Saint Lucia

Broadcast media

3 privately owned TV stations; 1 public TV station operating on a cable network; multi-channel cable TV service available; a mix of state-owned and privately owned broadcasters operate nearly 25 radio stations including repeater transmission stations (2007)

Internet country code

.lc

Internet hosts

100 (2012) country comparison to the world: 209

Internet users

142,900 (2009) country comparison to the world: 149

Telephone system

general assessment: an adequate system that is automatically switched domestic: fixed-line teledensity is 25 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 130 per 100 persons international: country code - 1-758; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables, along with Intelsat from Martinique, carry calls internationally; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados (2010)

Telephones - main lines in use

36,800 (2012) country comparison to the world: 172

Telephones - mobile cellular

227,000 (2012) country comparison to the world: 179

Agriculture - products

bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa

Budget

revenues: $185.2 million expenditures: $222.2 million (2011 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.7% of GDP (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 114

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 49 6.5% (31 December 2009 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9.3% (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 90 9.5% (31 December 2012 est.)

Current account balance

-$210.2 million (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 87 -$184.4 million (2012 est.)

Debt - external

$446.4 million (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 176 $438.7 million (31 December 2012 est.)

Economy - overview

The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. Tourism is Saint Lucia's main source of jobs and income - accounting for 65% of GDP - and the island's main source of foreign exchange earnings. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area. Crops such as bananas, mangos, and avocados continue to be grown for export, but St. Lucia's once solid banana industry has been devastated by strong competition. Saint Lucia is vulnerable to a variety of external shocks, including volatile tourism receipts, natural disasters, and dependence on foreign oil. Furthermore, high public debt - 77% of GDP in 2012 - and high debt servicing obligations constrain the ANTHONY administration's ability to respond to adverse external shocks. St. Lucia has experienced anemic growth since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008, largely because of a slowdown in tourism - airlines cut back on their routes to St. Lucia in 2012. Also, St. Lucia introduced a value added tax in 2012 of 15%, becoming the last country in the Eastern Caribbean to do so. In 2013, the government introduced a National Competitiveness and Productivity Council to address St. Lucia's high public wages and lack of productivity.

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2013 est.) 2.7 (2012 est.) 2.7 (2010 est.) 2.7 (2009)

Exports

$206.8 million (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 183 $190.1 million (2012 est.)

Exports - commodities

bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, avocados, mangoes, coconut oil

Exports - partners

US 13.9%, UK 10.3%, Peru 9.7%, Antigua and Barbuda 9.3%, Dominica 9.1%, France 9%, Barbados 8.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 7.6%, Grenada 6.2% (2012)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.377 billion (2013 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.216 billion (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 191 $2.211 billion (2012 est.) $2.23 billion (2011 est.) note: data are in 2013 US dollars

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 60.6% government consumption: 19% investment in fixed capital: 31.5% investment in inventories: 0% exports of goods and services: 50.3% imports of goods and services: -61.3% (2013 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 3.1% industry: 17.4% services: 79.5% (2013 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$13,100 (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 100 $13,200 (2012 est.) $13,400 (2011 est.) note: data are in 2013 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

0.2% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 192 -0.9% (2012 est.) 1.8% (2011 est.)

Gross national saving

17.4% of GDP (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 95 18.6% of GDP (2013 est.) 15.3% of GDP (2013 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$592.7 million (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 190 $579.3 million (2012 est.)

Imports - commodities

food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels

Imports - partners

Brazil 57.4%, US 19%, Trinidad and Tobago 9% (2012)

Industrial production growth rate

2.6% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 113

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.3% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 160 4.2% (2012 est.)

Labor force

79,700 (2012) country comparison to the world: 184

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 21.7% industry: 24.7% services: 53.6% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

77% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 30 77% of GDP (2010 est.)

Stock of broad money

$1.073 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 168 $1.036 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$1.699 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 136 $1.598 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$270.3 million (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 171 $259.6 million (31 December 2012 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

13.4% of GDP (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 199

Unemployment rate

20% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 161

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

424,900 Mt (2011 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 185

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 122

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 134

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 190

Electricity - consumption

332.9 million kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 172

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 197

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 35

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 201

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 180

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 124

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 201

Electricity - installed generating capacity

76,000 kW (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 179

Electricity - production

362 million kWh (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 167

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 195

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 184

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 130

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 192

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 194

Refined petroleum products - consumption

2,922 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 182

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 132

Refined petroleum products - imports

2,914 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 172

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 196

Area

total: 616 sq km country comparison to the world: 193 land: 606 sq km water: 10 sq km

Area - comparative

three and a half times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August

Coastline

158 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.02 cu km/yr (NA) per capita: 98.22 cu m/yr (2005)

Geographic coordinates

13 53 N, 60 58 W

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

Irrigated land

30 sq km (2007)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 4.84% permanent crops: 11.29% other: 83.87% (2011)

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

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

Natural hazards

hurricanes; volcanic activity

Natural resources

forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential

Terrain

volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys

Administrative divisions

10 districts; Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort

Capital

name: Castries geographic coordinates: 14 00 N, 61 00 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

previous 1958, 1960 (preindependence); latest presented 20 December 1978, effective 22 February 1979; note - a constitutional reform report was submitted to the St. Lucian Parliament in April 2013 (2013)

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Lucia

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY (since 12 September 2012) chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6723 consulate(s) general: Coral Gables (FL), New York

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dame Pearlette LOUISY (since September 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Kenny Davis ANTHONY (since 30 November 2011) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: the monarchy is hereditary; the governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general

Flag description

blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border; the blue color represents the sky and sea, gold stands for sunshine and prosperity, and white and black the racial composition of the island (with the latter being dominant); the two major triangles invoke the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), cone-shaped volcanic plugs that are a symbol of the island

Government type

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Independence

22 February 1979 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - with its headquarters on St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the member states; 3 High Court judges reside on Saint Lucia note - Saint Lucia is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice judge selection and term of office: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62 subordinate courts: magistrate's court

Legal system

English common law

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 elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Assembly - last held on 28 November 2011 (next to be held in 2016) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 49.68%, UWP 45.83%; seats by party - SLP 11, UWP 6

National anthem

name: "Sons and Daughters of St. Lucia" lyrics/music: Charles JESSE/Leton Felix THOMAS note: adopted 1967

National holiday

Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

National symbol(s)

twin pitons (volcanic peaks); Saint Lucia parrot

Political parties and leaders

Lucian People's Movement or LPM [Therold PRUDENT] Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenny ANTHONY] United Workers Party or UWP [Stephenson KING]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

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.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 41,414 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 32,688 females age 16-49: 36,289 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 1,574 female: 1,502 (2010 est.)

Military branches

no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Marine Unit) (2012)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary security service; no national army (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 21.2% (male 17,814/female 16,809) 15-24 years: 16.6% (male 13,701/female 13,368) 25-54 years: 42.9% (male 33,695/female 36,445) 55-64 years: 8.8% (male 6,657/female 7,717) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 7,760/female 9,396) (2014 est.)

Birth rate

13.94 births/1,000 population (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 141

Death rate

7.32 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 121

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 48 % youth dependency ratio: 34.9 % elderly dependency ratio: 13.1 % potential support ratio: 7.6 (2014 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 98.6% of population rural: 92.8% of population total: 93.8% of population unimproved: urban: 1.4% of population rural: 7.2% of population total: 6.2% of population (2012 est.)

Education expenditures

4.1% of GDP (2012) country comparison to the world: 107

Ethnic groups

black/African descent 85.3%, mixed 10.9%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Health expenditures

7.2% of GDP (2011) country comparison to the world: 81

Hospital bed density

1.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

total: 11.75 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 127 male: 11.15 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

Languages

English (official), French patois

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.41 years country comparison to the world: 67 male: 74.69 years female: 80.28 years (2014 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 90.1% male: 89.5% female: 90.6% (2001 est.)

Major urban areas - population

CASTRIES (capital) 21,000 (2011)

Maternal mortality rate

35 deaths/100,000 live births (2010) country comparison to the world: 117

Median age

total: 32.9 years male: 31.7 years female: 34 years (2014 est.)

Nationality

noun: Saint Lucian(s) adjective: Saint Lucian

Net migration rate

-3.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 180

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.4% (2008) country comparison to the world: 87

Physicians density

0.47 physicians/1,000 population (2002)

Population

163,362 (July 2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 187

Population growth rate

0.35% (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 166

Religions

Roman Catholic 61.5%, Protestant 25.5% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 10.4%, Pentecostal 8.9%, Baptist 2.2%, Anglican 1.6%, Church of God 1.5%, other Protestant .9%), other Christian 3.4% (includes Evangelical 2.3% and Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), Rastafarian 1.9%, other 0.4%, none 5.9%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 70.4% of population rural: 64.1% of population total: 65.2% of population unimproved: urban: 29.6% of population rural: 35.9% of population total: 34.8% of population (2011 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 13 years (2012)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.77 children born/woman (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 161

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 40.8% country comparison to the world: 12 male: 37.1% female: 45.5% (2004)

Urbanization

urban population: 17.5% of total population (2011) rate of urbanization: -3.13% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its Economic Exclusion Zone/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

Trafficking in persons

current situation: St. Lucia is a destination country for persons subjected to forced prostitution and forced labor; legal and illegal immigrants from Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, and South Asia, especially those working in domestic service, are vulnerable to human trafficking; some children under 18 are coerced to work in St. Lucia's commercial sex industry tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - St. Lucia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of trafficking offenders or public officials complicit in human trafficking in 2012 or 2011, although a counter-trafficking act was passed in 2010; the government helps protect trafficking victims by funding an NGO and running a system of informal shelters but lacks formal procedures for identifying victims and referring them to available protection and assistance services; St. Lucia is not a party to the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2013)

Airports

2 (2013) country comparison to the world: 205

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort

Roadways

total: 1,210 km country comparison to the world: 181 paved: 847 km unpaved: 363 km (2011)