Saint Lucia




                                 Geography


Location:
     Caribbean, in the eastern Caribbean Sea, about two-thirds of the way
     between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago
Map references:
     Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones
     of the World
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
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
natural hazards:
     subject to hurricanes and volcanic activity




international agreements:
     party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification,
     Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
     Protection, Whaling


                                  People


Population:
     145,090 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     0.52% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     23.12 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     5.84 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     -12.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     18.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     69.36 years
male:
     67.06 years
female:
     71.83 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     2.5 children born/woman (1994 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 having 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:
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); Vice
     President George MALLET (since NA)
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), George ODLUM
Member of:
     ACCT (associate), ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD,
     ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory
     user), INTERPOL, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
     UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO




Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS
chancery:
     Suite 309, 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 30037
telephone:
     (202) 463-7378 or 7379
FAX:
     (202) 887-5746
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:
     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 data
     processing. The economy, however, remains vulnerable because the
     important agricultural sector is dominated by banana production, which
     is subject to periodic droughts and tropical storms. The economy
     exhibited relatively strong growth in 1992-93 based on a recovery of
     the agricultural and manufacturing sectors and continued growth in
     construction and tourism.
National product:
     GDP - exchange rate conversion - $433 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     6.6% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
     $3,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     5.1% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
     NA%
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:
     32,500 kW
production:
     112 million kWh
consumption per capita:
     740 kWh (1992)
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
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)


                              Communications


Highways:
total:
     760 km
paved:
     500 km
unpaved:
     otherwise improved  260 km
Ports:
     Castries, Vieux Fort
Airports:
total:
     3
usable:
     3
with permanent-surface runways:
     3
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0




with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     1
Telecommunications:
     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)


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Coast Guard
Defense expenditures:
     $NA, NA% of GDP