plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island,
dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was
granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.

Geography Saint Lucia

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

Geographic coordinates:
13 53 N, 60 58 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 616 sq km
land: 606 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:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to
April, rainy season 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: 6.45%
permanent crops: 22.58%
other: 70.97% (2005)

Irrigated land:
30 sq km (2003)

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, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped
peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights
of the Caribbean

People Saint Lucia

Population:
168,458 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.8% (male 25,941/female 24,319)
15-64 years: 65% (male 53,916/female 55,582)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 3,186/female 5,514) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 25.2 years
male: 24.4 years
female: 26.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.29% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
19.68 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
5.08 deaths/1,000 population