:Saint Lucia Geography Total area: 620 km2 Land area: 610 km2 Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: none Coastline: 158 km Maritime claims: Contiguous zone: 24 nm Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm 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%; includes irrigated 2% Environment: subject to hurricanes and volcanic activity; deforestation; soil erosion Note: located 700 km southeast of Puerto Rico :Saint Lucia People Population: 151,774 (July 1992), growth rate 1.7% (1992) Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: -4 migrants/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 75 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/woman (1992) 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: 67% (male 65%, female 69%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1980) Labor force: 43,800; agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.) Organized labor: 20% of labor force :Saint Lucia Government Long-form name: none 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) 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) Political parties and leaders: United Workers' Party (UWP), John COMPTON; Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Julian HUNTE; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), George ODLUM Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: House of Assembly: last held 6 April 1987 (next to be held by 27 April 1992); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (17 total) UWP 10, SLP 7 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: Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS; Chancery at Suite 309, 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 30037; telephone (202) 463-7378 or 7379; there is a Saint Lucian Consulate General in New York US: no official presence since the Ambassador resides in Bridgetown (Barbados) 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. Saint Lucia is subject to periodic droughts and/or tropical storms, and its protected market agreement with the UK for bananas may end in 1992. GDP: exchange rate conversion - $295 million, per capita $1,930; real growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.2% (1990) Unemployment rate: 16.0% (1988) Budget: revenues $131 million; expenditures $149 million, including capital expenditures of $71 million (FY90 est.) Exports: $127 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: bananas 54%, clothing 17%, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil partners: UK 51%, CARICOM 20%, US 19%, other 10% Imports: $270 million (c.i.f., 1990) commodities: manufactured goods 23%, machinery and transportation equipment 27%, food and live animals 18%, chemicals 10%, fuels 6% partners: US 35%, CARICOM 16%, UK 15%, Japan 7%, Canada 4%, other 23% External debt: $54.5 million (1989) Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP Electricity: 32,500 kW capacity; 112 million kWh produced, 732 kWh per capita (1991) Industries: clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing Agriculture: accounts for 16% 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), $120 million Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 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 Civil air: no major transport aircraft Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 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