Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia Population: 160,267

BackgroundThe island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and rly 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, dedied to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.
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GeographyThe twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped pks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbn Loion:Caribbn, island between the Caribbn S and North Atlantic Ocn, north of Trinidad and TobagoGeographic coordinates:13 53 N, 60 58 WAr:total: 616 sq km land: 606 sq km water: 10 sq km

Size comparison: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DCLand Boundaries:0 kmCoastline:158 kmMaritime claims:territorial s: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental marginClimate:tropical, moderated by northst trade winds; dry sson January to April, rainy sson May to AugustTerrain:volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleysElevation extremes:lowest point: Caribbn S 0 m highest point: Mount Gimie 950 mNatural resources:forests, sandy bches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potentialLand use:arable land: 6.45% permanent crops: 22.58% other: 70.97% (2005)Irrigated land:30 sq km (2003)Natural hazards:hurricanes; volcanic activityCurrent Environment Issues:deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern regionInternational Environment Agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertifiion, Endangered Species, Environmental Modifiion, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the S, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
PeoplePopulation:160,267 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 187Age structure:0-14 yrs: 24.4% (male 20,035/female 19,021) 15-64 yrs: 66.4% (male 51,593/female 54,843) 65 yrs and over: 9.2% (male 6,668/female 8,107) (2009 est.)Median age:total: 29.8 yrs male: 28.7 yrs female: 30.8 yrs (2009 est.)Population growth rate:0.416% (2009 est.)Birth rate:15.1 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)Dth rate:6.8 dths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)Net migration rate:-4.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)Sex ratio:at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 yrs: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 yrs: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 yrs and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)Infant mortality rate:total: 13.43 dths/1,000 live births male: 12.47 dths/1,000 live births female: 14.44 dths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)Life expectancy at birth:total population: 76.45 yrs male: 73.78 yrs female: 79.27 yrs (2009 est.)Total fertility rate:1.84 children born/woman (2009 est.)HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:NAHIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:NAHIV/AIDS - dths:NANationality:noun: Saint Lucian(s) adjective: Saint LucianEthnic groups:black 82.5%, mixed 11.9%, st Indian 2.4%, other or unspecified 3.1% (2001 census)Religions:Roman holic 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 patoisLiteracy:definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 90.1% male: 89.5% female: 90.6% (2001 est.)
GovernmentCountry name:conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint LuciaGovernment type:parliamentary democracy and a Commonwlth rlmCapital:name: Castries geographic coordinates: 14 01 N, 61 00 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahd of Washington, DC during Standard Time)Administrative divisions:11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-FortIndependence:22 February 1979 (from the UK)National holiday:Independence Day, 22 February (1979)Constitution:22 February 1979Legal system:based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdictionSuffrage:18 yrs of age; universalExecutive branch:chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor eral Dame Prlette LOUISY (since September 1997) hd of government: Prime Minister Stephenson KING (since 9 September 2007); note - Sir John COMPTON died in 7 September 2007 cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor eral on the advice of the prime minister elections: the monarch is hereditary; the governor eral is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the lder of the majority party or the lder of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor eral; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor eralLegislative branch:bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 sts; six members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the lder of the opposition, and two after consultation with religious, economic, and social groups) and the House of Assembly (17 sts; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-yr 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%; sts by party - UWP 11, SLP 6Judicial branch:stern Caribbn Supreme Court (consists of a High Court and a Court of Appls; based on Saint Lucia; three judges of the Supreme Court reside in Saint Lucia); member of the Caribbn Court of Justice (CCJ)Political parties and lders: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 [Stephenson KING]Political pressure groups and lders:NAInternational organization participation:ACP, C, Caricom, B, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, PetroCaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTODiplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Michael LOUIS chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6723 consulate(s) eral: Miami, New YorkDiplomatic representation from the US:the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia
EconomyThe island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries, with a surge in foreign direct investment in 2006, attributed to the construction of several tourism projects. Although crops such as bananas, mangos, and avocados continue to be grown for export, tourism provides Saint Lucia's main source of income and the industry is the island's biggest employer. Tourism is the main source of foreign exchange, although tourism sector revenues declined with the global economic downturn as US and Europn travel dropped in 2009. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the stern Caribbn ar, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry, although recent hurricanes have caused exports to contract. Saint Lucia is vulnerable to a variety of external shocks including volatile tourism receipts, natural disasters, and dependence on foreign oil. The public debt-to-GDP ratio is about 70% and high debt servicing obligations constrain the KING administration's ability to respond to adverse external shocks. Economic fundamentals remain solid, even though unemployment needs to be reduced. GDP (purchasing power parity):GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.751 billion (2009 est.) $1.795 billion (2008 est.) $1.783 billion (2007 est.) note: data are in 2009 US dollarsGDP (official exchange rate):GDP (official exchange rate): $991 million (2009 est.)GDP - rl growth rate:-2.5% (2009 est.) 0.7% (2008 est.) 1.7% (2007 est.)GDP - per capita (PPP):GDP - per capita (PPP): $10,900 (2009 est.) $11,200 (2008 est.) $11,200 (2007 est.) note: data are in 2009 US dollarsGDP - composition by sector:agriculture: 5% industry: 15% services: 80% (2005 est.)Labor force:79,700 (2007)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):Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.9% (2007 est.)Budget:revenues: $141.2 million expenditures: $146.7 million (2000 est.)Agriculture - products:bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoaIndustries:clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism; lime processing, coconut processingIndustrial production growth rate:NAElectricity - production:325 million kWh (2007 est.)Electricity - consumption:302.2 million kWh (2007 est.)Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2008 est.)Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2008 est.)Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2008 est.)Oil - consumption:3,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)Oil - exports:0 bbl/day (2007 est.)Oil - imports:2,747 bbl/day (2007 est.)Oil - proved reserves:0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2008 est.)Natural gas - consumption:0 cu m (2008 est.)Natural gas - exports:0 cu m (2008 est.)Natural gas - imports:0 cu m (2008 est.)Natural gas - proved reserves:0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)Current account balance:$-199 million (2007 est.)Exports:$288 million (2006 est.)Exports - commodities:bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oilExports - partners:UK 23.6%, US 19.3%, South Kor 16.6%, Antigua and Barbuda 5.9%, Dominica 5.8%, Barbados 5.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.8% (2008)Imports:$791 million (2006 est.)Imports - commodities:food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuelsImports - partners:Brazil 68%, US 11.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 7.4% (2008)Debt - external:$257 million (2004 est.)Exchange rates:st Caribbn dollars (X) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
CommuniionsTele in use:40,900 (2008) country comparison to the world: 168Cellular in use:169,600 (2008)Telephone system:eral assessment: adequate system domestic: system is automatically switched international: country - 1-758; the st Caribbn Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbn fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables, along with sat from Martinique, carry calls internationally; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric ster to BarbadosRadio broadcast stations:AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2003)Television broadcast stations:2 (1 commercial broadcast station and 1 community antenna television or CA channel) (2003)Internet country :.lcInternet hosts:103 (2009)Internet users:100,000 (2008)
TransportationAirports:2 (2009) country comparison to the world: 201Airports (paved runways):total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)Roadways:total: 1,210 km (2002)Ports and terminals:Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort
Military
Military branches:no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit and Coast Guard) (2008)Manpower available for military service:males age 16-49: 48,358 (2008 est.)Manpower fit for military service:males age 16-49: 32,094 females age 16-49: 36,110 (2009 est.)