (2008 est.)29.2
28.2 · 30.2School life expectancy years (2006)14
13 · 14
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school

Ethnic groups(2001 census)

black 82.5%mixed 11.9%East Indian 2.4%other or unspecified 3.1% (2001 census)

Religions(2001 census)

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)

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.)

Nationality

noun:
Saint Lucian(s)
adjective:
Saint Lucian

Languages

English (official), French patois

Education expenditures

6.6% of GDP (2006)

Government

Parliamentary democracy; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Prime Minister Stephenson KING (since 9 September 2007)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

50%
UWP 50%SLP 46.9%other 3.1%House of Assembly - last held 11 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2011)

House of Assembly, 17 seats, elected 11 December 2006one dot, one seat

UWP 11SLP 6

Percent of vote

UWP 50%SLP 46.9%other 3.1%

Country name

conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Saint Lucia

Government type

parliamentary democracy

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 UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

Constitution

22 February 1979

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 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

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

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

  • 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]

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

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

Economy

44 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$1.794billion
(2007 est.)official exchange rate: $958 million (2007 est.)
GDP per capita, PPP
$10,700
(2007 est.)
Real growth rate
3.2%
(2007 est.)industrial production growth: -8.9% (1997 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2005 est.)

agriculture 5%industry 15%services 80% (2005 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

Brazil
63.6%
24.5%
US
10.2%
23.2%
France
19.3%
UK
4.1%
Trinidad and Tobago
8.2%
5%
Antigua and Barbuda
4.9%
Dominica
4.4%
Barbados
Exports $288 million (2006)Imports $791 million (2006)(2007)

Budget

Revenues
$141.2 millionExpenditures
$146.7 million (2000 est.)

Electricity

Electricity production
325 million (2007 est.)Electricity consumption
289.2 million (2006 est.)

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.

Labor force

43,800 (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture:
21.7%
industry:
24.7%
services:
53.6% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate

20% (2003 est.)

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.12% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$264.7 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$720.9 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit

$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

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption

2,780 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

2,631 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2007 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 - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance

-$199 million (2007 est.)

Exports

$288 million (2006)

Exports - commodities

bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil

Imports

$791 million (2006)

Imports - commodities

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

Debt - external

$257 million (2004)

Currency (code)

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

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

8 fields
Mobile cellular
105,700
(2005)
Fixed lines
51,100
(2002) · country code .lc

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 7, shortwave 0 (2003)

Television broadcast stations

2 (1 commercial broadcast station and 1 community antenna television or CATV channel) (2003)

Internet users

110,000 (2007)

Transportation

4 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

2,438 to 3,047 m
11,524 to 2,437 m
1

Airports

2 (2007)

Roadways

total: 1,210 km (2002)

Ports and terminals

Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort

Military

No regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard) (2007)

5 fields

Military branches

no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard) (2007)

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.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Saint Lucia.” The World Factbook 2008. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/saint-lucia/2008.

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