St. Lucia’s Fact Sheet
Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Area: total: 616 sq km; land: 606 sq km; water: 10 sq km
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Coastline: 158 km
Climate: tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
Terrain: volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m
Natural resources: forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
Land use: arable land: 6.45%; permanent crops: 22.58%; other: 70.97%
Natural hazards: hurricanes and volcanic activity
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region
Population: 159,585
Population growth rate: 0.436%
Birth rate: 15.4 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 6.71 deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: -4.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate: 13.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.25 years; male: 73.59 years; female: 79.05 years
Total fertility rate: 1.86 children born/woman
Ethnic groups: black 82.5%, mixed 11.9%, East Indian 2.4%, other or unspecified 3.1%
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%
Languages: English (official), French patois
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Castries
Independence: 22 February 1979 (from UK)
GPD: $1.794 billion
Agriculture - products: bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Exports: $288 million
Exports - partners: US 24.5%, France 23.2%, UK 19.3%, Antigua and Barbuda 5%, Dominica 4.9%, Barbados 4.4%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.1%
Imports: $791 million
Imports - partners: Brazil 63.6%, US 10.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 8.2%
