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| Introduction | Saint Lucia |
| 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. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979. |
| People | Saint Lucia |
| Population: | 164,213 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 30.7% (male 25,913; female 24,467) 15-64 years: 64.1% (male 51,750; female 53,530) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 3,159; female 5,394) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 24.5 years male: 23.7 years female: 25.3 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.27% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 20.5 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 5.18 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -2.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 13.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 15.09 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 73.34 years male: 69.78 years female: 77.16 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 2.25 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
| Nationality: | noun: Saint Lucian(s) adjective: Saint Lucian |
| Ethnic groups: | black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1% |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 3%, other Protestant 7% |
| Languages: | English (official), French patois |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 67% male: 65% female: 69% (1980 est.) |
| Government | Saint Lucia |
| Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Lucia |
| Government type: | Westminster-style 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) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 22 February (1979) |
| Constitution: | 22 February 1979 |
| 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 Dame Pearlette 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 in 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) |
| Political parties and leaders: | National Alliance or NA [George ODLUM]; Saint Lucia Freedom Party or SFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; Sou Tout Apwe Fete Fini or STAFF [Christopher HUNTE]; United Workers Party or UWP [Dr. Morella JOSEPH] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| 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) 364-6723 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 to Barbados, Ambassador Mary E. KRAMER, 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 |
| Communications | Saint Lucia |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 51,100 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 14,300 (2002) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: adequate system domestic: system is automatically switched international: country code - 1-758; 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, shortwave 0 (2004) |
| Radios: | 111,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 2 (of which one is a commercial broadcast station and one is a community antenna television or CATV channel) (2004) |
| Televisions: | 32,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .lc |
| Internet hosts: | 41 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 15 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 13,000 (2002) |
| Transportation | Saint Lucia |
| Highways: | total: 1,210 km paved: 63 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1999 est.) |
| Ports and harbors: | Castries, Vieux Fort |
| Merchant marine: | none |
| Airports: | 2 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Saint Lucia |
| Military branches: | Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (including Special Service Unit, Coast Guard) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | NA |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | NA |
| Transnational Issues | Saint Lucia |
| Disputes - international: | joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea |
| Illicit drugs: | transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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