Saint Lucia

From Imakoopedia

Saint Lucia is a British Commonwealth country that is an island in the Caribbean, off the coast of Central America. It lies between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago.

The twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton) are striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere that are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean.

Table of contents

1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 4.1 Climate 4.2 Terrain 4.3 History 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By boat 6 Get around 7 Talk 8 Buy 9 Eat 10 Drink 11 Sleep 12 Learn 13 Work 14 Stay safe 15 Stay healthy 16 Respect 17 Contact 18 External links 19 Geography 20 People 21 Government 22 Economy 23 Communications 24 Transportation 25 Transnational Issues

Regions

Administrative divisions 

11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort

Cities

• Castries - Capital
• Vieux Fort

Other destinations

Understand

Climate

Tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August; Experiences hurricanes.

Terrain

Volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys; Natural hazards : volcanic activity.

Highest point 

Mount Gimie 950 m

History

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. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.

Independence 

22 February 1979 (from UK)

National holiday 

Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

Constitution 

22 February 1979

Get in

By plane

By boat

Get around

Talk

Languages 

English (official), French patois

Buy

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Learn

Work

Stay safe

Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit and Coast Guard)

Stay healthy

Respect

Contact

External links

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Geography

Geographic coordinates 

13 53 N, 60 68 W

Area 

total: 616 sq km
water: 10 sq km
land: 606 sq km

Area - comparative 

3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries 

0 km

Coastline 

158 km

Maritime claims 

contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

Natural resources 

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

Land use 

arable land: 4.92%
permanent crops: 22.95%
other: 72.13% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

30 sq km (1998 est.)

Environment - current issues 

deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region

Environment - international agreements 

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

People

Population 

160,145 (July 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%

Government

Country name 

conventional short form: Saint Lucia

Government type 

Westminster-style parliamentary democracy

Legal system 

based on English common law

Suffrage 

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch 

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dr. Perlette LOUISY (since September 1997)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Kenneth Davis ANTHONY (since 24 May 1997) and Deputy Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997)

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)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 55%, UWP 37%, NA 3.5%; seats by party - SLP 14, UWP 3
elections: House of Assembly - last held 3 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2006)

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)

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: Miami and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US 

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

Flag description 

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

Economy

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.

Labor force 

43,800

Labor force - by occupation 

agriculture 43%, services 39%, industry and commerce 18% (1981 est.)

Industries 

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

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 100%

Agriculture - products 

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

Exports - commodities 

bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil

Exports - partners 

UK 50%, US 24%, Caricom countries 16% (1995)

Imports - commodities 

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

Imports - partners 

US 36%, Caricom countries 22%, UK 11%, Japan 5%, Canada 4% (1995)

Currency 

East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code 

XCD

Exchange rates 

East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Fiscal year 

1 April - 31 March

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

37,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

1,600 (1997)

Telephone system 

general assessment: 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)

Internet country code 

.lc

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

15 (2000)

Internet users 

3,000 (2000)

Transportation

Highways 

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

Airports 

2 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Transnational Issues

Illicit drugs 

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