Saint Lucia (2001) | Turks and Caicos Islands (2005) | |
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Administrative divisions | 11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux Fort | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
32.13% (male 25,951; female 24,874) 15-64 years: 62.59% (male 48,568; female 50,430) 65 years and over: 5.28% (male 3,120; female 5,235) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 32.5% (male 3,396/female 3,277)
15-64 years: 63.8% (male 6,900/female 6,220) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 342/female 421) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa | corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish |
Airports | 2 (2000 est.) | 8 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Area | total:
620 sq km land: 610 sq km water: 10 sq km |
total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
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. | The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas territory. |
Birth rate | 21.8 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 22.23 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$141.2 million expenditures: $146.7 million, including capital expenditures of $25.1 million (FY97/98 est.) |
revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997-98 est.) |
Capital | Castries | Grand Turk |
Climate | tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August | tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry |
Coastline | 158 km | 389 km |
Constitution | 22 February 1979 | introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988 |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Saint Lucia |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands |
Currency | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) | - |
Death rate | 5.36 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 4.28 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $131.6 million (1998) | NA |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
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 | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | none | have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder |
Economic aid - recipient | $51.8 million (1995) | $4.1 million (1997) |
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. Improvement in the construction sector and growth of the tourism industry helped expand GDP in 1998-99. The agriculture sector registered its fifth year of decline in 1997 primarily because of a severe decline in banana production. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean, and the government is beginning to develop regulations for the small offshore financial sector. | The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than half of the annual 93,000 visitors in the late 1990s. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. |
Electricity - consumption | 102.3 million kWh (1999) | 4.65 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 110 million kWh (1999) | 5 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region | limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater |
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 |
- |
Ethnic groups | black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1% | black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10% |
Exchange rates | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976) | the US dollar is used |
Executive branch | chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dr. Perlette LOUISY (since September 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Kenneth ANTHONY (since 24 May 1997) and Deputy Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Richard TAUWHARE (since 11 July 2005)
head of government: Chief Minister Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15 August 2003) cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and five appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed chief minister by the governor |
Exports | $68.3 million (2000 est.) | NA |
Exports - commodities | bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil | lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells |
Exports - partners | UK 50%, US 24%, Caricom countries 16% (1995) | US, UK |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
Flag description | blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $700 million (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
10.7% industry: 32.3% services: 57% (1996 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $11,500 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 0.5% (2000 est.) | 4.9% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 13 53 N, 60 68 W | 21 45 N, 71 35 W |
Geography - note | - | about 40 islands (eight inhabited) |
Highways | total:
1,210 km paved: 63 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1996) |
total: 121 km
paved: 24 km unpaved: 97 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | $319.4 million (2000 est.) | NA |
Imports - commodities | food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels | food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials |
Imports - partners | US 36%, Caricom countries 22%, UK 11%, Japan 5%, Canada 4% (1995) | US, UK |
Independence | 22 February 1979 (from UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | -8.9% (1997 est.) | NA% |
Industries | clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing | tourism, offshore financial services |
Infant mortality rate | 15.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 15.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 18.11 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (2000 est.) | 4% (1995) |
International organization participation | ACCT (associate), ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 15 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 10 sq km (1993 est.) | NA sq km |
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) | Supreme Court |
Labor force | 43,800 | 4,848 (1990 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.) | about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land:
8% permanent crops: 21% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 13% other: 53% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 2.33%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2001) |
Languages | English (official), French patois | English (official) |
Legal system | based on English common law | based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas |
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)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 23 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SLP 16, UWP 1 |
unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats of which 13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%; seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August 2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM now has 5 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
72.57 years male: 69 years female: 76.39 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 74.51 years
male: 72.28 years female: 76.84 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 67% male: 65% female: 69% (1980 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago | Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone:
24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | - |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit), Coast Guard | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $5 million (FY91/92) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2% (FY91/92) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 22 February (1979) | Constitution Day, 30 August (1976) |
Nationality | noun:
Saint Lucian(s) adjective: Saint Lucian |
noun: none
adjective: none |
Natural hazards | hurricanes and volcanic activity | frequent hurricanes |
Natural resources | forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential | spiny lobster, conch |
Net migration rate | -4.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 11.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
People - note | - | destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US |
Political parties and leaders | National Freedom Party or NFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; United Workers Party or UWP [Dr. Morella JOSEPH] | People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 158,178 (July 2001 est.) | 20,556 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.23% (2001 est.) | 2.9% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Castries, Vieux Fort | Grand Turk, Providenciales |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 7 (plus 3 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Radios | 111,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3% | Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990) |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
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 |
general assessment: fully digital system with international direct dialing
domestic: full range of services available international: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 37,000 (1997) | 5,700 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,600 (1997) | 1,700 (1999) |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (of which two are commercial stations and one is a community antenna television or CATV channel) (1997) | 0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; 2 cable television networks) (2004) |
Terrain | volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys | low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps |
Total fertility rate | 2.38 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 3.08 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 15% (1996 est.) | 10% (1997 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |