| Saint Lucia
Country Profile |
Saint Lucia is a constitutional monarchy and representative democracy within the Commonwealth. The island, with its fine natural harbour 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.
The country has more Nobel laureates per capita than any other country: poet and playwright Derek Walcott, born in Castries, Saint Lucia, on 23 January 1930, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992; and Sir Arthur Lewis was Nobel economics laureate in 1979. |
| Full Name |
Saint Lucia |
| Geographic Coordinates |
13 53 N, 60 68 W |
| Capital and Largest City |
Castries (pop. est. 67,000) |
| Area |
619 sq. km. (238 sq. mi.) |
| Terrain |
Mountainous |
| Climate |
Tropical |
| Internet domain |
.lc |
| International dialling code |
+1 758 |
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| Nationality |
Noun and adjective--St. Lucian(s) |
| Population |
163,922 (July 2015 est.) |
| Annual Growth Rate |
0.74% (2006 est.) |
| Ethnic Groups |
Black/African descent 85.3%, mixed 10.9%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.) |
| Major Languages |
English (official); a French patois is common throughout the country |
| Major Religions |
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 .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.) |
| Adult Literacy |
94.8% |
| Infant Mortality Rate |
11.45 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy |
Total population - 77.6 years; male – 74.87 years; female – 80.47 years |
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| Type |
Parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth |
| Independence |
22 February 1979 (from the United Kingdom) |
| Constitution |
22 February 1979 |
| Executive Branch |
Governor-General (representing Queen Elizabeth II, head of state), Prime Minister (head of government), Cabinet. |
| Head of State |
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor-General Neville CENAC (since 12 January 2018) |
| Head of Government |
Prime Minister Kenny D. ANTHONY (since 30 November 2011) |
| Cabinet |
Cabinet appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the prime minister |
| Legislative Branch |
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 upon consultation with religious, economic, and social groups; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms). |
| Judicial Branch |
The legal system is based on English common law. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - with its headquarters on Saint Lucia - is headed by the Chief Justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with three justices and the High Court with 16 judges; sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the member states; three High Court judges reside on Saint Lucia. Saint Lucia is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice. |
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| Legislature |
Parliament of Saint Lucia |
| Parliament Name |
House of Assembly of Saint Lucia |
| Structure of Parliament |
Bicameral |
| Members of Parliament |
17 members elected at least every five years by universal adult suffrage |
| Electoral Law |
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| Constituencies |
17 single-member constituencies. |
| Voting System |
In the House of Assembly, 17 members are elected by simple majority vote in single-member constituencies |
| Term of Office |
5 years |
| Voter Requirements |
- Age: 18 years
- British Commonwealth citizenship
- Ordinary domicile or residence in the country during the preceding 12 months
- Disqualifications: insanity, undischarged bankruptcy, death sentence or imprisonment exceeding 12 months, allegiance to a foreign State
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| Suffrage |
Universal at 18 years of age |
| Candidate Eligibility and Requirements |
- Age: 21 years
- British Commonwealth citizenship
- Ability to speak and read the English language
- Support of six electors of the constituency
- Deposit of XCD 500, reimbursed if candidate obtains at least 1/8 of the votes cast
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| Electoral Authority |
Supervisor of Elections |
| Last Parliamentary Election |
28 November 2011 |
| Next Parliamentary Election |
6 June 2016 |
| Number of Register Electors |
Approximately 152,500 (2011) |
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| GDP (purchasing power parity) |
USD 2.032 billion (2015 est.) |
| GDP Growth Rate |
1.8% (2015 est.) |
| GDP Per Capita |
USD 12,000 (2015 est.) |
| GNI Per Capita |
USD 6,680 (World Bank, 2012) |
| Inflation Rate |
1.5% (2015 est.) |
| Unemployment |
25% (2015 est) |
| Main Exports |
Bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, avocados, mangoes, coconut oil (2010 est.) |
| Monetary Unit |
1 East Caribbean dollar(XCD) = 100 cents |
| Official Exchange Rate |
XCD 2.70 = USD 1.00 |
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| Key |
SLP = Saint Lucia Labour Party; UWP = United Workers Party; IND = Independent; *Incumbent; **Political Leader |
| Sources |
| http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1210491.stm |
| http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/ country-profile/north-central-america/st-lucia?profile=all |
| http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2344.htm |
| http://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/saint-lucia |
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