Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates: 13 53 N, 60 68 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 620 sq km
land: 610 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: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone : 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
territorial sea: 12 nm

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

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: 8%
permanent crops : 21%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 13%
other: 53% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1998 est.)

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, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Population: 160,145 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years : 31.6% (male 25,879; female 24,695)
15-64 years: 63.1% (male 49,667; female 51,482)
65 years and over: 5.3% (male 3,134; female 5,288) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.24% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 21.37 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 5.3 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate:-3.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 14.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.82 years
male : 69.26 years
female:76.64 years (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.34 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Nationality:
noun : Saint Lucian(s)
adjective: Saint Lucian

Ethnic groups:black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1%

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

Languages: English (official), French patois

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

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Lucia

Data code: ST

Government type: parliamentary democracy

National 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 of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dr. Perlette LOUISY (since September 1997)
head of government : Prime Minister Kenneth ANTHONY (since 24 May 1997) and Deputy Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997)
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 leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister 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 from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 3 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2006)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 55%, UWP 37%, NA 3.5%; seats by party - SLP 14, UWP 3

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 [Dr. Morella JOSEPH]

International organization participation: 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, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6728
consulate(s) general: New York

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

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

Economy - overview:The recent 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. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Despite negative growth in 2001, economic fundamentals remain solid, and GDP growth should recover in 2002.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $700 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -2.5% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,400 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture : 7.9%
industry: 19.6%
services: 72.5% (2000 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3% (2001 est.)

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

Unemployment rate: 15% (1996 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $141.2 million
expenditures: $146.7 million, including capital expenditures of $25.1 million (FY97/98 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate: -8.9% (1997 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 34,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production: 115 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 106.95 million kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products: bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa

Exports:
total value: $68.3 million (2000 est.)
commodities: bananas 60%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
partners: UK 50%, US 24%, Caricom countries 16% (1995)

Imports:
total value:$319.4 million (2000 est.)
commodities: food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels
partners: US 36%, Caricom countries 22%, UK 11%, Japan 5%, Canada 4% (1995)

Debt - external:$214 million (2000)

Economic aid:
recipient: $51.8 million (1995)

Currency: 1 EC dollar (XCD) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US$1 - 2.7000 (February 1997; fixed rate since 1976)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Telephones: 37,000 (1997)

Telephone system: adequate system
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

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 7 (plus 3 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:111,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 3 (of which two are commercial stations and one is a community antenna television or CATV channel) (1997)

Televisions: 32,000 (1997)

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 1,210 km
paved: 63 km
unpaved :1,147 km (1996)

Ports and harbors: Castries, Vieux Fort

Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Airports:2 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m:1 (2001)

Military branches: Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Coast Guard

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49 : NA

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: NA

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $5 million (1991); note - for police forces

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2% (1991)

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe