Sweden (2006) | Saint Lucia (2006) | |
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Administrative divisions | 21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarnas, Gavleborgs, Gotlands, Hallands, Jamtlands, Jonkopings, Kalmar, Kronobergs, Norrbottens, Orebro, Ostergotlands, Skane, Sodermanlands, Stockholms, Uppsala, Varmlands, Vasterbottens, Vasternorrlands, Vastmanlands, Vastra Gotalands | 11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 16.7% (male 775,433/female 732,773)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 3,001,928/female 2,918,242) 65 years and over: 17.6% (male 689,756/female 898,464) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 29.8% (male 25,941/female 24,319)
15-64 years: 65% (male 53,916/female 55,582) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 3,186/female 5,514) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | barley, wheat, sugar beets; meat, milk | bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa |
Airports | 255 (2006) | 2 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 155
over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 80 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 36 (2006) |
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 100
914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 91 (2006) |
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Area | total: 449,964 sq km
land: 410,934 sq km water: 39,030 sq km |
total: 616 sq km
land: 606 sq km water: 10 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than California | 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in 2000-02 by the global economic downturn, but fiscal discipline over the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic vagaries. Indecision over the country's role in the political and economic integration of Europe delayed Sweden's entry into the EU until 1995, and waived the introduction of the euro in 1999. | 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. |
Birth rate | 10.27 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 19.68 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $210.5 billion
expenditures: $205.9 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
revenues: $141.2 million
expenditures: $146.7 million; including capital expenditures of $25.1 million (2000 est.) |
Capital | name: Stockholm
geographic coordinates: 59 20 N, 18 03 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
name: Castries
geographic coordinates: 14 01 N, 61 00 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north | tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August |
Coastline | 3,218 km | 158 km |
Constitution | 1 January 1975 | 22 February 1979 |
Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
conventional short form: Sweden local long form: Konungariket Sverige local short form: Sverige |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Lucia |
Death rate | 10.31 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 5.08 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $516.1 billion (30 June 2005) | $257 million (2004) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Michael M. WOOD
embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds VAG 31, SE-11589 Stockholm mailing address: American Embassy Stockholm, US Department of State, 5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750 (pouch) telephone: [46] (08) 783 53 00 FAX: [46] (08) 661 19 64 |
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Gunnar LUND
chancery: 902 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 467-2600 FAX: [1] (202) 467-2699 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York |
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 |
Disputes - international | none | 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 |
Economic aid - donor | ODA, $1.7 billion (1997) | - |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $-21.5 million (2004) |
Economy - overview | Aided by peace and neutrality for the whole of the 20th century, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. Agriculture accounts for only 2% of GDP and of jobs. The government's commitment to fiscal discipline resulted in a substantial budgetary surplus in 2001, which was cut by more than half in 2002, due to the global economic slowdown, declining revenue, and increased spending. The Swedish central bank (the Riksbank) focuses on price stability with its inflation target of 2%. Growth remained sluggish in 2003, but picked up in 2004 and 2005. Presumably because of generous sick-leave benefits, Swedish workers report in sick more often than other Europeans. In September 2003, Swedish voters turned down entry into the euro system, concerned about the impact on democracy and sovereignty. | 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, even though unemployment needs to be cut. |
Electricity - consumption | 131.8 billion kWh (2003) | 261.4 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | 11.5 billion kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | 24.3 billion kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | 127.9 billion kWh (2003) | 281 million kWh (2003) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.41 m
highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m |
Environment - current issues | acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea | deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, 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, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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 |
Ethnic groups | indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks | black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1% |
Exchange rates | Swedish kronor per US dollar - 7.4731 (2005), 7.3489 (2004), 8.0863 (2003), 9.7371 (2002), 10.3291 (2001) | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001) |
Executive branch | chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the monarch (born 14 July 1977)
head of government: Prime Minister Fredrik REINFELDT (since 5 October 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by the parliament; election last held 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010) election results: Fredrik REINFELDT elected prime minister with 175 out of 349 votes |
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 Sir John COMPTON (since 15 December 2006) 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 |
Exports | 203,700 bbl/day (2001) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals | bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil |
Exports - partners | US 10.6%, Germany 10.2%, Norway 8.7%, UK 7.3%, Denmark 6.5%, Finland 5.7%, France 4.9%, Netherlands 4.5%, Belgium 4.3% (2005) | France 29.3%, US 17.4%, China 17%, UK 13.1%, Brazil 6.2% (2005) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) | blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1.1%
industry: 28.2% services: 70.7% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: 7%
industry: 20% services: 73% (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.7% (2005 est.) | 5.1% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 62 00 N, 15 00 E | 13 53 N, 60 58 W |
Geography - note | strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas | 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 |
Heliports | 2 (2006) | - |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3.7%
highest 10%: 20.1% (1992) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | 553,100 bbl/day (2001) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing | food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels |
Imports - partners | Germany 17.5%, Denmark 8.9%, Norway 7.8%, UK 6.6%, Netherlands 6.2%, Finland 5.8%, France 5% (2005) | US 24.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 15.5%, Netherlands 14.5%, Venezuela 5.6%, UK 5.6%, France 4.7% (2005) |
Independence | 6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king) | 22 February 1979 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 1.6% (2005 est.) | -8.9% (1997 est.) |
Industries | iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles | clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism; lime processing, coconut processing |
Infant mortality rate | total: 2.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 2.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
total: 13.17 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 14.29 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 0.5% (2005 est.) | 2.9% (2005 est.) |
International organization participation | AfDB, Arctic Council, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 6, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC | 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, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 1,150 sq km (2003) | 30 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Hogsta Domstolen (judges are appointed by the prime minister and the cabinet) | 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) |
Labor force | 4.49 million (2005 est.) | 43,800 (2001 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 2%
industry: 24% services: 74% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 21.7%
industry: 24.7% services: 53.6% (2002 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 2,233 km
border countries: Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 5.93%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 94.06% (2005) |
arable land: 6.45%
permanent crops: 22.58% other: 70.97% (2005) |
Languages | Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities | English (official), French patois |
Legal system | civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | based on English common law |
Legislative branch | unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 September 2006 (next to be held September 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 37.2%, Moderates 27.8%, Center Party 8.3%, People's Party 8.0%, Christian Democrats 6.9%, Left Party 6.3%, Greens 5.4%; seats by party - Social Democrats 130, Moderates 97, Center Party 29, People's Party 28, Christian Democrats 24, Left Party 22, Greens 19 |
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 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 11 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2011) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UWP 11, SLP 6 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 80.51 years
male: 78.29 years female: 82.87 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 73.84 years
male: 70.29 years female: 77.65 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 90.1% male: 89.5% female: 90.6% (2001 est.) |
Location | Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago |
Map references | Europe | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion of straits to high seas)
exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
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 |
Merchant marine | total: 198 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,703,834 GRT/2,382,754 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 28, chemical tanker 47, container 5, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 36, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 31, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 21 foreign-owned: 37 (Belgium 2, Denmark 4, Finland 11, Germany 3, Italy 7, Japan 2, Norway 7, US 1) registered in other countries: 161 (Bahamas 6, Bermuda 14, Cayman Islands 9, Cook Islands 3, Cyprus 3, Denmark 1, France 2, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 9, Gibraltar 5, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 8, Malta 3, Netherlands 26, Netherlands Antilles 5, Norway 28, Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 12, UK 15, US 5) (2006) |
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Military branches | Swedish Armed Forces (Forsvarsmakten): Army (Armen), Royal Swedish Navy (Marinen), Swedish Air Force (Svenska Flygvapnet) (2006) | no regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard) (2006) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $5.51 billion (2005 est.) | NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.5% (2005 est.) | NA |
National holiday | Flag Day, 6 June | Independence Day, 22 February (1979) |
Nationality | noun: Swede(s)
adjective: Swedish |
noun: Saint Lucian(s)
adjective: Saint Lucian |
Natural hazards | ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic | hurricanes and volcanic activity |
Natural resources | iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower | forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential |
Net migration rate | 1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | -1.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 798 km (2006) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Center Party [Maud OLOFSSON]; Christian Democratic Party [Goran HAGGLUND]; Environment Party the Greens [no formal leader but party spokespersons are Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON]; Left Party or V (formerly Communist) [Lars OHLY]; Moderate Party (conservative) [Fredrik REINFELDT]; People's Party [Lars LEIJONBORG]; Social Democratic Party [Goran PERSSON] | 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] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 9,016,596 (July 2006 est.) | 168,458 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.16% (2006 est.) | 1.29% (2006 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 265, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Railways | total: 11,481 km
standard gauge: 11,481 km 1.435-m gauge (9,400 km electrified) (2005) |
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Religions | Lutheran 87%, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist | Roman Catholic 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%, Pentecostal 5.7%, Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%, other Christian 5.1%, Rastafarian 2.1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001 census) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: excellent domestic and international facilities; automatic system
domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some additional telephone channels international: country code - 46; 5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway) |
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 |
Telephones - main lines in use | 6.447 million (2004) | 51,100 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 8.436 million (2005) | 93,000 (2004) |
Television broadcast stations | 169 (plus 1,299 repeaters) (1995) | 2 (of which one is a commercial broadcast station and one is a community antenna television or CATV channel) (2004) |
Terrain | mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west | volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys |
Total fertility rate | 1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 2.18 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 5.8% (2005 est.) | 20% (2003 est.) |
Waterways | 2,052 km (2005) | - |