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SAINT LUCIA

@Saint Lucia:Geography

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

Geographic coordinates: 13 53 N, 60 68 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 620 sq km
land: 610 sq km
water: 10 sq km

Area-comparative: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 158 km

Maritime claims: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental
margin
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from
January to April, rainy season from May to August

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 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: hurricanes and volcanic activity

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

Environment-international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

@Saint Lucia:People

Population: 152,335 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 34% (male 26,261; female 25,747)
15-64 years: 60% (male 45,182; female 46,956)
65 years and over: 6% (male 3,095; female 5,094) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.11% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 22.48 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.64 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 16.95 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.58 years
male: 67.94 years
female: 75.48 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.35 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality: