Saint Lucia (St. Lucia)

Saint (St.) Lucia is an island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north of the islands of Saint (St.) Vincent and the Grenadines and south of Martinique. It is also known as the "Helen of the West".

Saint (St.) Lucia

National motto: The Land, The People, The Light
Official language	English
Capital	Castries
Head of State	Queen Elizabeth II
Governor-General	Dame Pearlette Louisy
Prime Minister	Dr. Kenny Anthony
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 176th 620 km² 1,6%
Population  - Total (2002)  - Density	Ranked 175th 160,145 260/km²
HDI (2003)	0.772 (76th) – medium
Independence  - Date	From the UK February 22, 1979
Currency	East Caribbean dollar
Time zone	UTC -4
National anthem	Sons and Daughters of Saint (St.) Lucia
Internet TLD	.lc
Calling Code	1-758
Airport Designator	SLU

Contents 1 History 2 Politics 3 Quarters 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Culture 8 Miscellaneous topics 9 External links 10 Credits

 

History

Pre-European People
Saint (St.) Lucia's first known inhabitants were Arawaks, believed to have come from northern South America around 200-400 A.D. Numerous archaeological sites on the island have produced specimens of the Arawaks' well-developed pottery.

Caribs gradually replaced Arawaks during the period from 800 to 1000 A.D. They called the island Hiwanarau, and later Hewanorra, which is now the name used for the Hewanorra International Airport in Vieux Fort. The Caribs had a complex society, with hereditary kings and shamans. Their war canoes could hold more than 100 men and were fast enough to catch a sailing ship. They were later feared by the Europeans because of stories of violence and cannibalism, but much of this was probably exaggeration on the part of the Europeans. The Caribs were usually generous until attacked or deceived (which are situations common to much of European colonial history).

European invasion
Europeans first landed on the island in either 1492 or 1502 during Spain's early exploration of the Caribbean. The Dutch, English, and French all tried to establish trading outposts on St. Lucia in the 17th century but faced opposition from Caribs whose land they were occupying.

1600s
Although the French pirate Francois de Clerc (also known as Jamb de Bois, due to his wooden leg) frequented Saint (St.) Lucia in the 1550s, it wasn't until years later, around 1600, that the first European camp was started by the Dutch, at Vieux Fort. In 1605, an English vessel called the Olive Branch was blown off-course on its way to Guyana, and the 67 colonists started a settlement on Saint (St.) Lucia but after 5 weeks only 19 of them remained due to disease and conflict with the Caribs, so they fled the island.

The French officially claimed the island in 1635 but it was the English that started the next European settlement in 1639, which was wiped out by the Caribs. It was not until 1651 that the French came, this time from Martinique, commanded by De Rousselan, who held the island until his death in 1654.

In 1664, Thomas Warner (son of the governor of St Kitts) claimed Saint (St.) Lucia for England. He brought 1000 men there to defend it from the French, but after 2 years there were only 89 left, mostly due to disease. For years after this, the island was official traded back and forth between the English and the French in various treaties, as a bargaining chip.

1700s
The English, with their headquarters in Barbados, and the French, centered on Martinique, found St. Lucia attractive after the sugar industry developed in 1765. Colonists who came over were mostly indentured white servants serving a small percentage of wealthy merchants or nobles. Conflict with the Caribs increased as more and more land was taken.

Near the end of the century, the French Revolution occurred, and a revolutionary tribunal was sent to Saint (St.) Lucia, headed by captain La Crosse. Bringing the ideas of the revolution to Saint (St.) Lucia, he set up a guillotine that was used to execute Royalists. In 1794, the French governor of the island declared that all slaves were free, but only a short time later the British invaded again in response to the concerns of the wealthy plantation owners, and restored slavery after years of fighting. Castries was burned in 1796 as part of that battle between the British and the slaves and French republicans.

1800s
Britain eventually triumphed, with France permanently ceding St. Lucia in 1815. The British had abolished the slave trade in 1808, 3 years after slaves in Haiti gained their independence as the first Black republic in the caribbean, but it wasn't until 1838 that slavery was actually abolished on St. Lucia. Even after slavery was officially abolished, all former slaves had to serve a four-year "apprenticeship" which forced them to work for free for their former slavemasters for at least three quarters of the work week.

Also in 1838, Saint (St.) Lucia was incorporated into the British Windward Islands administration, headquartered in Barbados. This lasted until 1885, when the capital was moved to Grenada.

1900s to present day
Increasing self-government has marked St. Lucia's 20th century history. A 1924 constitution gave the island its first form of representative government, with a minority of elected members in the previously all-nominated legislative council. Universal adult suffrage was introduced in 1951, and elected members became a majority of the council. Ministerial government was introduced in 1956, and in 1958 St. Lucia joined the short-lived West Indies Federation, a semi-autonomous dependency of the United Kingdom. When the federation collapsed in 1962, following Jamaica's withdrawal, a smaller federation was briefly attempted. After the second failure, the United Kingdom and the six windward and leeward islands--Grenada, St. Vincent, Dominica, Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis and Anguilla, and St. Lucia--developed a novel form of cooperation called associated statehood.

As an associated state of the United Kingdom from 1967 to 1979, St. Lucia had full responsibility for internal self-government but left its external affairs and defense responsibilities to the United Kingdom. This interim arrangement ended on February 22, 1979, when St. Lucia achieved full independence. St. Lucia continues to recognize Queen Elizabeth II as titular head of state and is an active member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The island continues to cooperate with its neighbors through the Caribbean community and common market (CARICOM), the East Caribbean Common Market (ECCM), and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

Politics

Politics of St. Lucia takes place in the framework of an independent parliamentary democratic Commonwealth Realm with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state, represented by a Governor General, who acts on the advice of the prime minister and the cabinet. The prime minister is the leader of the majority party of the house, and the cabinet conducts affairs of state. The Governor General exercises basically ceremonial functions, but residual powers, under the constitution, can be used at the governor general's discretion. The actual power in St. Lucia lies with the prime minister and the cabinet, usually representing the majority party in parliament.

Politics in St. Lucia was once dominated by the United Workers' Party (UWP), which, until 1997 had governed the country for all but three years since independence. John Compton was premier of St. Lucia from 1964 until independence in February 1979 and remained prime minister until elections later that year.

The Saint (St.) Lucia Labour Party (SLP) won the first post-independence elections in July 1979, taking 12 of 17 seats in parliament. A period of turbulence ensued, in which squabbling within the party led to several changes of prime minister. Pressure from the private sector and the unions forced the government to resign in 1982. New elections were then called and were won resoundingly by Compton's UWP, which took 14 of 17 seats.

The UWP was elected for a second time in April 16, 1987, but with only nine of 17 seats. Seeking to increase his slim margin, Prime Minister Compton suspended parliament and called new elections on April 30. This unprecedented snap election, however, gave Compton the same results as before--the UWP retained nine seats and the SLP eight. In April 1992, Prime Minister Compton's government again defeated the SLP. In this election, the government increased its majority in parliament to 11 seats.

In 1996, Compton announced his resignation as prime minister in favor of his chosen successor Dr. Vaughan Lewis, former director-general of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Dr. Lewis became prime minister and minister of finance, planning and development on April 2, 1996. The SLP also had a change of leadership with former CARICOM official Dr. Kenny Anthony succeeding businessman Julian Hunte.

In elections held May 23, 1997, the St. Lucia Labour Party won all but one of the 17 seats in Parliament, and Dr. Kenny Anthony became Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Planning and Development on 24 May 1997.

In elections of December 3, 2001 the St. Lucia Labour Party won 14 of the 17 available seats. The leader of the UWP, Dr. Morella Joseph failed to win a seat. Arsene James is the leader of the Parliamentary Opposition.

Executive branch
As head of state, Queen Elizabeth II is represented by a governor general who acts on the advice of the prime minister and the cabinet. Following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the deputy prime minister is appointed by the governor general.

Office Name Individuals
Queen Elizabeth II 6 February 1952
Governor-General Pearlette Louisy September 1997
Prime Minister Kenneth Anthony SLP 24 May 1997
Deputy Prime Minister Mario Michel SLP 24 May 1997

Legislative branch
The Legislature has two chambers. The House of Assembly has 17 members, elected by universal adult suffrage for a five year term in single-seat constituencies. The Senate has 11 members appointed by the governor general. The parliament may be dissolved by the governor general at any point during its 5-year term, either at the request of the prime minister--in order to take the nation into early elections--or at the governor general's own discretion, if the house passes a vote of no-confidence in the government.

Political parties and elections
Election results include names of political parties. See for additional information about parties the List of political parties in St. Lucia. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in St. Lucia.

Summary of the 3 December 2001 Saint Lucia House of Assembly election results:
Parties Votes % Seats
Saint (St.) Lucia Labour Party 54.2 14
United Workers Party 36.6 3
National Alliance 3.5 -
Total (turnout 52.5 %) 17'
Source: Government of St. Lucia and sluonestop.com.

Judicial branch
St. Lucia has an independent judiciary composed of district courts and a high court. Cases may be appealed to the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeals and, ultimately, to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London. The island is divided into 10 administrative divisions, including the capital, Castries. Popularly elected local governments in most towns and villages perform such tasks as regulation of sanitation and markets and maintenance of cemeteries and secondary roads. St. Lucia has no army but maintains a paramilitary Special Service Unit within its police force and a coast guard.

Administrative divisions
Saint Lucia is divided in 11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux Fort

Quarters

The island of Saint Lucia is divided into 11 quarters:

• Anse-la-Raye
• Castries
• Choiseul
• Dauphin
• Dennery
• Gros Islet
• Laborie
• Micoud
• Praslin
• Soufrière
• Vieux Fort

Geography

Map of St. Lucia

St. Lucia is one of many small land masses composing the insular group known as the Windward Islands. Unlike large limestone areas such as Florida, Cuba, and the Yucatan Peninsula, or the Bahamas, which is a small island group composed of coral and sand, St. Lucia is a typical Windward Island formation of volcanic rock that came into existence long after much of the region had already been formed.

Saint Lucia's physical features are strikingly beautiful. Dominated by high peaks and rain forests in the interior, the 616- square-kilometer island is known for the twin peaks of Gros Piton and Petit Piton on the southwestern coast, its soft sandy beaches, and its magnificent natural harbors. Mount Gimie, the highest peak, is located in the central mountain range and rises to 958 meters above sea level, a contrast that is also evident in the abrupt climatic transition from coastal to inland areas. The steep terrain also accentuates the many rivers that flow from central St. Lucia to the Caribbean. Fertile land holdings, which support banana farming, are scattered throughout the island.

St. Lucia has a tropical, humid climate moderated by northeast trade winds that allow for pleasant year-round conditions. Mean annual temperatures range from 26oC to 32oC at sea level and drop to an average of 13o C in the mountain peaks. The abundant annual rainfall accumulates to approximately 200 centimeters, with most precipitation occurring during the June to December wet season. Hurricanes are the most severe climatic disturbance in this area and have been known to cause extensive damage. Although St. Lucia has historically been spared from serious hurricane destruction, Hurricane Allen decimated the agricultural sector and claimed nine lives in 1980.

Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago.

Geographic coordinates: 13°53'N 61°00'W

Map references
Central America and the Caribbean

Measurements
total area: 616 km²
length: 43 km
width: 23 km
comparative area: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 158 km

Maritime claims
200 nautical miles (370 km)
contiguous zone: 24 nautical miles (44 km)
exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles (370 km)
territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22 km)

Climate
Saint (St.) Lucia is in the tropical zone, although its climate is moderated by northeast trade winds. Since it's fairly close to the equator, the temperature doesn't fluctuate much between winter and summer. The dry season is from January to April, and the rainy season is from May to August. Average daytime temperatures are around 29°C, and average nighttime temperatures are around 18°C. Average annual rainfall ranges from 130cm on the coast to 381cm in the mountain rainforests.

Terrain
volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys

Elevation extremes
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: 8%
permanent crops: 21%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 13%
other: 53% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 10 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards
hurricanes and volcanic activity

The island was severely affected by Hurricane Allen in 1980, causing tourism to drop, but Saint (St.) Lucia has generally had fewer hurricanes than most other caribbean islands.

Environment

current issues
deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region

GDP: purchasing power parity - $656 million (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.9% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,300 (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

       agriculture: 10.7%
       industry: 32.3%
       services: 57% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
       lowest 10%: NA%
       highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.7% (1998 est.)

Labour force: 43,800

Labour force - by occupation:
       agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.)

Unemployment rate: 15% (1996 est.)

Budget:
       revenues: $141.2 million
       expenditures: $146.7 million, including capital expenditures of $25.1 million (FY97/98 est.)

Industries: clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing

Industrial production growth rate: -8.9% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production: 110 GWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source:
       fossil fuel: 100%
       hydro: 0%
       nuclear: 0%
       other: 0% (1998)

Electricity - consumption: 102 GWh (1998)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Agriculture - products: bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa

Exports: $75 million (1998)

Exports - commodities: bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil

Exports - partners:
       United Kingdom 50%, United States 24%, Caricom countries 16% (1995)

Imports: $290 million (1998)

Imports - commodities: food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels

Imports - partners: United States 36%, Caricom countries 22%, United Kingdom 11%, Japan 5%, Canada 4% (1995)

Debt - external: $135 million (1998)

Economic aid - recipient: $51.8 million (1995)

Currency: 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Demographics of Saint (St.) Lucia, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.
Population: 156,260 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (male 26,087; female 25,159)
15-64 years: 62% (male 47,420; female 49,290)
65 years and over: 5% (male 3,113; female 5,191) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.21% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 22.19 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 5.43 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 15.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.31 years
male: 68.74 years
female: 76.14 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.42 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Saint (St.) Lucian(s)
adjective: Saint (St.) Lucian

Ethnic groups: black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3%

Languages: English (official), French patois

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 67%
male: 65%
female: 69% (1980 est.)