Saint Lucia
parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchyIndependence 22 February 1979 (from the UK)
Saint Lucia as the 2017 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 152 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 fieldsLocation
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Climate
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
Land use
- agricultural land:
- 17.4%;
- arable land 4.9%;
- permanent crops 11.5%;
- permanent pasture 1%
- forest:
- 77%
- other:
- 5.6% (2011 est.)
Population - distribution
most of the population is found on the periphery of the island, with a larger concentration in the north around the capital of Castries
Natural hazards
hurricanes
- volcanism:
- Mount Gimie (948 m), also known as Qualibou, is a caldera on the west of the island;
- the iconic twin pyramidal peaks of Gros Piton (771 m) and Petit Piton (743 m) are lava dome remnants associated with the Soufriere volcano;
- there have been no historical magmatic eruptions, but a minor steam eruption in 1766 spread a thin layer of ash over a wide area;
- Saint Lucia is part of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south
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 and Society
35 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2017 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2017 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2010 est.)
Religions(2010 est.)
Population distribution
most of the population is found on the periphery of the island, with a larger concentration in the north around the capital of Castries
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 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:
- 0.86 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.83 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.95 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Major infectious diseases
note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito;
other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)
Government
Parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Prime Minister Allen CHASTANET (since 7 June 2016)
22 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
House of Assembly, 17 seats, elected 6 June 2016one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Saint Lucia
- etymology:
- named after Saint LUCY of Syracuse by French sailors who were shipwrecked on the island on 13 December 1502, the saint's feast day
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Capital
- name:
- Castries
- geographic coordinates:
- 14 00 N, 61 00 W
- time difference:
- UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
10 districts; Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
Constitution
- previous 1958, 1960 (preindependence);
- latest presented 20 December 1978, effective 22 February 1979;
- note - in mid-2015, an amendment was proposed to replace the London-based Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice as the country's highest appellate court (2016)
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
- citizenship by birth:
- yes
- citizenship by descent:
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Saint Lucia
- dual citizenship recognized:
- yes
- residency requirement for naturalization:
- 8 years
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 Allen CHASTANET (since 7 June 2016)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
- elections/appointments:
- the monarchy is hereditary;
- governor general appointed by the monarch;
- following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by governor general;
- deputy prime minister appointed by governor general
Legislative branch
- description:
- bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; 6 members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 2 upon consultation with religious, economic, and social groups; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)
- elections:
- House of Assembly - last held on 6 June 2016 (next to be held in 2021)
- election results:
- House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - UWP 54.8%, SLP 44.1%, other 1.1%; seats by party - UWP 11, SLP 6
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States;
- the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges;
- the Court of Appeal is itinerant, travelling to member states on a schedule to hears appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts;
- High Court judges reside at the member states with 4 on Saint Lucia;
- Saint Lucia is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
- judge selection and term of office:
- chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II;
- other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials;
- 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
Political parties and leaders
- Lucian People's Movement or LPM [Therold PRUDENT]
- Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Philip J. PIERRE]
- United Workers Party or UWP [Allen CHASTANET]
International organization participation
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, 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
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Anton Edsel EDMUNDS (since 8 September 2017)
- chancery:
- 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 364-6723
- consulate(s) general:
- 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
- cerulean 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
National symbol(s)
twin pitons (volcanic peaks), Saint Lucia parrot; national colors: cerulean blue, gold, black, white
National anthem
- name:
- "Sons and Daughters of St. Lucia"
- lyrics/music:
- Charles JESSE/Leton Felix THOMAS
note: adopted 1967
Economy
The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries.
36 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2016 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
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 CHASTANET 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.
Gross national saving
21.3% of GDP (2016 est.) · 29% of GDP (2015 est.) · 25% of GDP (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Industries
tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, lime processing, coconut processing
Central bank discount rate
6.5% (31 December 2010) · 6.5% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 62
Commercial bank prime lending rate
8.5% (31 December 2016 est.) · 8.86% (31 December 2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Stock of narrow money
$318.4 million (31 December 2016 est.) · $284.8 million (31 December 2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 177
Stock of broad money
$1.157 billion (31 December 2016 est.) · $1.131 billion (31 December 2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Stock of domestic credit
$1.332 billion (31 December 2016 est.) · $1.399 billion (31 December 2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 161
Current account balance
$-31 million (2016 est.); $-30.4 million (2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Imports - commodities
food, manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, fuels
Debt - external
$523.2 million (31 December 2016 est.) · $529 million (31 December 2015 est.) country comparison to the world: 177
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -; 2.7 (2016 est.); 2.7 (2015 est.); 2.7 (2014 est.); 2.7 (2013 est.); 2.7 (2012 est.))
Energy
24 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2012)
Installed generating capacity, 89,000 kW(2015 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
400,000 Mt (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Communications
6 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(July 2016 est.)
Telephone system
- general assessment:
- an adequate system that is automatically switched
- domestic:
- fixed-line teledensity is 20 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 105 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 1-758;
- the East Caribbean Fiber System and Southern Caribbean Fiber 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 (2016)
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)
Transportation
5 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Military and Security
No regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Marine Unit) (2012)
2 fieldsMilitary 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)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Saint Lucia.” The World Factbook 2017. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/saint-lucia/2017.