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Central America and the Caribbean
Page last updated: April 24, 2024
The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries and burgeoning sugar industry, was contested by England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814 and became part of the British Windward Islands colony. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. In the mid-20th century, Saint Lucia joined the West Indies Federation (1958–1962) and in 1967 became one of the six members of the West Indies Associated States, with internal self-government. In 1979, Saint Lucia gained full independence.
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
13 53 N, 60 58 W
Central America and the Caribbean
Total: 616 km²
Land: 606 km²
Water: 10 km²
Three and a half times the size of Washington, DC
Total: 0 km
158 km
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
Tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
Volcanic and mountainous with broad, fertile valleys
Highest point: Mount Gimie 948 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
Agricultural land: 17.4% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 4.9% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 11.5% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 1% (2018 est.)
Forest: 77% (2018 est.)
Other: 5.6% (2018 est.)
30 km² (2012)
Most of the population is found on the periphery of the island, with a larger concentration in the north around the capital of Castries
Hurricanes
Volcanism: Mount Gimie (948 m), also known as Qualibou, is a caldera on the west of the island; the iconic twin pyramidal peaks of Gros Piton (771 m) and Petit Piton (743 m) are lava dome remnants associated with the Soufriere volcano; there have been no historical magmatic eruptions, but a minor steam eruption in 1766 spread a thin layer of ash over a wide area; Saint Lucia is part of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south
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
167,591 (2023 est.)
Noun: Saint Lucian(s)
Adjective: Saint Lucian
Black/African descent 85.3%, mixed 10.9%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)
English (official), Saint Lucian Creole
Roman Catholic 61.5%, Protestant 25.5% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 10.4%, Pentecostal 8.9%, Baptist 2.2%, Anglican 1.6%, Church of God 1.5%, other Protestant 0.9%), other Christian 3.4% (includes Evangelical 2.3% and Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), Rastafarian 1.9%, other 0.4%, none 5.9%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)
0-14 years: 18.23% (male 15,734/female 14,820)
15-64 years: 66.97% (male 54,354/female 57,880)
65 years and over: 14.8% (2023 est.) (male 11,257/female 13,546)
2023 population pyramid:
Total dependency ratio: 37.7
Youth dependency ratio: 25.2
Elderly dependency ratio: 12.5
Potential support ratio: 8 (2021 est.)
Total: 39 years (2023 est.)
Male: 37.8 years
Female: 40.2 years
0.27% (2023 est.)
11.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Most of the population is found on the periphery of the island, with a larger concentration in the north around the capital of Castries
Urban population: 19.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.98% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
22,000 CASTRIES (capital) (2018)
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
73 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Total: 11.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 11 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 12.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Total population: 79.2 years (2023 est.)
Male: 76.5 years
Female: 82.1 years
1.72 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.84 (2023 est.)
55.5% (2011/12)
Improved: urban: 99.4% of population
Rural: 98.5% of population
Total: 98.7% of population
Unimproved: urban: 0.6% of population
Rural: 1.5% of population
Total: 1.3% of population (2020 est.)
6.7% of GDP (2020)
0.64 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
1.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Improved: urban: 97.6% of population
Rural: 92.9% of population
Total: 93.8% of population
Unimproved: urban: 2.4% of population
Rural: 7.1% of population
Total: 6.2% of population (2020 est.)
19.7% (2016)
Total: 9.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer: 3.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 5.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
53.6% (2023 est.)
3.6% of GDP (2020 est.)
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA
Total: 13 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 13 years (2020)
Deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region
Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
Agricultural land: 17.4% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 4.9% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 11.5% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 1% (2018 est.)
Forest: 77% (2018 est.)
Other: 5.6% (2018 est.)
Urban population: 19.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.98% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 8.98 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.41 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 0.27 megatons (2020 est.)
Municipal solid waste generated annually: 77,616 tons (2015 est.)
Municipal: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 0 cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
300 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Saint Lucia
Etymology: named after Saint LUCY of Syracuse by French sailors who were shipwrecked on the island on 13 December 1502, the saint's feast day; Saint Lucia is the only country named specifically after a woman
Note: pronounced saynt-looshuh
Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Name: Castries
Geographic coordinates: 14 00 N, 61 00 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: in 1785, the village of Carenage was renamed Castries, after Charles Eugene Gabriel de La Croix de CASTRIES (1727-1801), who was then the French Minister of the Navy and Colonies
10 districts; Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
22 February 1979 (from the UK)
Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
History: previous 1958, 1960 (preindependence); latest presented 20 December 1978, effective 22 February 1979
Amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the House of Assembly membership in the final reading and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments to various constitutional sections, such as those on fundamental rights and freedoms, government finances, the judiciary, and procedures for amending the constitution, require at least three-quarters majority vote by the House and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments approved by the House but rejected by the Senate require a majority of votes cast in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2008
English common law
Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Saint Lucia
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years
18 years of age; universal
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Acting Governor General Errol CHARLES (since 11 November 2021)
Head of government: Prime Minister Philip J. PIERRE (since 28 July 2021)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by governor general
Description: bicameral Houses of Parliament consists of:
Senate (11 seats; all members appointed by the governor general; 6 on the advice of the prime minister, 3 on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and 2 upon consultation with religious, economic, and social groups; members serve 5-year terms)
House of Assembly (18 seats; 17 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and the speaker, designated from outside the Parliament; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last appointments on 17 August 2021 (next to be held in 2026)
House of Assembly - last held on 26 July 2021 (next to be held in 2026)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition as of February 2024 - men 6, women 5, percentage women 45.5%
House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 50.1%, UWP 42.9%, other 0.3%, independent 6.6%; seats by party - SLP 13, UWP 2, independent 2; composition (including the speaker) as of February 2024 - men 16, women 2, percentage women 11.1%; note - total Parliament percentage women 24.1%
Highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states with 4 on Saint Lucia; Saint Lucia is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
Subordinate courts: magistrate's court
Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Philip J. PIERRE]
United Workers Party or UWP [Allen M. CHASTANET]
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Cerulean blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border; the blue color represents the sky and sea, gold stands for sunshine and prosperity, and white and black the racial composition of the island (with the latter being dominant); the two major triangles invoke the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), cone-shaped volcanic plugs that are a symbol of the island
Twin pitons (volcanic peaks), Saint Lucia parrot; national colors: cerulean blue, gold, black, white
Name: "Sons and Daughters of St. Lucia"
Lyrics/music: Charles JESSE/Leton Felix THOMAS
Note: adopted 1967
Total World Heritage Sites: 1 (natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales: Pitons Management Area
Upper middle-income, tourism-based Caribbean island economy; environmentally fragile; energy import-dependent; major banana producer; well-educated labor force; key infrastructure, IT, and communications investments
$2.716 billion (2022 est.)
$2.344 billion (2021 est.)
$2.088 billion (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2017 dollars
15.88% (2022 est.)
12.23% (2021 est.)
-24.36% (2020 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
$15,100 (2022 est.)
$13,000 (2021 est.)
$11,700 (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2017 dollars
$2.344 billion (2022 est.)
Note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
6.38% (2022 est.)
2.41% (2021 est.)
-1.76% (2020 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Agriculture: 2.9% (2017 est.)
Industry: 14.2% (2017 est.)
Services: 82.8% (2017 est.)
Comparison rankings: services 26; industry 185; agriculture 153
Household consumption: 66.1% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 11.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 16.9% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 62.7% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -56.9% (2017 est.)
Bananas, coconuts, fruit, tropical fruit, plantains, roots/tubers, cassava, poultry, vegetables, mangoes/guavas
Tourism; clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, lime processing, coconut processing
-0.41% (2022 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
103,000 (2022 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
15.77% (2022 est.)
19.58% (2021 est.)
20.41% (2020 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment
Total: 38.7% (2021 est.)
Male: 41%
Female: 36.2%
25% (2016 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line
51.2 (2016 est.)
Note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Lowest 10%: 0.9% NA
Highest 10%: 38.6% (2016 est.) NA
Note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
2.36% of GDP (2022 est.)
3.23% of GDP (2021 est.)
3.51% of GDP (2020 est.)
Note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Revenues: $350 million (2020 est.)
Expenditures: $516 million (2020 est.)
0.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
70.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
69.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
18.24% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
1 April - 31 March
-$52.32 million (2022 est.)
-$129.365 million (2021 est.)
-$231.919 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
$1.209 billion (2022 est.)
$710.431 million (2021 est.)
$452.444 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Brazil 98% (2021)
Crude petroleum, fertilizers, refined petroleum, polymers, aluminum (2021)
$1.179 billion (2022 est.)
$815.666 million (2021 est.)
$666.968 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Brazil 64%, United States 14%, Russia 8%, Colombia 7%, Trinidad and Tobago 2% (2021)
Crude petroleum, poultry, sugar, refined petroleum, soybeans, beef, corn, wheat (2021)
$389.083 million (2022 est.)
$433.117 million (2021 est.)
$231.361 million (2020 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
$570.6 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$529 million (31 December 2015 est.)
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
2.7 (2022 est.)
2.7 (2021 est.)
2.7 (2020 est.)
2.7 (2019 est.)
2.7 (2018 est.)
Electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 92,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 322.506 million kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 27.568 million kWh (2019 est.)
Comparison rankings: imports 166; exports 155; installed generating capacity 184; transmission/distribution losses 35; consumption 179
Fossil fuels: 99.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Solar: 1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 4,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
3,113 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
659,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 659,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
50.872 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
Total subscriptions: 14,182 (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2021 est.)
Total subscriptions: 170,000 (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 96 (2021 est.)
General assessment: an adequate system that is automatically switched; good interisland and international connections; broadband access; expanded FttP (Fiber to the Home) and LTE markets; regulatory development; telecom sector contributes to the overall GDP; telecom sector is a growth area (2020)
Domestic: fixed-line teledensity is 8 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 96 per 100 persons (2021)
International: country code - 1-758; landing points for the ECFS and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables providing connectivity to numerous Caribbean islands; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados (2019)
3 privately owned TV stations; 1 public TV station operating on a cable network; multi-channel cable TV service available; a mix of state-owned and privately owned broadcasters operate nearly 25 radio stations including repeater transmission stations (2019)
.lc
Total: 140,400 (2021 est.)
Percent of population: 78% (2021 est.)
Total: 33,000 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2020 est.)
J6
2 (2024)
Total: 1,210 km
Paved: 847 km
Unpaved: 363 km (2011)
Major seaport(s): Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort
No regular military forces; Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) (2024)
Note: the RSLPF has responsibility for law enforcement and maintenance of order within the country; it is under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Justice, and National Security and includes a Special Service Unit and a Marine Unit
Saint Lucia has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security (2024)
A transit point for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Caribbean; some local demand for cocaine and some use of synthetic drugs