The World Factbook (1982)/St. Lucia

by the Central Intelligence Agency

ST. LUCIA

(See reference map III)

LAND

616 km²; 50% arable, 3% pasture, 19% forest, 5% unused but potentially productive, 23% wasteland and built on

WATER

Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 3 nm (fishing 12 nm)

Coastline: 158 km

PEOPLE

Population: 119,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.4%

Nationality: noun—St. Lucian(s); adjective—St. Lucian

Ethnic divisions: mainly of African Negro descent

Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic

Language: English, French patois

Literacy: about 80%

Labor force: 45,000 (1979); 40% agriculture; 13% unemployment (1979)

Organized labor: 20% of labor force

GOVERNMENT

Official name: St. Lucia

Type: independent state within Commonwealth as of 22 February 1979, recognizing Elizabeth II as Chief of State

Capital: Castries

Political subdivisions: 16 parishes

Legal system: based on English common law; constitution of 1960; highest judicial body is Court of Appeal of Leeward and Windward Islands

Branches: legislative, bicameral; executive, Cabinet headed by Prime Minister

Government leaders: on 16 January 1982 the government of Prime Minister Winston Cenac resigned; an Interim Prime Minister, Michael PILGRAM, was sworn in

Suffrage: universal adult suffrage

Elections: every five-years; most recent 2 July 1979; general elections will be held within 90 days of the dissolution of Parliament, which occurred on 6 February 1982

Political parties and leaders: United Worker's Party (UWP), John Compton; St. Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Winston Cenac; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), George Odium (Michael Pilgram's party)

Voting strength (1979 election): SLP won 12 of the 17 elected seats in House of Assembly; UWP won 5 seats

Communists: negligible

Member of: CARICOM, OAS

ECONOMY

GDP: $113 million (1980 est.), $913 per capita; no real growth (1979)

Agriculture: main crops—bananas, coconut, sugar, cocoa, spices

Major industries: tourism, lime processing

Shortages: food, machinery, capital goods

Electric power: 7,000 kW capacity (1981); 30 million kWh produced (1981), 240 kWh per capita

Exports: $26 million (f.o.b., 1980 est.); bananas, cocoa

Imports: $115 million (c.i.f., 1980 est.); foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fertilizers, petroleum products

Major trade partners: 51% UK, 9% Canada, 17% US (1970)

Aid: economic—bilateral commitments, ODA and OOF, (1970-79), from Western (non-US) countries, $31 million; no military aid

Budget: (1980/81 est.) revenues, $35 million; expenditures, $42 million

Monetary conversion rate: 2.70 East Caribbean dollars=US$1

COMMUNICATIONS

Railroads: none

Highways: 760 km total; 500 km paved; 260 km otherwise improved

Ports: 1 major (Castries), 1 minor

Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft

Airfields: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways, 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: fully automatic telephone system with 7,200 telephones (6.2 per 100 popl.); direct radio-relay link with Martinique; interisland troposcatter links to Barbados and Antigua; 3 AM stations, 1 TV station