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 Match 206   DB Rec# - 7,658  Dataset-WOFACT

Title         :Saint Lucia 
Text          : 
                                   Saint Lucia 
 
                                    Geography 
 
Location: 
    Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago 
Map references: 
    Central America and the Caribbean 
Area: 
  total area: 
    620 sq km 
  land area: 
    610 sq km 
  comparative area: 
    slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC 
Land boundaries: 
    0 km 


Coastline: 
    158 km 
Maritime claims: 
  contiguous zone: 
    24 nm 
  exclusive economic zone: 
    200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin 
  territorial sea: 
    12 nm 
International disputes: 
    none 
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 
Natural resources: 
    forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal 
    potential 
Land use: 
  arable land: 
    8% 
  permanent crops: 
    20% 
  meadows and pastures: 
    5% 
  forest and woodland: 
    13% 
  other: 
    54% 
Irrigated land: 
    10 sq km (1989 est.) 
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 
 
Population: 
    156,050 (July 1995 est.) 
Age structure: 
  0-14 years: 
    35% (female 26,710; male 27,255) 
  15-64 years: 
    60% (female 47,584; male 46,326) 
  65 years and over: 
    5% (female 5,040; male 3,135) (July 1995 est.) 
Population growth rate: 
    1.17% (1995 est.) 
Birth rate: 
    22.48 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Death rate: 
    6.1 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Net migration rate: 


    -4.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Infant mortality rate: 
    20.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) 
Life expectancy at birth: 
  total population: 
    69.88 years 
  male: 
    66.33 years 
  female: 
    73.67 years (1995 est.) 
Total fertility rate: 
    2.37 children born/woman (1995 est.) 
Nationality: 
  noun: 
    Saint Lucian(s) 
  adjective: 
    Saint Lucian 
Ethnic divisions: 
    African descent 90.3%, mixed 5.5%, East Indian 3.2%, Caucasian 0.8% 
Religions: 
    Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3% 
Languages: 
    English (official), French patois 
Literacy: 
    age 15 and over has ever attended school (1980) 
  total population: 
    67% 
  male: 
    65% 
  female: 
    69% 
Labor force: 
    43,800 
  by occupation: 
    agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.) 
 
                                   Government 
 
Names: 
  conventional long form: 
    none 
  conventional short form: 
    Saint Lucia 
Digraph: 
    ST 
Type: 
    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), 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) 
  cabinet: 
    Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister 
Legislative branch: 
    bicameral Parliament 
  Senate: 
    consists of an 11-member body, 6 appointed on the advice of the prime 
    minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 2 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 
Political parties and leaders: 
    United Workers' Party (UWP), John COMPTON; Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP), 
    Julian HUNTE; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), Jon ODLUM 
Member of: 
    ACCT (associate), ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, 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, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO 
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 
 
                                   Government 
  FAX: 
    [1] (202) 364-6728 
  consulate(s) general: 
    New York 
US diplomatic representation: 
    no official presence since the Ambassador 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 
 
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 Debbie in mid-1994 caused the loss of 60% 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 
National product: 
    GDP - purchasing power parity - $610 million (1994 est.) 
National product real growth rate: 
    2% (1994 est.) 
National product per capita: 
    $4,200 (1994 est.) 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 
    0.8% (1993) 
Unemployment rate: 
    25% (1993 est.) 
Budget: 
  revenues: 
    $121 million 
  expenditures: 
    $127 million, including capital expenditures of $104 million (1992 est.) 
Exports: 
    $122.8 million (f.o.b., 1992) 
  commodities: 
    bananas 60%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil 
  partners: 
    UK 56%, US 22%, CARICOM 19% (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 17%, UK 14%, Japan 7%, Canada 4% (1991) 
External debt: 
    $96.4 million (1992 est.) 
Industrial production: 
    growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.); accounts for 12% of GDP 
Electricity: 
  capacity: 
    20,000 kW 
  production: 
    112 million kWh 
  consumption per capita: 
    693 kWh (1993) 
Industries: 
    clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard
 
    boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing 
Agriculture: 
    accounts for 14% of GDP and 43% of labor force; crops - bananas, coconuts, 
    vegetables, citrus fruit, root crops, cocoa; imports food for the tourist 
    industry 
Illicit drugs: 
    transit country for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe 
 
                                     Economy 
Economic aid: 
  recipient: 
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), 
    $120 million 


Currency: 
    1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents 
Exchange rates: 
    East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976) 
Fiscal year: 
    1 April - 31 March 
 
                                 Transportation 
 
Railroads: 
    0 km 
Highways: 
  total: 
    760 km 
  paved: 
    500 km 
  unpaved: 
    otherwise improved  260 km 
Ports: 
    Castries, Vieux Fort 
Merchant marine: 
    none 
Airports: 
  total: 
    3 
  with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways under 914 m: 
    1 
 
                                 Communications 
 
Telephone system: 
    9,500 telephones 
  local: 
    low density (6 telephones/100 persons) but the system is automatically 
    switched 
  intercity: 
    no intercity traffic 
  international: 
    direct microwave link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; 
    interisland troposcatter link to Barbados 
Radio: 
  broadcast stations: 
    AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0 
  radios: 
    NA 
Television: 
  broadcast stations: 
    1 cable 
  televisions: 
    NA 
 
                                 Defense Forces 
 
Branches: 
    Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Coast Guard 
Defense expenditures: 


    $NA, NA% of GDP 

This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).

The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995

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Updated: March 12, 1996