Saint Lucia (2008) | Bermuda (2005) | |
Administrative divisions | 11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort | 9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 29.4% (male 25,869/female 24,248)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 55,115/female 56,641) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 3,200/female 5,576) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 18.9% (male 6,177/female 6,154)
15-64 years: 69.2% (male 22,422/female 22,828) 65 years and over: 11.9% (male 3,378/female 4,406) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa | bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products |
Airports | 2 (2007) | 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 616 sq km
land: 606 sq km water: 10 sq km |
total: 53.3 sq km
land: 53.3 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC | about one-third 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. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979. | Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists headed for Virginia. Tourism to the island to escape North American winters first developed in Victorian times. Tourism continues to be important to the island's economy, although international business has overtaken it in recent years. Bermuda has developed into a highly successful offshore financial center. A referendum on independence was soundly defeated in 1995. |
Birth rate | 19.28 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 11.6 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $141.2 million
expenditures: $146.7 million (2000 est.) |
revenues: $671.1 million
expenditures: $594.6 million, including capital expenditures of $55 million (FY03/04) |
Capital | name: Castries
geographic coordinates: 14 01 N, 61 00 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Hamilton |
Climate | tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August | subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter |
Coastline | 158 km | 103 km |
Constitution | 22 February 1979 | 8 June 1968; amended 1989 and 2003 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Lucia |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bermuda former: Somers Islands |
Death rate | 5.03 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 7.63 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $257 million (2004) | $160 million (FY99/00) |
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 to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia | chief of mission: Deputy Chief of Mission Antoinette BOECKER
consulate(s) general: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3 mailing address: P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300 telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342 FAX: [1] (441) 295-1592, [1] (441) 296-9233 |
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, New York |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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 eastern Caribbean Sea | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $11.06 million (2005) | NA |
Economy - overview | The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries, with a surge in foreign direct investment in 2006, attributed to the construction of several tourism projects. Tourism is the main source of foreign exchange, with more than 700,000 arrivals in 2005. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Saint Lucia is vulnerable to a variety of external shocks including declines in European Union banana preferences, volatile tourism receipts, natural disasters, and dependence on foreign oil. High debt servicing obligations constrain the KING administration's ability to respond to adverse external shocks. Economic fundamentals remain solid, even though unemployment needs to be reduced. | Bermuda enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, nearly equal to that of the US. Its economy is primarily based on providing financial services for international business and luxury facilities for tourists. The effects of 11 September 2001 have had both positive and negative ramifications for Bermuda. On the positive side, a number of new reinsurance companies have located on the island, contributing to the expansion of an already robust international business sector. On the negative side, Bermuda's tourism industry - which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US - was severely hit as American tourists chose not to travel. Tourism rebounded somewhat in 2002-04. Most capital equipment and food must be imported. Bermuda's industrial sector is small, although construction continues to be important; the average cost of a house in June 2003 had risen to $976,000. Agriculture is limited, only 20% of the land being arable. |
Electricity - consumption | 282.9 million kWh (2005) | 598 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 304.2 million kWh (2005) | 643 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: Town Hill 76 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region | asbestos disposal; water pollution; preservation of open space; sustainable development |
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, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
- |
Ethnic groups | black 82.5%, mixed 11.9%, East Indian 2.4%, other or unspecified 3.1% (2001 census) | black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other races 4.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2000 census) |
Exchange rates | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - NA (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003) | Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) |
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 Stephenson KING (since 9 September 2007); note - Sir John COMPTON died in office Friday, 7 September 2007 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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Sir John VEREKER (since 11 April 2002)
head of government: Premier William Alexander SCOTT (since 24 July 2003); Deputy Premier Ewart BROWN cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor |
Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | NA |
Exports - commodities | bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil | reexports of pharmaceuticals |
Exports - partners | France 69.7%, US 10.2%, UK 8.8% (2006) | France 73.2%, UK 6.2%, Spain 2.4% (2004) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border | red, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (white and green shield with a red lion holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 5%
industry: 15% services: 80% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 10% services: 89% (2002 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $36,000 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.1% (2005 est.) | 2% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 13 53 N, 60 58 W | 32 20 N, 64 45 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 | consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by US Government from 1941 to 1995 |
Highways | - | total: 450 km
paved: 450 km unpaved: 0 km note: public roads - 209 km; private roads - 241 km (2002) |
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 | - |
Imports | 2,678 bbl/day (2004) | NA |
Imports - commodities | food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels | machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals |
Imports - partners | US 21.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.9%, Italy 12.3%, France 11.8%, Venezuela 7.2%, UK 6.9%, Netherlands 5.8% (2006) | Kazakhstan 39.2%, France 16.2%, Japan 13.1%, Italy 9.2%, South Korea 8.8%, US 6.4% (2004) |
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, international business, light manufacturing |
Infant mortality rate | total: 12.81 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 8.53 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.14 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.9% (2005 est.) | 3.3% (mid-2003 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | Caricom (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCO, Egmont Group, Caribbean Financial Action Task Force |
Irrigated land | 30 sq km (2003) | NA |
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; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts |
Labor force | 43,800 (2001 est.) | 37,470 (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 21.7%
industry: 24.7% services: 53.6% (2002 est.) |
agriculture and fishing 3%, laborers 17%, clerical 22%, professional and technical 17%, administrative and managerial 13%, sales 8%, services 20% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 6.45%
permanent crops: 22.58% other: 70.97% (2005) |
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2001) |
Languages | English (official), French patois | English (official), Portuguese |
Legal system | based on English common law | English law |
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 to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 11 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2011) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - UWP 50%, SLP 46.9%, other 3.1%; seats by party - UWP 11, SLP 6 |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition) and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve up to five-year terms)
elections: last general election held 24 July 2003 (next to be held July 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 51.7%, UBP 48%; seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 74.08 years
male: 70.53 years female: 77.88 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 77.79 years
male: 75.7 years female: 79.91 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 90.1% male: 89.5% female: 90.6% (2001 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 98% female: 99% (1970 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago | North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US) |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | North America |
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 |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 108 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,845,326 GRT/6,501,782 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 22, cargo 6, container 22, liquefied gas 13, passenger 13, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 7 foreign-owned: 103 (Australia 2, Canada 20, Finland 2, Germany 1, Greece 1, Hong Kong 5, Indonesia 1, Nigeria 8, Norway 5, Sweden 9, Switzerland 2, United Kingdom 27, United States 20) registered in other countries: 1 (2005) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard) (2007) | Bermuda Regiment |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $4.03 million (2001) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | 0.11% (FY00/01) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 22 February (1979) | Bermuda Day, 24 May |
Nationality | noun: Saint Lucian(s)
adjective: Saint Lucian |
noun: Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian |
Natural hazards | hurricanes and volcanic activity | hurricanes (June to November) |
Natural resources | forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential | limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism |
Net migration rate | -1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 2.45 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 [Sir John COMPTON] | Progressive Labor Party or PLP [William Alexander SCOTT]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Grant GIBBONS] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Bermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda Industrial Union or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Union or BPSU [Ed BALL]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES] |
Population | 170,649 (July 2007 est.) | 65,365 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 19% (2000) |
Population growth rate | 1.297% (2007 est.) | 0.64% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Hamilton, Saint George |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2003) | AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%, Pentecostal 5.7%, Rastafarian 2.1%, Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%, other Christian 5.1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001 census) | Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 15%, African Methodist Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%, other 12%, unaffiliated 6%, unspecified 1%, none 14% (2000 census) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.067 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.973 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.574 male(s)/female total population: 0.974 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 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; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables, along with Intelsat from Martinique, carry calls internationally; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados |
general assessment: good
domestic: fully automatic digital telephone system; fiber optic trunk lines international: country code - 1-441; 3 fiber optic submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 51,100 (2002) | 56,000 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 105,700 (2005) | 37,873 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (1 commercial broadcast station and 1 community antenna television or CATV channel) (2003) | 4 (2004) |
Terrain | volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys | low hills separated by fertile depressions |
Total fertility rate | 2.15 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.89 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 20% (2003 est.) | 5% (2002 est.) |