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.
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
13 53 N, 60 58 W
Central America and the Caribbean
total: 616 sq km
land: 606 sq km
water: 10 sq km
three and a half times the size of Washington, DC
0 km
158 km
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
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
volcanic and mountainous with broad, fertile valleys
mean elevation: NA
elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m
forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
agricultural land: 17.4%
arable land 4.9%; permanent crops 11.5%; permanent pasture 1%
forest: 77%
other: 5.6% (2011 est.)
30 sq km (2012)
hurricanes; volcanic activity
deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region
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
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
164,464 (July 2016 est.)
noun: Saint Lucian(s)
adjective: Saint Lucian
black/African descent 85.3%, mixed 10.9%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)
English (official), French patois
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 0.9%), 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.)
0-14 years: 20.35% (male 17,225/female 16,237)
15-24 years: 15.88% (male 13,257/female 12,867)
25-54 years: 42.97% (male 33,974/female 36,697)
55-64 years: 9.58% (male 7,278/female 8,478)
65 years and over: 11.22% (male 8,352/female 10,099) (2016 est.)
total dependency ratio: 47.3%
youth dependency ratio: 34.1%
elderly dependency ratio: 13.3%
potential support ratio: 7.5% (2015 est.)
total: 34.2 years
male: 33 years
female: 35.3 years (2016 est.)
0.33% (2016 est.)
13.5 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)
7.6 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)
-2.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)
most of the population is found on the periphery of the island, with a larger concentration in the north around the capital of Castries
urban population: 18.5% of total population (2015)
rate of urbanization: 0.89% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
CASTRIES (capital) 22,000 (2014)
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: 0.86 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
48 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
total: 11.2 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
total population: 77.8 years
male: 75 years
female: 80.7 years (2016 est.)
1.75 children born/woman (2016 est.)
6.7% of GDP (2014)
0.11 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
1.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)
improved:
urban: 99.5% of population
rural: 95.6% of population
total: 96.3% of population
unimproved:
urban: 0.5% of population
rural: 4.4% of population
total: 3.7% of population (2015 est.)
improved:
urban: 84.7% of population
rural: 91.9% of population
total: 90.5% of population
unimproved:
urban: 15.3% of population
rural: 8.1% of population
total: 9.5% of population (2015 est.)
NA
NA
NA
note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)
27% (2014)
2.8% (2012)
4.8% of GDP (2015)
total: 13 years
male: 12 years
female: 13 years (2007)
total: 27.5%
male: 21.5%
female: 35.2% (2007 est.)
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Lucia
etymology: named after Saint LUCY of Syracuse by French sailors who were shipwrecked on the island on 13 December 1502, the saint's feast day
parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
name: Castries
geographic coordinates: 14 00 N, 61 00 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
10 districts; Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
22 February 1979 (from the UK)
Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
previous 1958, 1960 (preindependence); latest presented 20 December 1978, effective 22 February 1979; note - in mid-2015, an amendment was proposed to replace the London-based Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice as the country's highest appellate court (2016)
English common law
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent: at least one parent must be a citizen of Saint Lucia
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years
18 years of age; universal
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 Allen CHASTANET (since 7 June 2016)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by governor general
description: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; 6 members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 2 upon consultation with religious, economic, and social groups; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held on 6 June 2016 (next to be held in 2021)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - UWP 54.8%, SLP 44.1%; seats by party - UWP 11, SLP 6
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: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; 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
Lucian People's Movement or LPM [Therold PRUDENT]
Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenny ANTHONY]
United Workers Party or UWP [Allen CHASTANET]
NA
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, 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
chief of mission: Ambassador Elizabeth Darius CLARKE (since 3 August 2015)
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6723
consulate(s) general: New York
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia
cerulean 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
twin pitons (volcanic peaks), Saint Lucia parrot; national colors: cerulean blue, gold, black, white
name: "Sons and Daughters of St. Lucia"
lyrics/music: Charles JESSE/Leton Felix THOMAS
note: adopted 1967
20% (2003 est.)
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 fo
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 ANTHON
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%,
$1.439 billion (2015 est.)
$2.083 billion (2016 est.)
$2.052 billion (2015 est.)
$2.004 billion (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
1.5% (2016 est.)
2.4% (2015 est.)
0.4% (2014 est.)
$12,000 (2016 est.)
$11,900 (2015 est.)
$11,700 (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
13.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
16% of GDP (2015 est.)
12.2% of GDP (2014 est.)
household consumption: 69.9%
government consumption: 15.2%
investment in fixed capital: 18.7%
investment in inventories: 0.1%
exports of goods and services: 39%
imports of goods and services: -42.8% (2016 est.)
agriculture: 2.9%
industry: 14.1%
services: 83% (2016 est.)
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa
tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, lime processing, coconut processing
4% (2016 est.)
79,700 (2012 est.)
agriculture: 21.7%
industry: 24.7%
services: 53.6% (2002 est.)
NA%
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $185.2 million
expenditures: $222.2 million (2011 est.)
12.9% of GDP (2011 est.)
-2.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
77% of GDP (2012 est.)
77% of GDP (2010 est.)
1 April - 31 March
0.1% (2016 est.)
-1% (2015 est.)
6.5% (31 December 2010)
6.5% (31 December 2009)
8.8% (31 December 2016 est.)
8.86% (31 December 2015 est.)
$287.3 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$284.8 million (31 December 2015 est.)
$1.165 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$1.131 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$1.431 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$1.399 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
-$96 million (2016 est.)
-$53 million (2015 est.)
$205.2 million (2016 est.)
$207 million (2015 est.)
bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, avocados, mangoes, coconut oil (2010 est.)
Dominican Republic 25.1%, US 15.9%, Suriname 9.1%, Antigua and Barbuda 7%, Dominica 6.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 6.3%, Barbados 6.1%, UK 4.8%, Grenada 4.6% (2015)
$532 million (2016 est.)
$540.6 million (2015 est.)
food, manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, fuels
Brazil 34.9%, US 25.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.4%, Colombia 10.9% (2015)
$523.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$517 million (31 December 2015 est.)
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
2.7 (2016 est.)
2.7 (2015 est.)
2.7 (2014 est.)
2.7 (2013 est.)
2.7 (2012)
population without electricity: 16,446
electrification - total population: 91%
electrification - urban areas: 100%
electrification - rural areas: 80% (2012)
400 million kWh (2014 est.)
300 million kWh (2014 est.)
0 kWh (2013 est.)
0 kWh (2013 est.)
88,000 kW (2014 est.)
100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
3,100 bbl/day (2014 est.)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
3,058 bbl/day (2013 est.)
0 cu m (2013 est.)
0 cu m (2013 est.)
0 cu m (2013 est.)
0 cu m (2013 est.)
0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)
400,000 Mt (2013 est.)
total subscriptions: 34,874
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (July 2015 est.)
total: 188,000
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 115 (July 2015 est.)
general assessment: an adequate system that is automatically switched
domestic: fixed-line teledensity is 20 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 115 per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-758; the East Caribbean Fiber System and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables, along with Intelsat from Martinique, carry calls internationally; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; (2015)
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)
.lc
total: 86,000
percent of population: 52.4% (July 2015 est.)
J6 (2016)
2 (2013)
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
total: 1,210 km
paved: 847 km
unpaved: 363 km (2011)
major seaport(s): Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort
no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Marine Unit) (2012)
18 years of age for voluntary security service; no national army (2012)
joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe
