North & Central America and Caribbean

Saint Lucia
Last reviewed: 9 February 2009

Country information

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Map of St Lucia

ST LUCIA TODAY

Country Facts

Area: 620 sq km
Population: 171,100(2007EIU estimate)
Capital City: Castries
Languages: English is the official and commercial language but a broken French or patois (known as Kweyol) is also widely spoken.
Religion(s): The principal denominations are Roman Catholic, (93%), Anglican, Methodist and Baptist. There are also small Jewish, Hindu and Muslim minorities.
Currency: East Caribbean Dollar (EC$)
Major political parties: United Workers Party (UWP), Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP), People’s Progressive Movement (PPM)
Government: A Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. There are two chambers, the 17 member House of Assembly, whose members are elected for five-year terms, and the 11-Member Senate, whose members are nominated (six by the Prime Minister, three by the Leader of the opposition, two by the Governor General).
Head of State: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Pearlette Louisy, (since September 1997)
Prime Minister: Hon Stephenson King
Foreign Minister: Hon Rufus Bousquet
Membership of international groups/organisations: ACCT (associate), ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, CFATF, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

DID YOU KNOW?

Legal System: Based on English common law
Currency: The Eastern Caribbean Dollar is shared with other members of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union and is pegged to the US dollar (US$1 = EC$2.7)
National holiday: Independence Day, 22 February
Nobel Laureates: St Lucia boasts more Nobel Laureates per head of population than any other country - Derek Walcott (Laureate for Literature in 1992) and Sir Arthur Lewis (Laureate for Economics in 1979)

HEALTH

Life expectancy (2002 est.): 74 years
Infant mortality rate (2006 WHO est.): 14 deaths per 1000 live births

HIV/AIDS

The incidence of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean region is second only to sub-Sahara Africa. Heterosexual transmission is the largest known mode of infection (25%). It is officially accepted that reported cases represent only 20- 25% of the true estimate of HIV/AIDS infection in St Lucia.