*Saint Lucia, Geography

Location:
  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 km2
 land area:
  610 km2
 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 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  subject to hurricanes and volcanic activity; deforestation; soil erosion

*Saint Lucia, People

Population:
  144,337 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.52% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  23.97 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  5.91 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -12.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  18.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  69.26 years
 male:
  66.98 years
 female:
  71.69 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.62 children born/woman (1993 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.)

*Saint Lucia, Government

Names:
 conventional long form:
  none
 conventional short form:
  Saint Lucia
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)
Constitution:
  22 February 1979
Legal system:
  based on English common law
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
Political parties and leaders:
  United Workers' Party (UWP), John COMPTON; Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP),
  Julian HUNTE; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), George ODLUM
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 House of Assembly:
  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
Executive branch:
  British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house
  or House of Assembly
Judicial branch:
  Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders:
 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)
Member of:
  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
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
 consulate general:
  New York
US diplomatic representation:
  no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)

*Saint Lucia, Government

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

*Saint Lucia, 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 in data processing. The
  economy, however, remains vulnerable because the important agricultural
  sector is dominated by banana production, which is subject to periodic
  droughts and/or tropical storms.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $250 million (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  2.5% (1991 est.)
National product per capita:
  $1,650 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  6.1% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
  16% (1988)
Budget:
  revenues $131 million; expenditures $149 million, including capital
  expenditures of $71 million (FY90 est.)
Exports:
  $105 million (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities:
  bananas 58%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
 partners:
  UK 56%, US 22%,CARICOM 19%
Imports:
  $267 million (f.o.b., 1991)
 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%
External debt:
  $65.7 million (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.); accounts for 12% of GDP
Electricity:
  32,500 kW capacity; 112 million kWh produced, 740 kWh per capita (1992)
Industries:
  clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated boxes,
  tourism, lime processing, coconut processing
Agriculture:
  accounts for 12% of GDP and 43% of labor force; crops - bananas, coconuts,
  vegetables, citrus fruit, root crops, cocoa; imports food for the tourist
  industry
Economic aid:
  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)

*Saint Lucia, Communications

Highways:
  760 km total; 500 km paved; 260 km otherwise improved
Ports:
  Castries, Vieux Fort
Airports:
 total:
  2
 usable:
  2
 with permanent-surface runways:
  2
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  1
 with runways 1,220-2,439:
  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)

*Saint Lucia, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Coast Guard
Manpower availability:
  NA
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP