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
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
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.)
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)
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]
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 - 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)
$866 million (2002 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.)
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)
Currency code
XCD
Exchange rates
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Telephones - main lines in use
51,100 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular
93,000 (2004)
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)
Radios
111,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
2 (1 commercial broadcast station and 1 community antenna television or CATV channel) (2003)
Televisions
32,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.lc
Internet hosts
21 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
15 (2000)
Internet users
55,000 (2005)
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 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 Venezuela's 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
Illicit drugs
transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe
