Caribbean
Country Profiles
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is a small island nation with an economy
that is heavily dependent on banana production. The crops vulnerability
to natural disasters and increased competition from Latin American
countries has hampered the economy, but advances are being
made in tourism and offshore banking.
Saint Lucia has an area of just 616 square kilometres. The
island is volcanic and mountainous with fertile valleys. The
climate is tropical, with a rainy season from May to November.
The country is vulnerable to hurricanes and volcanic eruptions.
Saint Lucia is a parliamentary democracy and is part of the
British Commonwealth. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth
II and the head of government is Prime Minister Kenneth Anthony.
Elections will be held by December 2006. The country is divided
into 11 administrative quarters and the capital city is Castries.
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People
|
|
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Human Development Index Ranking (out of 173)
|
66
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Population (millions)
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0.1
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Population growth rate (%)
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0.9
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Adult literacy rate (% age 15 and above)
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90.2
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Health
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Life expectancy
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73.4
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Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births)
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17
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People living with HIV/AIDS (% adults 15-49)
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---
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Population using improved water sources (%)
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98
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Population using adequate sanitation facilities
(%)
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---
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Economy
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|
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GDP (US$ billions)
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0.7
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Population living below national poverty line (%)
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---
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Source: United Nation Human Development Reports,
Human Development Indicators 2002
--- indicates information not available
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