Airports [time series]

2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439

Civil air [time series]

no major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

760 km total; 500 km paved; 260 km otherwise improved

Ports [time series]

Castries

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

fully automatic telephone system; 9,500 telephones; direct microwave link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; interisland troposcatter link to Barbados; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (cable)

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Coast Guard

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

NA

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 16% of GDP and 43% of labor force; crops - bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus fruit, root crops, cocoa; imports food for the tourist industry

Budget [time series]

revenues $131 million; expenditures $149 million, including capital expenditures of $71 million (FY90 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

East Caribbean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $120 million

Electricity [time series]

32,500 kW capacity; 112 million kWh produced, 732 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)

Exports [time series]

$127 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: bananas 54%, clothing 17%, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil partners: UK 51%, CARICOM 20%, US 19%, other 10%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$54.5 million (1989)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $295 million, per capita $1,930; real growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.)

Imports [time series]

$270 million (c.i.f., 1990) commodities: manufactured goods 23%, machinery and transportation equipment 27%, food and live animals 18%, chemicals 10%, fuels 6% partners: US 35%, CARICOM 16%, UK 15%, Japan 7%, Canada 4%, other 23%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP

Industries [time series]

clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

4.2% (1990)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Since 1983 the economy has shown an impressive average annual growth rate of almost 5% because of strong agricultural and tourist sectors. Saint Lucia also possesses an expanding industrial base supported by foreign investment in manufacturing and other activities, such as in data processing. The economy, however, remains vulnerable because the important agricultural sector is dominated by banana production. Saint Lucia is subject to periodic droughts and/or tropical storms, and its protected market agreement with the UK for bananas may end in 1992.

Unemployment rate [time series]

16.0% (1988)

Climate [time series]

tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August

Coastline [time series]

158 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

none

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to hurricanes and volcanic activity; deforestation; soil erosion

Area (Land area) [time series]

610 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

arable land 8%; permanent crops 20%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 13%; other 54%; includes irrigated 2%

Maritime claims [time series]

Contiguous zone: 24 nm Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

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

Note [time series]

located 700 km southeast of Puerto Rico

Terrain [time series]

volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys

Area (Total area) [time series]

620 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort

Capital [time series]

Castries

Constitution [time series]

22 February 1979

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS; Chancery at Suite 309, 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 30037; telephone (202) 463-7378 or 7379; there is a Saint Lucian Consulate General in New York US: no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

House of Assembly: last held 6 April 1987 (next to be held by 27 April 1992); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (17 total) UWP 10, SLP 7

Executive branch [time series]

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border

Independence [time series]

22 February 1979 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Acting Governor General Sir Stanislaus Anthony JAMES (since 10 October 1988) Head of Government: Prime Minister John George Melvin COMPTON (since 3 May 1982)

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

none

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACCT (associate), ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

United Workers' Party (UWP), John COMPTON; Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Julian HUNTE; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), George ODLUM

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Birth rate [time series]

26 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

African descent 90.3%, mixed 5.5%, East Indian 3.2%, Caucasian 0.8%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

18 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

43,800; agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.)

Languages [time series]

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

70 years male, 75 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

67% (male 65%, female 69%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1980)

Nationality [time series]

noun - Saint Lucian(s); adjective - Saint Lucian

Net migration rate [time series]

-4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

20% of labor force

Population [time series]

151,774 (July 1992), growth rate 1.7% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3%

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.8 children born/woman (1992)