world
factbook
Saint Lucia
The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries and burgeoning sugar industry, 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 and became part of the British Windward Islands colony. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. In the mid-20th century, Saint Lucia joined the West Indies Federation (1958–1962) and in 1967 became one of the six members of the West Indies Associated States, with internal self-government. In 1979, Saint Lucia gained full independence.

geography

location

Central America and the Caribbean
13.53° N, 60. 58° W
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

area

616 sq km
land
606 sq km
water
10 sq km

land boundaries

0 km

coastline

158 km

climate

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

terrain

volcanic and mountainous with broad, fertile valleys

elevation

lowest point
Caribbean Sea
0
highest point
Mount Gimie
948

natural resources

  • forests
  • sandy beaches
  • minerals
  • pumice
  • mineral springs
  • geothermal potential

land use

arable land
4.9 %
permanent crops
11.5 %
permanent pasture
1 %
forest
77 %
other
5.6 %

population distribution

most of the population is found on the periphery of the island, with a larger concentration in the north around the capital of Castries

people

population

  • 166,487
  • 187
    global rank

nationality

  • Saint Lucian(s)
    noun
  • Saint Lucian
    adjective

ethnic groups

black/African descent
85.3 %
mixed
10.9 %
East Indian
2.2 %
other
1.6 %
unspecified
0.1 %

languages

  • English
    official
  • French patois

religions

Roman Catholic
61.5 %
Protestant
25.5 %
other Christian
3.4 %
Rastafarian
1.9 %
other
0.4 %
none
5.9 %
unspecified
1.4 %

birth rate

  • 12.5
    per 1,000 population
  • 155
    global rank

death rate

  • 8.1
    per 1,000 population
  • 90
    global rank

urban population

18.8 %

major urban areas

  • Castries
    pop. 22,000

life expectancy

  • 78.5
    total population
  • 66
    global rank
75.7
male
81.4
female

adult obesity rate

  • 19.7%
    percent of adults
  • 111
    global rank

government

government type

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

capital

Castries
14.0 N, 61.0 W

independence

national holidays

  • Independence Day
    22 February

legal system

English common law

age of suffrage

18

flag description

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

national colors

  • cerulean blue
  • gold
  • black
  • white

national anthem

Sons and Daughters of St. Lucia

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 CHASTANET 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.

GDP

2,542,000,000 USD
2017

agriculture products

  • bananas
  • coconuts
  • vegetables
  • citrus
  • root crops
  • cocoa

budget

  • 398,200,000
    revenue (USD)
  • 392,800,000
    expenditures (USD)

communications

telephones

    fixed lines

  • 36,469
    total subscriptions
  • 167
    global rank

    mobile cellular

  • 184,944
    total subscriptions
  • 184
    global rank

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

internet

.lc
country code

    users

  • 84,112
    total
  • 50.82
    % of population
  • 180
    global rank

energy

electricity access

97.8%
2016

transportation

air transport

    airports

  • 2
    total
  • 2
    paved

roadways

1,210 km
total length

military

This entry doesn't have any available military data.