220 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
220 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
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SAINT LUCIA
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 620 km2; land area: 610 km2
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Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of
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Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 158 km
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Maritime claims:
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Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds;
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dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August
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Terrain: volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
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Natural resources: forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice),
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mineral springs, geothermal potential
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Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 20%; meadows and
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pastures 5%; forest and woodland 13%; other 54%; includes irrigated 2%
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Environment: subject to hurricanes and volcanic activity;
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deforestation; soil erosion
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Note: located 700 km southeast of Puerto Rico
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PEOPLE
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Population: 153,075 (July 1991), growth rate 2.2% (1991)
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Birth rate: 31 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 74 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Saint Lucian(s); adjective--Saint Lucian
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Ethnic divisions: African descent 90.3%, mixed 5.5%, East Indian
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3.2%, Caucasian 0.8%
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Religion: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3%
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Language: English (official), French patois
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Literacy: 67% (male 65%, female 69%) age 15 and over having ever
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attended school (1980)
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Labor force: 43,800; agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry
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and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.)
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Organized labor: 20% of labor force
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: none
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Type: parliamentary democracy
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Capital: Castries
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Administrative divisions: 11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries,
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Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin,
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Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
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Independence: 22 February 1979 (from UK)
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Constitution: 22 February 1979
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Legal system: based on English common law
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National holiday: Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
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Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime
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minister, Cabinet
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Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper
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house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly
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Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
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represented by Acting Governor General Sir Stanislaus Anthony JAMES
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(since 10 October 1988);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister John George Melvin COMPTON
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(since 3 May 1982)
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Political parties and leaders:
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United Workers' Party (UWP), John COMPTON;
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Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Julian HUNTE;
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Progressive Labor Party (PLP), George ODLUM
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Suffrage: universal at age 18
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Elections:
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House of Assembly--last held 6 April 1987 (next to be held by
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April 1992);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(17 total) UWP 10, SLP 7
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Communists: negligible
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Member of: ACCT (associate), ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO,
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G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL,
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LORCS, NAM, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO,
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WMO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS;
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Chancery at Suite 309, 2100 M Street NW, Washington DC 30037;
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telephone (202) 463-7378 or 7379; there is a Saint Lucian Consulate
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General in New York;
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US--none
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Flag: blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead;
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the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border
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ECONOMY
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Overview: Since 1983 the economy has shown an impressive average
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annual growth rate of almost 5% because of strong agricultural and
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tourist sectors. Saint Lucia also possesses an expanding
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industrial base supported by foreign investment in manufacturing and
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other activities, such as in data processing. The economy, however,
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remains vulnerable because the important agricultural sector is dominated
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by banana production. Saint Lucia is subject to periodic droughts and/or
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tropical storms, and its protected market agreement with the UK for
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bananas may end in 1992.
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GDP: $273 million, per capita $1,830; real growth rate 4.0% (1989)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (1989)
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Unemployment rate: 16.0% (1988)
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Budget: revenues $131 million; expenditures $149 million,
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including capital expenditures of $71 million (FY90 est.)
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Exports: $111.9 million (f.o.b., 1989);
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commodities--bananas 54%, clothing 17%, cocoa, vegetables, fruits,
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coconut oil;
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partners--UK 51%, CARICOM 20%, US 19%, other 10%
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Imports: $265.9 million (c.i.f., 1989);
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commodities--manufactured goods 23%, machinery and transportation
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equipment 27%, food and live animals 18%, chemicals 10%, fuels 6%;
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partners--US 35%, CARICOM 16%, UK 15%, Japan 7%, Canada 4%,
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other 23%
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External debt: $54.5 million (1989)
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Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.); accounts for
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7% of GDP
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Electricity: 32,500 kW capacity; 112 million kWh produced,
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730 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages,
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corrugated boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing
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Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP and 43% of labor force;
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crops--bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus fruit, root crops, cocoa;
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imports food for the tourist industry
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Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
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commitments (1970-88), $118 million
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Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars);
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1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
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Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70
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(fixed rate since 1976)
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Fiscal Year: 1 April-31 March
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Highways: 760 km total; 500 km paved; 260 km otherwise improved
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Ports: Castries
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Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
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1 with runways 1,220-2,439
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Telecommunications: fully automatic telephone system;
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9,500 telephones; direct radio relay link with Martinique and
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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; interisland troposcatter link to
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Barbados; stations--4 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (cable)
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Coast Guard
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 38,050; NA fit for military
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service
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Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
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