Saint Lucia (2004) | Cape Verde (2005) | |
Administrative divisions | 11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort | 17 municipalities (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Domingos, Sao Filipe, Sao Miguel, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal |
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.) |
0-14 years: 39% (male 82,249/female 80,752)
15-64 years: 54.3% (male 110,119/female 116,816) 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 10,599/female 17,689) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa | bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish |
Airports | 2 (2003 est.) | 7
note: 3 airports are reported to be nonoperational (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 6
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 616 sq km
land: 606 sq km water: 10 sq km |
total: 4,033 sq km
land: 4,033 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly larger than Rhode Island |
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 uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cape Verde subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Following independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cape Verde continues to exhibit one of Africa's most stable democratic governments. Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result, Cape Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one. Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents. |
Birth rate | 20.5 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 25.33 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $141.2 million
expenditures: $146.7 million, including capital expenditures of $25.1 million (2000 est.) |
revenues: $260.6 million
expenditures: $305.3 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
Capital | Castries | Praia |
Climate | tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August | temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and very erratic |
Coastline | 158 km | 965 km |
Constitution | 22 February 1979 | new constitution came into force 25 September 1992; underwent a major revision on 23 November 1995, substantially increasing the powers of the president, and a further revision in 1999, to create the position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica) |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Lucia |
conventional long form: Republic of Cape Verde
conventional short form: Cape Verde local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde local short form: Cabo Verde |
Currency | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) | - |
Death rate | 5.18 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 6.62 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $214 million (2000) | $325 million (2002) |
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 | chief of mission: Ambassador Donald C. JOHNSON
embassy: Rua Abilio m. Macedo 81, Praia mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia telephone: [238] 261 56 16, 261 56 17 FAX: [238] 261 13 55 |
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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Jose BRITO
chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 965-6820 FAX: [1] (202) 965-1207 consulate(s) general: Boston |
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 | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $51.8 million (1995) | $136 million (1999) |
Economy - overview | 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. Economic fundamentals remain solid. | This island economy suffers from a poor natural resource base, including serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought. The economy is service-oriented, with commerce, transport, tourism, and public services accounting for 72% of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of agriculture in GDP in 2004 was only 12%, of which fishing accounted for 1.5%. About 82% of food must be imported. The fishing potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by foreign aid and remittances from emigrants; remittances supplement GDP by more than 20%. Economic reforms are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy. Future prospects depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, the encouragement of tourism, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program. |
Electricity - consumption | 111.8 million kWh (2001) | 40.06 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 120.2 million kWh (2001) | 43.08 million kWh (2002) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island) |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region | soil erosion; deforestation due to demand for wood used as fuel; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing |
Environment - international 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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1% | Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1% |
Exchange rates | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999) | Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar - 88.808 (2004), 97.703 (2003), 117.168 (2002), 123.228 (2001), 119.687 (2000) |
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 Kenneth Davis 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 the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general |
chief of state: President Pedro PIRES (since 22 March 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 1 February 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 11 and 25 February 2001 (next to be held February 2006); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president election results: Pedro PIRES elected president; percent of vote - Pedro PIRES (PAICV) 49.43%, Carlos VIEGA (MPD) 49.42%; note - the election was won by only twelve votes |
Exports | NA (2001) | NA |
Exports - commodities | bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil | fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides |
Exports - partners | UK 48%, US 24%, Antigua and Barbuda 6%, Dominica 6%, Grenada 4% (2003) | Portugal 59.4%, US 17.2%, UK 11.4% (2004) |
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 | three horizontal bands of light blue (top, double width), white (with a horizontal red stripe in the middle third), and light blue; a circle of 10 yellow five-pointed stars is centered on the hoist end of the red stripe and extends into the upper and lower blue bands |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $866 million (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 7%
industry: 20% services: 73% (2002 est.) |
agriculture: 12.1%
industry: 21.9% services: 66% (2004 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 3.3% (2002 est.) | 5% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 13 53 N, 60 68 W | 16 00 N, 24 00 W |
Geography - note | 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 | strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site |
Highways | total: 1,210 km
paved: 63 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1999 est.) |
total: 1,350 km
paved: 932 km unpaved: 418 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 | used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs moving from Latin America and Asia destined for Western Europe; the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center |
Imports | NA (2001) | NA |
Imports - commodities | food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels | foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels |
Imports - partners | US 36.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 19.6%, UK 7.4%, Venezuela 6.8% (2003) | Portugal 41.8%, US 12.3%, Netherlands 8.4%, Spain 5.2%, Italy 4.2%, Brazil 4% (2004) |
Independence | 22 February 1979 (from UK) | 5 July 1975 (from Portugal) |
Industrial production growth rate | -8.9% (1997 est.) | NA |
Industries | clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing | food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair |
Infant mortality rate | total: 13.95 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15.09 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 47.77 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 52.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 42.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3% (2001 est.) | 1.5% (2004 est.) |
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, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) |
Irrigated land | 30 sq km (1998 est.) | 30 sq km (1998 est.) |
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 Tribunal of Justice or Supremo Tribunal de Justia |
Labor force | 43,800 (2001 est.) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 21.7%, industry, commerce, and manufacturing 24.7%, services 53.6% (2002 est.) | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 6.56%
permanent crops: 22.95% other: 70.49% (2001) |
arable land: 9.68%
permanent crops: 0.5% other: 89.82% (2001) |
Languages | English (official), French patois | Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words) |
Legal system | based on English common law | derived from the legal system of Portugal |
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 3 December 2001 (next to be held in December 2006) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 55%, UWP 37%, NA 3.5%; seats by party - SLP 14, UWP 3 |
unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 January 2001 (next to be held December 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PAICV 47.3%, MPD 39.8%, ADM 6%, other 6.9%; seats by party - PAICV 40, MPD 30, ADM 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 73.34 years
male: 69.78 years female: 77.16 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 70.45 years
male: 67.13 years female: 73.86 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 can read and write
total population: 76.6% male: 85.8% female: 69.2% (2003 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago | Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Political Map of the World |
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 |
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | none | total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,395 GRT/6,614 DWT
by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 2 foreign-owned: 1 (United Kingdom 1) (2005) |
Military branches | Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (including Special Service Unit, Coast Guard) | People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP): Army, Coast Guard (includes maritime air wing) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | NA | $14.1 million (2004) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | 1.5% (2004) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 22 February (1979) | Independence Day, 5 July (1975) |
Nationality | noun: Saint Lucian(s)
adjective: Saint Lucian |
noun: Cape Verdean(s)
adjective: Cape Verdean |
Natural hazards | hurricanes and volcanic activity | prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active |
Natural resources | forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential | salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum |
Net migration rate | -2.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | -11.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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] | African Party for Independence of Cape Verde or PAICV [Jose Maria Pereira NEVES, chairman]; Democratic Alliance for Change or ADM [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO] (a coalition of PCD, PTS, and UCID); Democratic Christian Party or PDC [Manuel RODRIGUES, chairman]; Democratic Renovation Party or PRD [Jacinto SANTOS, president]; Movement for Democracy or MPD [Agostinho LOPES, president]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO, president]; Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Isaias RODRIGUES, president]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM, president] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 164,213 (July 2004 est.) | 418,224 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | 30% (2000) |
Population growth rate | 1.27% (2004 est.) | 0.67% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Castries, Vieux Fort | Mindelo, Praia, Tarrafal |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004) | AM 0, FM 22 (and 12 low power repeaters), shortwave 0 (2002) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 3%, other Protestant 7% | Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs); Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene) |
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.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 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: 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 |
general assessment: effective system, extensive modernization from 1996-2000 following partial privatization in 1995
domestic: major service provider is Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT); fiber optic ring, completed in 2001, links all islands providing Internet access and ISDN services; cellular service introduced in 1998 international: country code - 238; 2 coaxial submarine cables; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 51,100 (2002) | 71,700 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 14,300 (2002) | 53,300 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (of which one is a commercial broadcast station and one is a community antenna television or CATV channel) (2004) | 1 (and 7 repeaters) (2002) |
Terrain | volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys | steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic |
Total fertility rate | 2.25 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 3.48 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 16.5% (1997 est.) | 21% (2000 est.) |