Saint Lucia

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Introduction - Saint Lucia:
Country	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.


Location - 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 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	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)

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 - Saint Lucia:
Population	170,649 (July 2007 est.)

Age structure	0-14 years: 29.4% (male 25,869/female 24,248) 15-64 years: 65.5% (male 55,115/female 56,641) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 3,200/female 5,576) (2007 est.)

Median age	total: 25.6 years male: 24.8 years female: 26.5 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate	1.297% (2007 est.)

Birth rate	19.28 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate	5.03 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate	-1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Sex ratio	at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.067 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.973 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.574 male(s)/female total population: 0.974 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate	total: 12.81 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth	total population: 74.08 years male: 70.53 years female: 77.88 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate	2.15 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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.)

Government - Saint Lucia:
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

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 Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since September 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Sir John COMPTON (since 15 December 2006); note - since 1 May 2007 Stephenson KING has been acting prime minister while Sir John COMPTON recovers from a series of strokes cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; 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 [Sir John COMPTON]

Political pressure groups and leaders	NA

International organization participation	ACCT, 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 Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY 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 - Saint Lucia:
Economy overview	Changes in the EU import preference regime and the increased competition from Latin American bananas have made economic diversification increasingly important in Saint Lucia. The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. Tourism is the main source of foreign exchange, with more than 700,000 arrivals in 2005. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Economic fundamentals remain solid, even though unemployment needs to be cut.

Gdp purchasing power parity	$1.179 billion (2006 est.)

Gdp official exchange rate	$825 million (2005)

Gdp real growth rate	5.1% (2005 est.)

Gdp per capita ppp	$4,800 (2005 est.)

Gdp composition by sector	agriculture: 5% industry: 15% services: 80% (2005 est.)

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.)

Population below poverty line	NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate consumer prices	2.9% (2005 est.)

Budget	revenues: $141.2 million expenditures: $146.7 million; including capital expenditures of $25.1 million (2000 est.)

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	-8.9% (1997 est.)

Electricity production	290 million kWh (2004)

Electricity consumption	269.7 million kWh (2004)

Electricity exports	0 kWh (2004)

Electricity imports	0 kWh (2004)

Oil production	0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil consumption	2,800 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil exports	NA bbl/day

Oil imports	NA bbl/day

Oil proved reserves	0 bbl

Natural gas production	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas consumption	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Exports	$82 million (2004 est.)

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

Exports partners	France 69.1%, US 10.1%, UK 8.7% (2006)

Imports	$410 million (2004 est.)

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

Imports partners	US 19.9%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.1%, Italy 11.6%, France 11.1%, UK 6.5%, Argentina 6.4%, Netherlands 5.5%, Venezuela 5.1% (2006)

Debt external	$257 million (2004)

Economic aid recipient	$21.5 million (2004)

Currency code	East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Exchange rates	East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002)

Communications - Saint Lucia:
Fiscal year	1 April - 31 March

Telephones main lines in use	51,100 (2002)

Telephones mobile cellular	105,700 (2005)

Telephone system	general assessment: adequate system domestic: system is automatically switched international: country code - 1-758; 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

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 country code	.lc

Internet hosts	21 (2006)

Internet users	55,000 (2004)

Transportation - Saint Lucia:
Airports	2 (2006)

Airports with paved runways	total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways	total: 910 km paved: 48 km unpaved: 862 km (2000)

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, Coast Guard) (2007)

Manpower available for military service	males age 18-49: 42,742 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service	males age 18-49: 33,539 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually	males age 18-49: 1,651 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures percent of gdp	NA

Disputes international	joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuelas 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