ghn
LEWIS; Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Kenneth ANTHONY; Saint Lucia
Freedom Party (SLFP), Martinus FRANCOIS

International organization participation: ACCT (associate), ACP, C,
Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol,
IOC, ISO (subscriber), NAM, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6728
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy
in Saint Lucia; the Ambassador to Saint Lucia resides in Bridgetown
(Barbados)

Flag description: blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black
arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border

Economy

Economy - overview: Though foreign investment in manufacturing and
information processing in recent years has increased Saint Lucia's
industrial base, the economy remains vulnerable due to its heavy
dependence on banana production, which is subject to periodic droughts
and tropical storms. Indeed, the destructive effect of Tropical Storm
Iris in mid-1995 caused the loss of 20% of the year's banana crop.
Increased competition from Latin American bananas will probably
further reduce market prices, exacerbating Saint Lucia's need to
diversify its economy in coming years, e.g., by further expanding
tourism, manufacturing, and construction.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $695 million (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.3% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,400 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture : 13.8%
industry: 17.4%
services: 68.8% (1992 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3% (1996 est.)

Labor force:
total: 43,800
by occupation: agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and
commerce 17.7% (1983 est.)

Unemployment rate: 25% (1995 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $361.5 million
expenditures: $311 million, including capital expenditures of $104
million (1995 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA %

Electricity - capacity: 34,000 kW (1995)

Electricity -