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Communications

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Coast Guard

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $5.0 million, 2.0% of GDP (1991); note - for police forces

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49: NA males fit for military service: NA

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 4, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

104,000 (1992 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

domestic: system is automatically switched international: 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

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

26,000 (1992 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 cable

Televisions [time series]

26,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa

Budget [time series]

revenues: $121 million expenditures: $127 million, including capital expenditures of $104 million (1992 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview [time series]

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 Iris in mid-1995 caused the loss of 20% 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.

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 20,000 kW production: 112 million kWh consumption per capita: 693 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Exports [time series]

$122.8 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: bananas 60%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil partners: UK 56%, US 22%, Caricom countries19% (1991)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$222.7 million (1995 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

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

purchasing power parity - $640 million (1995 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 13.8% industry: 17.4% services: 68.8% (1992 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP per capita) [time series]

$4,080 (1995 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP real growth rate) [time series]

2% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

transit country for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe

Imports [time series]

$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 countries 17%, UK 14%, Japan 7%, Canada 4% (1991)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

3.5% (1990 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

0.8% (1993)

Labor force [time series]

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

Unemployment rate [time series]

25% (1993 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 620 sq km land area: 610 sq km comparative area: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

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

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Geographic coordinates [time series]

13 53 N, 60 68 W

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

10 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 8% permanent crops: 20% meadows and pastures: 5% forest and woodland: 13% other: 54%

Location [time series]

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m

Government

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

Data code [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), a hereditary monarch, is 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) was appointed by the governor general cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister

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

[1] (202) 364-6728 consulate(s) general: New York

Flag [time series]

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

Legislative branch (House of Assembly) [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

22 February 1979 (from UK)

International organization participation [time series]

ACCT (associate), ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, 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, UNMIH, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Judicial branch [time series]

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

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Parliament

Country name (Name of country) [time series]

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Lucia

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

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

United Workers' Party (UWP), Vaughn LEWIS; Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Julian HUNTE; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), Jon ODLUM; Citizen's Democratic Party (CDP) Calixte GEORGE

Legislative branch (Senate) [time series]

consists of an 11-member body, six 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

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type of government) [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the Ambassador to Saint Lucia resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 34% (male 27,068; female 26,491) 15-64 years: 61% (male 47,470; female 48,612) 65 years and over: 5% (male 3,136; female 5,085) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

22.03 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.02 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

20 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages [time series]

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 70.09 years male: 66.52 years female: 73.91 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over has ever attended school (1980 est.) total population: 67% male: 65% female: 69%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Saint Lucian(s) adjective: Saint Lucian

Net migration rate [time series]

-4.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population [time series]

157,862 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.14% (1996 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.31 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

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 (1995 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 760 km paved: 500 km unpaved: 260 km

Merchant marine [time series]

none

Ports [time series]

Castries, Vieux Fort

Railways [time series]

0 km