geo

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
Location:	Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates:	13 53 N, 60 58 W
Area:	total: 616 sq km land: 606 sq km water: 10 sq km Size comparison: three and a half times the size of Washington, DC
Land Boundaries:	0 km
Coastline:	158 km
Maritime claims:	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
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 extremes:
Natural resources:	forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
Land use:	agricultural land: 17.4% arable land 4.9%; permanent crops 11.5%; permanent pasture 1% forest: 77% other: 5.6% (2011 est.)
Irrigated land:	30 sq km (2012)
Natural hazards:	hurricanes; volcanic activity
Current Environment Issues:	deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region
International Environment Agreements:	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
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People
Nationality:	noun: Saint Lucian(s) adjective: Saint Lucian
Ethnic groups:	black/African descent 85.3%, mixed 10.9%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)
Languages:	English (official), French patois
Religions:	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.)
Population:	164,464 (July 2016 est.)
Age structure:	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.)
Dependency ratios:	total dependency ratio: 47.3% youth dependency ratio: 34.1% elderly dependency ratio: 13.3% potential support ratio: 7.5% (2015 est.)
Median age:	total: 34.2 years male: 33 years female: 35.3 years (2016 est.)
Population growth rate:	0.33% (2016 est.)
Birth rate:	13.5 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)
Death rate:	7.6 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)
Net migration rate:	-2.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)
Urbanization:	urban population: 18.5% of total population (2015) rate of urbanization: 0.89% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major urban areas - population:	CASTRIES (capital) 22,000 (2014)
Sex ratio:	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.)
Maternal mortality rate:	48 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
Infant mortality rate:	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.)
Life expectancy at birth:	total population: 77.8 years male: 75 years female: 80.7 years (2016 est.)
Total fertility rate:	1.75 children born/woman (2016 est.)
Health expenditures:	6.7% of GDP (2014)
Physicians density:	0.11 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
Hospital bed density:	1.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Drinking water source:	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.)
Sanitation facility access:	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.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:	NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:	NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:	NA
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:	27% (2014)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight:	2.8% (2012)
Education expenditures:	4.8% of GDP (2015)
Literacy:
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):	total: 13 years male: 12 years female: 13 years (2007)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:	total: 27.5% male: 21.5% female: 35.2% (2007 est.)
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Government
Country name:	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
Government type:	parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Capital:	name: Castries geographic coordinates: 14 00 N, 61 00 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:	10 districts; Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
Independence:	22 February 1979 (from the UK)
National holiday:	Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
Constitution:	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)
Legal system:	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) 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
Legislative branch:	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
Judicial branch:	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
Political parties and leaders:	Lucian People's Movement or LPM [Therold PRUDENT] Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenny ANTHONY] United Workers Party or UWP [Allen CHASTANET]
Political pressure groups and leaders:	NA
International organization participation:	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
National symbol(s):	twin pitons (volcanic peaks), Saint Lucia parrot; national colors: cerulean blue, gold, black, white
National anthem:	name: "Sons and Daughters of St. Lucia" lyrics/music: Charles JESSE/Leton Felix THOMAS note: adopted 1967
Diplomatic representation in the US:	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
Diplomatic representation from the US:	the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia
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Economy
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 ANTHONY 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 (purchasing power parity):	GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.083 billion (2016 est.) $2.052 billion (2015 est.) $2.004 billion (2014 est.) note: data are in 2016 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):	GDP (official exchange rate): $1.439 billion (2015 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:	1.5% (2016 est.) 2.4% (2015 est.) 0.4% (2014 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):	GDP - per capita (PPP): $12,000 (2016 est.) $11,900 (2015 est.) $11,700 (2014 est.) note: data are in 2016 dollars
Gross national saving:	13.2% of GDP (2016 est.) 16% of GDP (2015 est.) 12.2% of GDP (2014 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use:	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.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:	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 - products:	bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa
Industries:	tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, lime processing, coconut processing
Industrial production growth rate:	4% (2016 est.)
Labor force:	79,700 (2012 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:	agriculture: 21.7% industry: 24.7% services: 53.6% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:	20% (2003 est.)
Population below poverty line:	NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget:	revenues: $185.2 million expenditures: $222.2 million (2011 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:	12.9% of GDP (2011 est.)
Public debt:	77% of GDP (2012 est.) 77% of GDP (2010 est.)
Fiscal year:	1 April - 31 March
Inflation rate (consumer prices):	Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.1% (2016 est.) -1% (2015 est.)
Current account balance:	-$96 million (2016 est.) -$53 million (2015 est.)
Exports:	$205.2 million (2016 est.) $207 million (2015 est.)
Exports - commodities:	bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, avocados, mangoes, coconut oil (2010 est.)
Exports - partners:	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)
Imports:	$532 million (2016 est.) $540.6 million (2015 est.)
Imports - commodities:	food, manufactured goods, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, fuels
Imports - partners:	Brazil 34.9%, US 25.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.4%, Colombia 10.9% (2015)
Debt - external:	$523.2 million (31 December 2016 est.) $517 million (31 December 2015 est.)
Exchange rates:	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)
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Energy
Electricity - production:	400 million kWh (2014 est.)
Electricity - consumption:	300 million kWh (2014 est.)
Electricity - exports:	0 kWh (2013 est.)
Electricity - imports:	0 kWh (2013 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity:	88,000 kW (2014 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels:	100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:	0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:	0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources:	0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Crude oil - production:	0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - exports:	0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil - imports:	0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves:	0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)
Refined petroleum products - production:	0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption:	3,100 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports:	0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports:	3,058 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Natural gas - production:	0 cu m (2013 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:	0 cu m (2013 est.)
Natural gas - exports:	0 cu m (2013 est.)
Natural gas - imports:	0 cu m (2013 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:	0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:	400,000 Mt (2013 est.)
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Communications
Cellular Phones in use:	total: 188,000 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 115 (July 2015 est.)
Telephone system:	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)
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 (2007)
Internet country code:	.lc
Internet users:	total: 86,000 percent of population: 52.4% (July 2015 est.)
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Transportation
Airports:	2 (2013)
Airports (paved runways):	total 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
Roadways:	total 1,210 km paved: 847 km unpaved: 363 km (2011)
Ports and terminals:	major seaport(s): Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort
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